Cannon Air Force Base Cannon Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base , located approximately southwest of Clovis , New Mexico . It is under the jurisdiction of Air Force Special Operations Command ( AFSOC ) . The population of the Cannon AFB CDP was 2 , 245 as of the 2010 census . The host unit at Cannon is the 27th Special Operations Wing ( 27 SOW ) , which activated on 1 October 2007 , and is assigned to the Air Force Special Operations Command ( AFSOC ) . The 27 SOW plans and executes specialized and contingency operations using advanced aircraft , tactics and air refueling techniques to infiltrate , exfiltrate and resupply special operations forces ( SOF ) and provide intelligence , surveillance and reconnaissance and close air support in support of SOF operations . Cannon AFB was established in 1942 as Army Air Base , Clovis . The base was slated for closure as part of BRAC 2005 , however this was rescinded after political pressure was applied by then Senator Pete Dominici and Governor Bill Richardson . The commander of the 27th Special Operations Wing is Colonel Albert M . Elton II . The Command Chief Master Sergeant is Matthew M . Caruso . A variety of special operations aircraft are stationed at Cannon , including the AC - 130W Stinger II , AC - 130H Spectre , MQ - 1 Predator , MQ - 9 Reaper , CV - 22 Osprey and several versions of light and medium transport aviation aircraft . The AC - 130W is assigned to the 73rd Special Operations Squadron , with all twelve becoming operational in 2010 . History . Cannon Air Force Base is named in honor of General John K . Cannon ( 1892 – 1955 ) . General Cannon received his wings in 1922 and held a variety of command positions in World War II , including command of all air operations for the invasion of Southern Europe in August 1944 and Commander in Chief , Allied Air Forces in the Mediterranean Theater . In 1950 he returned to Europe as Commander in Chief of USAFE . General Cannon retired in 1954 as Commanding General , Tactical Air Command . The history of the base began in the late 1920s , when a civilian passenger facility , Portair Field , was established on the site . Portair Field was used as a terminal for early commercial transcontinental flights , flew passengers in the Ford Trimotor “ Tin Goose ” by day , and used Pullman trains for night travel . In the 1930s Portair was renamed Clovis Municipal Airport . World War II . After the United States entered World War II , the first military unit to use the facility was a glider detachment . On 6 July 1942 the base was assigned to Second Air Force . In 1943 , the military began to use the facility as a bomber base . Clovis AAF was assigned to II Bomber Command , Second Air Force . On 8 April 1943 , the base was renamed Clovis Army Air Field . . The host unit at Clovis AAF was the 16th Bombardment Wing , a training unit for Consolidated B - 24 Liberator bomber crews for Europe , and later becoming a major training / conversion base for the Boeing B - 29 Superfortress bombers heading to the Pacific Theater . The 16th Bomb Wing arrived in January 1943 . Known USAAF groups assigned to Clovis AAF were : On 16 April 1945 , Clovis AAF was transferred from jurisdiction of Second Air Force to Continental Air Command . CAC continued the flying , bombing , gunnery and photographic reconnaissance classes through the end of World War II . With the end of the war plans were made to establish a permanent B - 29 presence at Clovis AAF , and initially Clovis AAF became a processing center for personnel separating from service . Continental Air Command was re - designated Strategic Air Command ( SAC ) on 21 March 1946 . However , by mid - 1946 , the airfield was placed on reduced operational status due to postwar funding cutbacks and decreased flying activities . On 16 October 1946 , the 234th AAFBU was inactivated and on 1 November 1946 , the airfield was placed under administrative control of Colorado Springs Army Air Base , Colorado . Clovis AAF was placed on temporarily inactive status 28 May 1947 . Cold War . With the establishment of the United States Air Force in September 1947 , Clovis AAF was reactivated . The 509th Airdrome Group , Clovis Detachment took over day - to - day responsibilities for the airfield on 16 December 1947 . The 509th operated Clovis AAF as a detachment from its Headquarters at Roswell AAF , New Mexico , using the airfield as a deployment facility for the group ' s B - 29s . Clovis AAF was renamed " Clovis Air Force Base " on 13 January 1948 . However with no funds to host an active SAC bomb wing , Clovis AFB was placed on reserve / standby status on 1 July 1948 . Its caretaker unit was the 234th Air Force Base Unit . Clovis AFB remained on standby status until 1 April 1950 when jurisdiction was transferred from SAC to Air Training Command ( ATC ) . ATC assigned the base as subpost of Reese AFB , Texas on 12 May 1950 , while construction ensued to bring the base up to USAF standards . Plans were made to make Clovis AFB a contract flying training facility , however the advent of the Korean War changed the Air Force ' s plans for Clovis and jurisdiction was transferred to Tactical Air Command ( TAC ) as a fighter base on 23 July 1951 . The first USAF unit to use Clovis AFB was the Air National Guard ' s 140th Fighter - Bomber Wing , which arrived in October 1951 after being activated due to the Korean War . The 140th FBW was a composite unit , made up of elements from Colorado , Utah and Wyoming Air National Guard . The wing flew the World War II vintage North American F - 51D " Mustang " . During their period of federal service , elements of the 140th FBW took part in Operation Tumbler - Snapper – 1952 , a nuclear bomb test in Nevada . At the end of 1952 , the elements of the 140th returned to Air National Guard control in their respective states . The 140th returned to Cannon in 1968 as the 140th Tactical Fighter Wing . The unit was mobilized in response to North Korea ' s seizure of the U . S . S . Pueblo and included F - 86 Sabre fighter squadrons from the Maryland and New York Air National Guard s . While at Cannon , the units conducted ground attack training for Air Force pilots . The Air National Guardsmen were demobilized in December 1968 and returned to their respective states . 50th Fighter - Bomber Wing . With the Air National Guardsmen returning to state control , on 1 January 1953 TAC assigned the 50th Fighter - Bomber Wing to Clovis on 1 January 1953 . Operational squadrons of the 50th FBW were : The 50th initially began flight operations with the F - 51 Mustang . Before long , the wing replaced its propeller - driven Mustangs with jet - powered , F - 86F Sabre s . As the conversion to the F - 86F continued in the spring and early summer of 1953 , crews and maintenance personnel continued their training in the Sabre . Once training levels for pilots and aircrews had reached operational levels , the 50th FBW began preparations for its move to Hahn Air Base , West Germany . A second wing , the 37th Fighter - Bomber Wing , was planned for activation at Clovis to replace the 50th . It was established on 3 March 1953 and activated on 8 April 1953 . However , it was neither manned or equipped due to personnel and equipment shortages and was inactivated on 25 June . The 50th FBW deployed to Hahn on 10 August 1953 , during Operation Fox Able 20 . This marked the first mass flight of an entire tactical wing from the U . S . to continental Europe . 388th Fighter - Bomber Wing . After a few months of low - level activity , the 388th Fighter - Bomber Wing activated for the first time at Clovis AFB . The 388th ' s operational squadrons were : Each squadron was equipped with F - 86F Sabre s . Wing support aircraft consisted of 4 C - 47 s of various types , one L - 20A , and 5 T - 33 Shooting Star s . The wing was reactivated following Secretary of State John Foster Dulles ' promise to provide NATO with four additional tactical fighter wings . The unit trained with the Sabrejet and was declared operational at Clovis AFB in the late summer of 1954 . On 22 November 1954 , the 388 FBW relocated to its planned NATO base at Etain - Rouvres Air Base , France . 312th / 474th Fighter - Bomber Wings . With the departure of the 388th to France and TAC ' s commitment to NATO completed , the 312th Fighter - Bomber Wing was activated at Clovis AFB on 1 October 1954 as a permanent organization . Operational squadrons of the 312th FBW were : The 312th was initially equipped with F - 86H Sabres when it activated , however it began to receive the F - 100D Super Sabre in December 1956 . On 8 November 1954 , the 474th Fighter Bomber Group was transferred to Clovis AFB from Taegu AB , South Korea after fighting in the Korean War . The 474th FBG became a second flying component of the 312th FBW , its mission to be a training organization . Operational squadrons and colors of the 474th FBG were : The 474th was also equipped with North American F - 86H " Sabre " . Several changes occurred at Clovis AFB in 1957 . On 8 June Clovis AFB was renamed Cannon Air Force Base in honor of the late General John K . Cannon , a former commander of Tactical Air Command . In October of the same year , the 474th was elevated to the 474th Fighter Bomber Wing . With two fighter wings at the base , the 832nd Air Division was activated to oversee their activities . The F - 100 became the principal base aircraft for the next 12 years . From April 1956 to October 1957 the 312th TFW rotated tactical squadrons to either Châteauroux - Déols Air Base or Etain - Rouvres Air Base in France , for six - month deployments to NATO . The 312th also furnished units for TAC composite air strike forces in the Far East during 1957 and 1958 , deploying F - 100s and crews to Taiwan during the 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis . Also in 1958 , F - 100s from Cannon deployed to Turkey . HQ USAF redesignated the 312th and 474th Tactical Fighter Wings on 1 July 1958 as part of a world - wide re - designation of unit . 27th Tactical Fighter Wing . 1959 brought organizational changes at Cannon AFB . With the transfer of Bergstrom AFB , Texas to Strategic Air Command , TAC inactivated the 27th Tactical Fighter Wing at Bergstrom and activated it in place at Cannon on 18 February , replacing the 312th TFW which was inactivated in place the same day for reasons of precedence . The 27th TFW , in various designations , has been assigned to Cannon AFB for over 45 years . The operational squadrons of the defunct 312th TFW were redesignated as follows : Succeeding major deployments of Cannon ’ s F - 100s took place during the Berlin Crisis of 1961 and the Cuban Missile Crisis . Other deployments of 27th TFW aircraft and squadrons ( 481st , 522d , 524th ) were to Hahn AB , Germany ; Chambley - Bussieres AB , France ; Incirlik AB , Turkey ; Dhahran AB , Saudi Arabia ; Misawa AB , Japan ; Kunsan AB , South Korea ; Elmendorf AFB , Alaska ; and Udon RTAFB , Thailand . Vietnam era . Units from Cannon deployed the first F - 100 squadron to Thailand in 1962 – 1963 , and South Vietnam in 1964 . Beginning in 1964 and throughout the Vietnam War years squadrons from the 27th TFW were deployed and detached to Air Force units and bases around the world . The 523d replaced the squadron at Clark beginning on 23 November 1965 , not returning to Cannon until 31 August 1973 . The 27th did not recombine as a cohesive wing until 1973 . The 522d and 523d Tactical Fighter Squadrons were assigned to Clark Air Base , Philippines on a rotating basis , deploying to South Vietnam on a rotating basis . To try to restrain the Pathet Lao which were busily overrunning most of northwestern Laos . F - 100s began to be stationed in South Vietnam beginning in February 1964 . The first combat strike by the F - 100D was flown on 9 June 1964 when eight F - 100Ds of the 615th Tactical Fighter Squadron flew strikes against targets in the Plaines des Jarres in Laos . The first recorded combat loss was an F - 100D ( 56 – 3085 ) , shot down on 18 August 1964 over Laos . Many of the F - 100 aircraft deployed to the Philippines were further deployed to Thailand . The aircraft were used to fly missions over North Vietnam . These missions were generally of two types — MiG - CAP patrols to protect strike aircraft from attack by marauding North Vietnamese fighters and fighter - bomber strikes carried out with iron bombs against ground targets . On 1 April 1965 , F - 100Ds flew MiG combat air patrol for a strike force of F - 105s that were hitting the Thanh Hoa Bridge in North Vietnam . It was assumed that the F - 100s would probably not be an effective fighter in air - to - air combat , since it lacked a powerful radar set and could not carry advanced air - to - air weapons . However , every time the MiGs tried to interfere with these strikes they immediately fled as soon as the F - 100s turned toward them . Encounters between F - 100s and MiGs were very few and far between . Although it encountered some maintenance difficulties , the F - 100D proved remarkably adaptable to rough - field operations in the tropical heat and rain of Southeast Asia . From mid - 1965 onward , F - 100D fighter bombers generally operated only in the South , leaving the North for the F - 4 Phantom IIs and the F - 105 Thunderchief . Down South , the F - 100 turned out to be a very effective ground support aircraft , and beat back many enemy attacks . Beginning in 1966 , the natural aluminum finish of TAC aircraft began to be replaced by the Southeast Asian camouflage motif . In 1968 , two digit squadron tail codes appeared on the aircraft for identification purposes . Codes used with the 27th were " CA " for the 427th ; " CC " for the 522d and " CD " for the 524th . In 1972 , these were standaridized to " CC " for all 27th TFW aircraft . In December 1965 , with most of its operational squadrons deployed , the mission of the 27th changed from a Tactical Fighter Wing to a replacement training unit . The 27th Tactical Fighter Wing became the largest such unit in TAC . The 4585th Student Squadron was initially activated on 1 January 1966 to perform this mission . Later , the 4429th Combat Crew Training Squadron was activated on 15 May 1968 as a 2d training squadron , replacing the deployed 523d TFS . On 1 January 1969 the 4427th Tactical Training Squadron replaced the 4585th SS . The 465th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron replaced the 4429th CCTS on 1 December 1972 , arriving from Holloman AFB , New Mexico . Many F - 100 pilots that flew in the Vietnam War were trained at Cannon AFB . From Cannon , the aircrews were transferred to the F - 100 bases in South Vietnam – Phù Cát Air Base ( 37th TFW ) ; Phan Rang AB ( 35th TFW ) and Tuy Hoa AB ( 31st TFW ) . The 27th also trained forward air controllers and air liaison officers in Lockheed T - 33 Shooting Stars from 1969 to 1976 . The 4468 Tac Control Squadron initially performed this mission in 1969 , being replaced by the 609th Tac Control Squadron . The 609th TCS was inacivated on 15 June 1976 . F - 111 era . With the withdrawal of the F - 100 from Vietnam , and the phaseout of the aircraft from the active Air Force inventory , the 474th TFW converted from F - 100s into new General Dynamics F - 111 A aircraft . The 474th was the first USAF F - 111A Wing to receive the F - 111 . In January 1968 , the 474th was transferred to Luke AFB , Arizona , leaving Cannon AFB with the 27th TFW as the sole operational fighter wing . Headquarters 832d Air Division , however , remained at Cannon exercising operational control over several TAC wings ( including the reassigned 474th ) until its inactivation in 1975 . The 27th TFW began conversion to the General Dynamics F - 111E " Aardvark " in late 1969 . This was a several year conversion process , when in July 1972 , the last operational active duty Air Force F - 100s were transferred from the 27th TFW to the Air National Guard . The 27th TFW was the third TAC Wing to receive the F - 111 , the first squadron to receive the aircraft was the 481st TFS , receiving its first F - 111E aircraft on 30 September 1969 . In addition , older F - 111A models were received in October 1969 . The squadron reached initial operational capability with the F - 111E in the fall of 1969 , and had 29 F - 111Es by December . However , several accidents involving wing longerons grounded the aircraft until July 1970 . In October 1971 , the 522d TFS received both F - 111A and F - 111Es , although the last F - 100D from the squadron did not depart until 19 July 1972 ; the 524th TFS began receiving their first F - 111A / E on 19 July 1972 as well . As part of the wing ' s training mission , the 4427th Tactical Fighter Replacement Squadron was activated on 1 October 1971 as an F - 111D training unit . The F - 111A and F - 111E models were not to remain long at Cannon , being replaced in 1972 with the more advanced F - 111D . After the conversion to the F - 111D , the operational squadrons of the 27th TFW in 1973 were : The older F - 111Es were sent to RAF Upper Heyford , England and the F - 111As being sent to the 474th TFW at Nellis or were converted into EF - 111 A Raven electronic warfare aircraft . The 837th Air Division moved to Nellis AFB Nevada on 1 July 1975 , after which the 27th TFW became the host unit at Cannon . Initially the F - 111Ds were crippled by avionics problems . The horizontal situation display was prone to frequent failures , delivery of field ground equipment was late , and depot support was poor . There were excessive reliability and maintenance problems with the Mk II avionics , so severe that at times line mechanics were forced to resort to buying parts at Radio Shack . Operational readiness remained low all throughout 1973 , and the abort rate of the F - 111D was higher than that of other F - 111s . It was not until January 1974 that the F - 111D was finally declared operationally ready . The 481st TFTS was inactivated in January 1980 and the 524th Tactical Fighter Squadron was redesignated the 524th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron . That left the 27th TFW with two operationally deployable and one training squadron . 1988 marked the beginning of Cannon ’ s expansion as a result of decisions made by the Secretary of Defense ’ s Commission on Base Realignment and Closures ( BRAC ) . The 428th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron formerly of the 474th TFW at Cannon was reactivated with the 27th TFW on 15 December , being equipped with the F - 111G . The " G " model was a conversion of the former SAC FB - 111A all - weather strategic bombing version of the F - 111 , which was originally intended as an interim successor to the Boeing B - 52 Stratofortress and Convair B - 58 Hustler . These aircraft , less their nuclear delivery capability , were transferred to Cannon following the disbandment of SAC ' s 509th Bomb Wing at Pease AFB , New Hampshire and the 380th Bomb Wing at Plattsburgh AFB , New York . The F - 111Gs at Cannon were used primarily for training , but were scheduled to be supplanted in the training role by the F - 111E . This made the F - 111G surplus to USAF requirements , and the F - 111G began to be transferred to AMARC for storage in 1991 with the arrival of the " E " models with the 428th TFTS . The last G model was sent to AMARC in 1993 . Personnel of the 27th TFW played a role during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm . Aircrews and aircraft of the 27th did not deploy to the region , but support personnel and a combat support group element of the wing ' s 27th Combat Support Group , commanded by Colonel David Benson , deployed to Taif . On 16 January 1991 , when the U . S . led coalition force initiated the Desert Storm air campaign against Iraq , the 27th TFW had 325 personnel serving in the Persian Gulf region in combat support roles . Additional personnel from the 27th Logistics Group deployed to various other locations around the Persian Gulf . Post Cold War era . On 1 November 1991 , the 27th TFW was re - designated the 27th Fighter Wing as part of an Air Force - wide reorganization . On 1 June 1992 , the base and the wing became part of a new major command – Air Combat Command . ACC was created when SAC , TAC , and the Military Airlift Command ( MAC ) merged to form two commands , ACC and the Air Mobility Command ( AMC ) . On 1 August 1992 , a fifth operational F - 111 squadron was added to the 27th FW in conjunction with the realignment of all EF - 111A Raven Electronic Warfare aircraft from Mountain Home AFB to Cannon . The 430th Electronic Combat Squadron was re - activated to receive these aircraft from Mountain Home AFB , and to bring new aircrews to operational readiness with the an electronic countermeasures version of the F - 111A . The Raven was originally developed in the 1970s to replace the Douglas EB - 66 Destroyer . The 430th was formerly at Cannon with the 474th TFW . After about a year , the squadron was re - designated as the 429th Electronic Combat Squadron as part of the Air Force heritage program keeping notable senior units active . In addition , the 522d , 523d and 524th Fighter Squadrons replaced their F - 111D models , receiving upgraded F - 111F model after the withdrawal of these aircraft from RAF Lakenheath , England . The F - 111F differed from the F - 111D in having more advanced electronics which were nevertheless simplified and more reliable , along with improved landing gear . From September 1992 to July 1993 , 27th FW F - 111 aircrews and support personnel rotated to Incirlik Air Base , Turkey , for Operation Provide Comfort . In 1995 , the face of the flightline changed when the wing began its transition from the F - 111 to General Dynamics F - 16C / D aircraft . The first F - 16s to arrive in May were assigned to the 522nd Fighter Squadron . Also transitioning were the 523rd and 524th Fighter Squadrons . With the arrival of the F - 16s , the F - 111s were sent to AMARC . The 428th Fighter Squadron was inactivated in September 1995 , and the EF - 111A - equipped 429th ECS was inactivated in May 1998 with the 27th Fighter Wing officially holding a retirement ceremony in memorial park . The F - 111 in various forms had been at Cannon AFB for 29 years . With their retirement , the 430th ECS was inactivated . On 15 January 1998 , the 524th Fighter Squadron ventured to the desert for their first overseas deployment since transitioning to the F - 16 . The 522nd Fighter Squadron deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base , Saudi Arabia in direct support of Operation SOUTHERN WATCH . They flew missions enforcing United Nations Security Council resolutions of a no - fly zone over Southern Iraq . In March , the 523d Fighter Squadron also deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation SOUTHERN WATCH . These two 27th FW squadrons were the first F - 16 unit to replace Republic A - 10 Thunderbolt II units performing close air support . In addition , they were the first F - 16 unit to maintain the demanding combat search and rescue alert in Southwest Asia . While deployed to the Gulf region in December 1998 , the F - 16s from the 522nd Fighter Squadron provided close air support alert , defensive counter air alert and interdiction in Iraq . In August 1998 , the 524th Fighter Squadron deployed to Hill AFB , Utah for exercise Combat Hammer . During the exercise , they dropped inert GBU - 24 Paveway III laser - guided bombs and fired live AGM - 65 Maverick antitank missiles on Utah test range . The hit rate was one of the highest ever seen in the Air Force , showcasing the lethality of the Block 40 F - 16 . In 1998 , the governments of the United States and Singapore signed an agreement laying the foundation of the Peace Carvin III program . As a Foreign Military Sales training program for the Republic of Singapore Air Force ( RSAF ) , Peace Carvin III was designed for the continued training of RSAF in rapid deployment and tactical employment of the block 52 F - 16 C / D throughout a wide spectrum of missions including air to - air , joint maritime and precision air - to - ground weapons delivery . The 428th Fighter Squadron was reactivated on 15 September 1998 and tasked to take the lead in Peace Carvin III . The squadron was a hybrid of USAF and RSAF F - 16 C / D manned by USAF instructor pilots , Singaporean pilots and combined RSAF and USAF teams of maintenance and support personnel . In May 1999 , the 428th Fighter Squadron participated in its first official major exercise after its reactivation . The squadron deployed to Tyndall Air Force Base , Florida , for exercise Combat Archer . The exercise was designed to test weapons capabilities , tactics and employment . This included the first live firing of radar - guided air - to air AIM - 7 Sparrow by the RSAF . With the completion of Peace Carvin III , the 428th FS was inactivated on 6 July 2005 . In July 1999 , the 522nd Fighter Squadron deployed to Naval Air Station Keflavik , Iceland , to support NATO exercise Coronet Norsemen . They served primarily as the combat air arm of the Iceland Defense Force . In August 1999 , the 523rd Fighter Squadron relieved the 522nd Fighter Squadron from Coronet Norsemen . During Operation Allied Force in 1999 , the 524th Fighter Squadron was notified for " on - call " duty to augment forces . Quick termination of hostilities precluded the 524th Fighter Squadron from seeing action . On 11 September 2001 the day terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and The Pentagon , aircraft from 522nd FS , 523rd FS and 524th FS went on alert . Less than two weeks after the 9 / 11 attacks the 27 Civil Engineer Squadron deployed members to build a bare base in direct support of Operation Infinite Justice later changed to Operation Enduring Freedom . This made the 27th one of the first bases to take the fight to the enemy . In December 2002 , the 524 FS deployed to Kuwait and participated in the 2003 invasion of Iraq , dropping nearly a million pounds of precision guided munitions , more than any other F - 16 Block 40 squadron in history . Special Operations Command . On 13 May 2005 , the Base Realignment and Closure ( BRAC ) Commission recommended that Cannon Air Force Base be closed . However , on 25 August 2005 , the BRAC Commission overturned the recommendation that Cannon AFB be closed , but upheld the withdrawal of the base ' s F - 16 fighter aircraft . The Air Force had until 31 December 2009 to come up with a new use for Cannon AFB , otherwise the base would be closed in 2010 . Cannon AFB is currently attempting to reopen a rejected EIS alternative , by substituting an Environmental Assessment . Comments are being accepted through 4 October 2010 . On 20 June 2006 , it was announced that Cannon AFB would transfer from Air Combat Command and become an Air Force Special Operations Command ( AFSOC ) installation . Initial word was that the 16th Special Operations Wing would transfer from Hurlburt Field , Florida . However , it was later decided that the 27th Fighter Wing would transfer from ACC to AFSOC and become the 27th Special Operations Wing . This action would entail expanding and realigning some aspects of both the 16th Special Operations Wing and Air Force Special Operations Command , also headquartered at Hurlburt Field . This designation means that the base will receive new aircraft to replace the F - 16 s lost in the BRAC realignment . Jurisdiction was formally transferred to Air Force Special Operations Command on 1 October 2007 . New airframes , including the CV - 22 Osprey , were assigned to the new wing at Cannon . Other potential aircraft for Cannon AFB are AC - 130H Spectre Gunships and the MC - 130H Combat Talon II . The final aircraft mix between Cannon AFB and Hurlburt Field has not been finalized . As of 20 May 2009 two AC - 130H Spectres arrived at the base . These are the first of about eight gunships that will be assigned to the base by the end of the summer . Base units . Base units now include : Geography and Demographics . According to the United States Census Bureau , the CDP portion of the base has a total area of , of which , of it is land and 0 . 19 % is water . As of the census of 2000 , there were 2 , 557 people , 921 households , and 575 families residing on the base . The population density was 481 . 8 people per square mile ( 185 . 9 / km² ) . There were 1 , 087 housing units at an average density of 204 . 8 per square mile ( 79 . 0 / km² ) . The racial makeup of the residents was 68 . 0 % White , 13 . 3 % African American , 0 . 7 % Native American , 5 . 7 % Asian , 0 . 3 % Pacific Islander , 6 . 1 % from other races , and 5 . 9 % from two or more races . 12 . 1 % of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race . There were 921 households out of which 37 . 5 % had children under the age of 18 living with them , 56 . 9 % were married couples living together , 4 . 2 % had a female householder with no husband present , and 37 . 5 % were non - families . 37 . 4 % of all households were made up of individuals and 0 . 0 % had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older . The average household size was 2 . 16 and the average family size was 2 . 82 . On the base the population was spread out with 20 . 2 % under the age of 18 , 52 . 8 % from 18 to 24 , 26 . 2 % from 25 to 44 , 0 . 8 % from 45 to 64 , and 0 . 0 % who were 65 years of age or older . The median age was 22 years . For every 100 females there were 153 . 4 males . For every 100 females age 18 and over , there were 171 . 4 males . The median income for a household on the base was $ 18 , 465 , and the median income for a family was $ 25 , 573 . Males had a median income of $ 15 , 546 versus $ 14 , 635 for females . The per capita income for the base was $ 11 , 562 . 12 . 0 % of the population and 11 . 5 % of families were below the poverty line , including 14 . 0 % of those under the age of 18 and 0 . 0 % of those 65 and older .