Post-Vietnam Era
With the cessation of hostilities in Vietnam and the ending of the military draft, the number of Armed Forces personnel declined sharply, resulting in downsizing and closures of military bases around the country.
In April 1978, the Air Force announced that Strategic Air Command functions at Rickenbacker were to be transferred elsewhere, estimating that 12,000 jobs would be lost as a result. In September 1979, with the base population at 2,800 military and civilian employees, the Base Closure Commission announced plans for the phased closing of the base, which at the time consisted of approximately 4,400 acres (18 km2), including an estimated 265 buildings with approximately 3,700,000 square feet (340,000 m2) of floor space.
In April 1980, Rickenbacker Air Force Base closed. The base was transferred from the Strategic Air Command to the Air National Guard and redesignated Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base on 1 April 1980 by Department of the Air Force Special Order GA-34 of 20 May 1980.
Read more about this topic: Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base
Famous quotes containing the word era:
“The era of long parades past an official podium filled with cold faces is gone. Celebrating is now a right, not a duty.”
—Lothar De Maizière (b. 1940)