Vance Air Force Base (IATA: END, ICAO: KEND, FAA LID: END) is a United States Air Force base located 6 km (three nautical miles) south of downtown Enid, Oklahoma, and within its city limits, about 104 km (65 mi) north northwest of Oklahoma City. The base is named after local World War II hero and Medal of Honor recipient, Lt Col Leon Robert Vance Jr.
The host unit at Vance is the 71st Flying Training Wing (71 FTW), which is a part of Air Education and Training Command's (AETC) Nineteenth Air Force (19 AF). The commander of the 71 FTW is Colonel Russell L. Mack. The vice-commander is Colonel Kurt W. Meidel and the command chief is Chief Master Sergeant Mark R. Aman.
Famous quotes containing the words air, force and/or base:
“Mary, hear,
O Mary, marry earth, sea, air and fire;
Our sacred earth in our day is our curse.”
—Robert Lowell (1917–1977)
“This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. And also the only real tragedy in life is being used by personally minded men for purposes which you recognize to be base.”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)
“Time, force, and death
Do to this body what extremes you can,
But the strong base and building of my love
Is as the very centre of the earth,
Drawing all things to it.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)