Loring Air Force Base

Loring Air Force Base

Loring Air Force Base (AFB) (IATA: LIZ, ICAO: KLIZ) was a United States Air Force base in the town of Limestone, Aroostook County, in the state of Maine. Loring AFB was the largest base of the United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command during its existence, until it was transferred to the newly-created Air Combat Command in 1992. It was named for Major Charles J. Loring, Jr., USAF, a Medal of Honor recipient during the Korean War. From 1951-1962, it was co-located next to Caribou Air Force Station.

Up until the time of its closure, the main host unit at Loring AFB was the 42d Bombardment Wing (42 BW), assigned to the Strategic Air Command and eventually, the Air Combat Command. The 42d BW operated the airfield, maintained all infrastructure and provided security, communications, medical, legal, personnel, contracting, finance, transportation, air traffic control, weather forecasting, public affairs, recreation and chaplain services for the associated units.

The base's origins begin with order for construction of an airfield by the New England Division of the United States Army Corps of Engineers in 1947. A site was chosen in northeastern Maine, within both the Limestone Township, and Caswell Plantation. The base was determined to be in a strategic location, as it was the closest point in the Continental United States to Europe. The new base itself was named Limestone Army Air Field, and would remain under this name until it was renamed Limestone Air Force Base at a later date. The base would later become one of the more strategic bases during the Cold War, due to its strategic location, although this would diminish as the war itself drew down.

As of November 2012, the former base has been redeveloped as the Loring Commerce Centre, which has helped oversee the development of the former base and its buildings. Many of the buildings on the base remain standing, although some have been torn down after it has been determined that there is no further use for them, or they can no longer be maintained. For statistical purposes, Loring is by the United States Census Bureau as a census-designated place. At the 2000 census, the former base had a total population of 225.