Pope Air Force Base
Pope Air Force Base has played a leading role in the development of U.S. tactics and air-power throughout history. Missions at Pope range from providing airlift and close air support to American armed forces, to humanitarian missions flown all over the world.
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The War Department officially established "Pope Field" in 1919, and it ranks as one of the oldest installations in the Air Force. It is named after First Lieutenant Harley Halbert Pope who was killed on January 7, 1919, when the JN-4 Jenny he was flying crashed into the Cape Fear River. Original operations included photographing terrain for mapping, carrying the mail, and spotting for artillery and forest fires.
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Today, Pope supports the Air Force under the Air Mobility Command with Rapid Global Mobility. C-130 Hercules aircraft fly people, equipment, and supplies all over the world to support the far-reaching military obligations of the United States. Personnel and aircraft of Pope Air Force Base have been involved in humanitarian disaster relief, presidential directed combat actions like Operations URGENT FURY in Grenada, JUST CAUSE in Panama, DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM in Southwest Asia, as well as supporting Fort Bragg's Airborne and Special Operations paratroopers.
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Pope is also home to the 23rd Fighter Group, an Air Combat Command unit, flying A/OA-10 Thunderbolt II close air support aircraft. Personnel and aircraft from the 23rd fly missions supporting contingencies - wartime and peacetime - at home and abroad in areas such as Bosnia and Southwest Asia.
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Pope AFB, with its unique mission, equipment, and dedicated personnel, is a valuable component of the Air Force's "Global Engagement: A Vision for the Twenty-First Century Air Force."
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