Air University / Maxwell Air Force Base

Military forces reached the area in 1540 with Desoto at the Indian village of Towassa. In 1910, the Wright brothers established the nation's first civilian flying school there and made the first recorded night flights. In 1918, a repair and engine depot was established for airplanes used for training in World War I. After the war, the 22nd Observation Squadron and 4th Photo Section assigned to the post made aerial photographs of the Tennessee Valley, delivered the first airmail to Montgomery, and in 1929 airdropped supplies for flood relief. The base was named for Lt. William C. Maxwell of Atmore, AL, who was killed in a plane crash in the Philippines in 1920. The Air Corps Tactical School moved to Maxwell in 1931, where young officers including Chennault, Eaker, Fairchild, Hansell, Kuter, LeMay, Quesada, and Vandenberg developed aerial strategies and tactics later used in World War II. In 1940, Maxwell became home to HQ Southeast Air Corps Training Center, which was responsible for pilot, navigator, and bombardier training and produced over 100,000 aviation cadets. Air University was established in 1946 as the USAF professional military education center, and its programs annually affect over half the Air Force. Gunter Annex, east of Montgomery, is an important integral element of Maxwell.

Montgomery, Alabama · United States