IV 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 728 
Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the dedication of Sheppard Air 
Force Base and the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Euro- 
NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 20, 2021 
Mr. JACKSON submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on For-
eign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the dedication of 
Sheppard Air Force Base and the 40th anniversary of 
the creation of the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training 
Program. 
Whereas, in 1940, Major General Rush B. Lincoln, Com-
mandant of United States Army Air Corps Technical 
Schools, surveyed the sites surrounding the city of Wich-
ita Falls, Texas, for a future training school; 
Whereas, 80 years ago, Sheppard Air Force Base began as 
Sheppard Field and opened as a United States Army Air 
Corps training facility on 300 acres of land in Wichita 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:12 Oct 20, 2021
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR728.IH
HR728
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 728 IH 
Falls, named after former United States Senator John 
Morris Sheppard; 
Whereas, during World War II, Sheppard Field trained more 
than more than 42,000 aircraft mechanics, 1,800 glider 
mechanics and 445,000 basic trainees, playing a vital role 
in the development of airpower for defeating the Axis 
powers; 
Whereas after serving as an Army Air Force separation cen-
ter following the end of World War II, Sheppard Field 
was inactivated in August of 1946; 
Whereas, on August 1, 1948, Sheppard Field was reactivated 
activated by the Department of the Air Force to enhance 
basic training and was dedicated as Sheppard Air Force 
Base; 
Whereas, by 1953, the base qualified more than 80,000 
trained aircraft maintainers and served as the home for 
2 percent of all airmen; 
Whereas Sheppard Air Force Base adapted and matured 
alongside the United States Armed Forces by becoming 
the home of missile maintenance training in 1955; 
Whereas, from 1959 to 1962, Sheppard Air Force Base 
hosted the 4245th Strategic Wing, and from 1962 to 
1966 the 494th Bombardment Wing, directing aerial re-
fueling and bombardment squadrons; 
Whereas, in 1965, the 3630th Flying Training Wing was ac-
tivated and in 1966 began providing pilot training to 
German Air Force students; 
Whereas, in 1968, Sheppard Air Force Base became the epi-
center for field training in the aircraft maintenance train-
ing pipeline, carried on today by the 982d Training 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:12 Oct 20, 2021
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR728.IH
HR728
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 728 IH 
Group, who deliver more than 35,000 trained students 
each year; 
Whereas the 3630th Flying Training Wing became the 80th 
Flying Training Wing, expanding its student radius in 
1973 to Iran, El Salvador, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, and 
other nations under the security assistance program; 
Whereas, in 1973, Sheppard Air Force Base held the honor 
of serving as a reception point for Operation Home-
coming, welcoming home Vietnam prisoners of war after 
years of captivity; 
Whereas, in 1981, at Sheppard Air Force Base, the 80th 
Flying Training Wing began the Euro-NATO Joint Jet 
Pilot Training Program with 12 partner nations Bel-
gium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Neth-
erlands, Norway, Portugal, Turkey, the United Kingdom, 
and the United States, providing the partner nations with 
several domains of pilot training; 
Whereas, on July 1, 1993, Sheppard Air Force Base became 
the home of all aircraft maintenance training when the 
Sheppard Training Center became the 82nd Training 
Wing; 
Whereas, in 2016, the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training 
Program added Romania as its 14th partner and was ex-
tended through 2026; 
Whereas the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program 
remains the world’s only internationally manned and 
managed flying training program; 
Whereas, since 1981, the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Train-
ing Program has delivered more than 7,800 combat pilots 
for its 14 partner nations in support of NATO; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:12 Oct 20, 2021
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR728.IH
HR728
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 728 IH 
Whereas the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program 
trains 50 percent of all United States Air Force fighter 
pilots and is the sole source of fighter pilots for the part-
ner nations of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Nether-
lands, and Norway; 
Whereas the 80th Flying Training Wing launches 50,000 sor-
ties per year and is recognized as the busiest joint-use 
airfield in the Air Force; 
Whereas, in fiscal year 2019, Sheppard Air Force Base cre-
ated $4,600,000,000 in economic impact and served as 
the region’s largest employer, accounting for 1 in 8 jobs 
in Wichita County; 
Whereas the 82nd Training Wing, stationed at Sheppard Air 
Force Base, graduates more than 60,000 officer and en-
listed students each year; 
Whereas the 82nd Training Wing is the largest technical 
training wing in the United States Air Force, teaching 
6,000 students on a daily basis across the globe; 
Whereas Sheppard Air Force Base is home to more than 
2,000 instructors teaching 990 Community College of the 
Air Force courses, totaling 41 percent of all Community 
College of the Air Force courses worldwide; and 
Whereas, over the course of 80 years, Sheppard Air Force 
Base has delivered more than 7,000,000 trained airmen, 
soldiers, sailors, marines, and international partners and 
pilots to support military interoperability around the 
world: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives com-
memorates the 80th anniversary of the opening of 
Sheppard Air Force Base and the 40th anniversary of the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:12 Oct 20, 2021
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR728.IH
HR728
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS