Pope AFB, NC Installation Guide

Major Command: Air Mobility Command

Primary Weapon Systems: C-130s and A-10s

Comments and Location:

Welcome to Pope Air Force Base, the "busiest base in the Air Mobility Command," and to the Fayetteville, North Carolina area. Pope Air Force Base is located on the northern edge of the city of Fayetteville and adjacent to Fort Bragg. It is approximately sixty miles south southwest of Raleigh and one hundred miles east of Charlotte. The base, which is rich in its own heritage, is conveniently situated within easy access to many historical and unique sites within the borders of North Carolina. For instance, to the west are the Appalachian Mountains which offer panoramic scenes from places like Look Out Mountain, Chimney Rock, and Grandfather Mountain. Activities abound to include white water rafting, skiing in the winter, hiking in some of the most beautiful country on the east coast, to visiting the state parks, Tweetsie Railroad, or the Cherokee Indian Reservation. To the east are the outer banks, numerous beaches, and places to see like Kitty Hawk, Ocracoke Island, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, only about two hours away. North Carolina has many lakes, recreational areas, and activities to satisfy the interests of everyone.

Mission

The mission of the 43d Airlift Wing is to rapidly deploy a highly trained force and successfully plan and execute Air Operations. These operations may be conducted in any theater, region, or contingency area as part of any force, joint or allied, in support of national and/or military objectives.

Telephone Access:

All Pope AFB telephone numbers listed in this book have the following prefixes unless otherwise noted: Pope - DSN 424-XXXX, Commercial (910) 394-XXXX From on base 4-XXXX, Operator 394-1110

History

Pope Air Force Base has played a leading role in the development of U.S. Airpower. From its founding as Pope Field in 1919, Pope has provided eighty years of service and pride at the forefront of US military aviation.

On April 1, 1997, the 43rd Airlift Wing activated as the host wing at Pope under Air Mobility Command with the 2nd and 41st Airlift Squadrons flying C-130s. The designation of the composite wing went to the 23rd Fighter Group, which became a tenant unit under Air Combat Command, flying A-10s with the 74th and 75th Fighter Squadrons.