Tuzla Air Base
Encyclopedia
Tuzla Air Base is a former SFR Yugoslav Air Force
and later, NATO Air Force base, located 6.4 miles (10.3 km) south-southeast of Tuzla
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
. It also shares the runway
with the Tuzla International Airport
.
It was used by the United States
, Russian
, and allied NATO forces, beginning in 1995 as part of the NATO Stabilization Forces
(SFOR), which brought peace to Bosnia and Herzegovina
. The United States Air Force
established the 401st Expeditionary Air Base Group at the base for facilities control and the management of the airfield. The 401st EABG was withdrawn in 2008.
(Serbo-Croatian
: 701. avijacijska brigada / 701. авијацијска бригада). The unit was equipped with the Soko G-2 Galeb at Tuzla and other training aircraft. It was inactivated in December 1990. After its closure it became an unused Cold War
relic. It was placed under the control of United Nations United Nations
Protection Forces in 1992. But the strife in Bosnia-Herzegovina changed that.
US Air Force members of the 4100 Group Provisional, Tanker Airlift Control Element, set up a satellite communication system at the base of the control tower of the airport in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on Dec. 11, 1995. Later, the 401st Expeditionary Air Base Group operated the Predator reconnaissance drones and the airfield for transient NATO and USAF aircraft to maintain the base. During its years of NATO operations, aircraft flew 24-hour reconnaissance and surveillance missions. in support of SFOR, which brought peace to Bosnia and Herzegovina
.
The airmen, as part of the NATO Enabling Force of Operation Joint Endeavor, set up operations to bring airfield up to a 24 hour capability. Enabling forces moved into the Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Slovenia theaters of operation to prepare entry points for the main Implementation Force. The satellite communication system was used by the operations personnel to keep track of incoming and outgoing aircraft.
The early emphasis was all on getting the job done, not quality of life. Plus, the base couldnt handle all the troops. There was no infrastructure and certainly no amenities. But shortly after the airlift subsided, the Air Force did a complete turnaround. Its focus changed to making life better for troops. It standardized the quality of life in its compound. Troops dubbed it Rock City for the anti-mud crushed rocks that cover parts of it.
Between December 1995 and September 1999 the number of US Army soldiers serving in Bosnia dropped from 18,500 to 6,900. In addition to manpower reductions, other efficiencies have been achieved. Over the past 2 years, the theater's lines of communication have matured significantly. As a result, deploying forces are less dependent on temporary engineer bridges at river crossings, and equipment can be transported by rail all the way into Bosnia.
One of the most significant infrastructure improvements was the opening of Tuzla Air Base in Bosnia to strategic air traffic in October 1998. A major cost-saving action was the decision to maximize the use of pre-positioned equipment. Deploying forces now make full use of a Bosnia equipment set, which reduces the number of heavy vehicles deployed into and out of theater. In addition, the number of US helicopters in Bosnia was reduced by 50 percent, and all US artillery has been withdrawn.
Tuzla Air Base has done an about-face. Its no longer the Wild West town airmen found in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1995. The muddy streets are history. And theres no need to dodge tanks at each turn. Gone are the drafty tents where troops lived. Two huge dining facilities cater to any taste. There is an exchange with everything from combat boots to Gummi Bears. Places to get pizza, burger, ice cream fix or cappuccino. On the air base side, airmen run flight operations.
In December 2004 when a European Union-led stabilization force took over the Bosnian peacekeeping mission from NATO. On 1 July 2007, the United States transferred responsibility for the airfield to the Bosnians.
Then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's admission in late March 2008, that her repeated campaign statements about having been under hostile fire from sniper
s during a 1996 visit to U.S. military personnel at Tuzla Air Base were not true, attracted considerable media attention.
SFR Yugoslav Air Force
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslav Air Force , was the air force of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia . Formed in 1945, it was preceded by the Yugoslav Royal Air Force which was disbanded in 1941, following the German occupation of Yugoslavia...
and later, NATO Air Force base, located 6.4 miles (10.3 km) south-southeast of Tuzla
Tuzla
Tuzla is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the time of the 1991 census, it had 83,770 inhabitants, while the municipality 131,318. Taking the influx of refugees into account, the city is currently estimated to have 174,558 inhabitants...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
. It also shares the runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
with the Tuzla International Airport
Tuzla International Airport
Tuzla International Airport is an airport near Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The airport is a civilian airport and a military airbase. Its operating hours are from 06:00 to 20:00 LT for commercial air carriers and 06:00 to 17:00 LT for general/corporate aviation with a possible...
.
It was used by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Russian
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and allied NATO forces, beginning in 1995 as part of the NATO Stabilization Forces
SFOR
The Stabilisation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina which was tasked with upholding the Dayton Agreement. It replaced the previous force IFOR...
(SFOR), which brought peace to Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
. The United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
established the 401st Expeditionary Air Base Group at the base for facilities control and the management of the airfield. The 401st EABG was withdrawn in 2008.
History
In the beginning Tuzla was once a small SFR Yugoslav Air Force pilot training base. It was the former home of the 701st Aviation Brigade701st Aviation Brigade
The 701st Aviation Brigade was an aviation brigade established in 1988 as part of the SFR Yugoslav Air Force...
(Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian language
Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
: 701. avijacijska brigada / 701. авијацијска бригада). The unit was equipped with the Soko G-2 Galeb at Tuzla and other training aircraft. It was inactivated in December 1990. After its closure it became an unused Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
relic. It was placed under the control of United Nations United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Protection Forces in 1992. But the strife in Bosnia-Herzegovina changed that.
NATO Use
When opposing factions fought each other, the turmoil threatened stability in Europe. The U.N. asked for peace. And with the US -brokered Dayton Peace Accords, the sides agreed to try. But the U.N. ordered 60,000 NATO-led troops into the country to ensure they would. That started Joint Endeavor. But getting troops there would require a huge airlift. At that time, Tuzlas 8,100-foot runway was the countrys best. So it became the receiving end of the airlift. The Air Force flew in and set up to run air operations. Then it started to land and move the 25-nation peacekeeping force and the mountain of supplies and equipment to maintain the force. The airlift went on for several months during which airmen handled an average of 40 cargo planes a day.US Air Force members of the 4100 Group Provisional, Tanker Airlift Control Element, set up a satellite communication system at the base of the control tower of the airport in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on Dec. 11, 1995. Later, the 401st Expeditionary Air Base Group operated the Predator reconnaissance drones and the airfield for transient NATO and USAF aircraft to maintain the base. During its years of NATO operations, aircraft flew 24-hour reconnaissance and surveillance missions. in support of SFOR, which brought peace to Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
.
The airmen, as part of the NATO Enabling Force of Operation Joint Endeavor, set up operations to bring airfield up to a 24 hour capability. Enabling forces moved into the Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Slovenia theaters of operation to prepare entry points for the main Implementation Force. The satellite communication system was used by the operations personnel to keep track of incoming and outgoing aircraft.
The early emphasis was all on getting the job done, not quality of life. Plus, the base couldnt handle all the troops. There was no infrastructure and certainly no amenities. But shortly after the airlift subsided, the Air Force did a complete turnaround. Its focus changed to making life better for troops. It standardized the quality of life in its compound. Troops dubbed it Rock City for the anti-mud crushed rocks that cover parts of it.
Between December 1995 and September 1999 the number of US Army soldiers serving in Bosnia dropped from 18,500 to 6,900. In addition to manpower reductions, other efficiencies have been achieved. Over the past 2 years, the theater's lines of communication have matured significantly. As a result, deploying forces are less dependent on temporary engineer bridges at river crossings, and equipment can be transported by rail all the way into Bosnia.
One of the most significant infrastructure improvements was the opening of Tuzla Air Base in Bosnia to strategic air traffic in October 1998. A major cost-saving action was the decision to maximize the use of pre-positioned equipment. Deploying forces now make full use of a Bosnia equipment set, which reduces the number of heavy vehicles deployed into and out of theater. In addition, the number of US helicopters in Bosnia was reduced by 50 percent, and all US artillery has been withdrawn.
Current status
In 1998, the canton of Tuzla turned Tuzla International to a civil airport. Tuzla International opened on 10 October 1998 as a civilian airport and military airfield.Tuzla Air Base has done an about-face. Its no longer the Wild West town airmen found in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1995. The muddy streets are history. And theres no need to dodge tanks at each turn. Gone are the drafty tents where troops lived. Two huge dining facilities cater to any taste. There is an exchange with everything from combat boots to Gummi Bears. Places to get pizza, burger, ice cream fix or cappuccino. On the air base side, airmen run flight operations.
In December 2004 when a European Union-led stabilization force took over the Bosnian peacekeeping mission from NATO. On 1 July 2007, the United States transferred responsibility for the airfield to the Bosnians.
Then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's admission in late March 2008, that her repeated campaign statements about having been under hostile fire from sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
s during a 1996 visit to U.S. military personnel at Tuzla Air Base were not true, attracted considerable media attention.