By U.S. Senator Deb Fischer
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In 1916, Omaha native Jarvis Offutt entered officer training at Fort Snelling, Minnesota.
The United States had not yet entered World War I, but tensions were simmering at home and exploding abroad. No doubt the Offutt family was carefully following news of the Great War. No doubt they wondered whether America would be pulled in. Jarvis asked to be transferred to aviation, and by the end of the year, he received his commission as a First Lieutenant in the Aviation Section, United States Signal Corps.
In 1917, First Lieutenant Offutt went to England, where he was assigned to be a ferry pilot attached to the Royal Air Force 56 Squadron. Each day, First Lieutenant Offutt would fly across the English Channel to deliver aircraft from England to France. But one day in August 1918, his faithful duties came to a tragic end. First Lieutenant Offutt suffered serious injuries from an unknown incident—possibly enemy action or an aircraft accident—and died shortly after. He was only 23 years old.
Nebraska’s own Offutt Air Force Base—originally the Fort Crook landing field—is named after young First Lieutenant Offutt. Offutt AFB is steeped in a history of service members who sacrifice time, talents, and lives for our nation. And ever since the airfield at Fort Crook was named after Offutt in 1924, its role in our national defense has grown.
In 1940, with the threat of another war on the horizon, the U.S. War Department announced that a bomber factory would be built there. That factory would produce almost 2,000 bombers during World War II, including the Enola Gay and Bockscar B-29s, which dropped the atomic bombs on Japan.
Shortly after the war’s end, Strategic Air Command (SAC) moved to Offutt. For decades, SAC oversaw the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile aspects of our nuclear forces. And in 1992, U.S. Strategic Command was formed to bring all of the U.S. military’s nuclear forces operations under one command housed at Offutt.
Today, Offutt’s role in America’s nuclear forces continues to grow and improve.
This past week, the United States Air Force selected Offutt Air Force Base as the location of the new 95th Wing. The 95th Wing’s mission will be to strengthen nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3), allowing the president of the United States to direct nuclear forces during a crisis.
The activation of this new wing—which is expected to be fully operational by January—will strengthen Offutt and the surrounding community, adding 70 personnel to the base. But most importantly, it will allow the Air Force to streamline planning and administrative tasks, ensuring that the emergency systems upholding our national defense function smoothly.
The Air Force’s choice of Offutt as home to the 95th Wing reinforces Nebraska’s status as the center of gravity for NC3 missions. Nebraska is proud of our leading role in America’s national defense. Most of all, we are proud of the long line of incredible service members who have put their lives on the line to protect Nebraska and America—from Lieutenant Jarvis Offutt to the new personnel of the 95th Wing we will soon welcome to our state.
Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.