Spangdahlem Air Base Spangdahlem Air Base ( IATA : SPM , ICAO : ETAD , former code EDAD ) is a United States Air Force base located near the small German town of Spangdahlem , approximately 30 km NNE of the city of Trier , Rhineland - Palatinate . Units . Spangdahlem is home of the 52d Fighter Wing , which maintains , deploys and employs Lockheed Martin Block 50 F - 16CJ and Republic A / OA - 10 aircraft and TPS - 75 radar systems in support of NATO and the national defense directives . The commander of the 52d Fighter Wing is Colonel David J . Julazadeh . In total , 4 , 800 military personnel , 840 German nationals and 200 US contractors are working at the base . The 52nd Maintenance . Group consists of four squadrons : The 52nd Mission Support . Group consists of civil engineer , communications , contracting , logistics readiness , security forces and force support squadrons : The 52nd Medical Group . Consists of aerospace medicine , dental , medical operations and medical support squadrons : The 52nd Munitions Maintenance Group . Provides four fully capable U . S . munitions support squadrons responsible for the ownership , custody , accountability and release of war reserve munitions supporting Belgian , Dutch , German and Italian air forces : The wing supports the Supreme Allied Commander Europe with mission - ready personnel and systems providing expeditionary air power . The wing also supports contingencies and operations other than war . Air Mobility Command . In addition , Air Mobility Command supports cargo and passenger traffic as part of its airlift mission . With the closure of the Rhein - Main Air Base in 2005 , the Rhein - Main Transition Program was initiated to transfer all its former transport capacities to Ramstein Air Base ( 70 % ) and Spangdahlem AB ( 30 % ) . The Air Mobility Command 726th Air Mobility Squadron at Spangdahlem supports cargo and passenger traffic as part of its airlift mission , providing command and control , maintenance and aerial port capability to all AMC aircraft transiting their ramp . The 726th AMS utilizes various aircraft maintenance equipment , de - icers , mission vehicles and aircraft loaders . The squadron is capable of handling every type of aircraft in the AMC inventory , from C - 17s and C - 5s to KC - 10s and KC - 135s . In November 2005 , the first C - 17 Globemaster III aircraft arrived at Spangdahlem . History . Spangdahlem Air Base has been a military presence in Germany for over five decades . With the creation of NATO in response to Cold War tensions in Europe , USAFE wanted its vulnerable fighter units in West Germany moved west of the Rhein River to provide greater air defense warning time . France agreed to provide air base sites within their zone of occupation in the Rheinland - Palatinate as part of the NATO expansion program . The base was constructed between 1951 and 1953 at a cost of roughly $ 27 , 000 , 000 using French and German contractors , working under the supervision of a French government agency . The initial USAF military presence began on 1 September 1952 with the arrival of the 7352d Air Base Squadron on 1 September 1952 from Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base near Munich . The mission of the 7532d ABS was to prepare the facility for an operational wing . 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing . On 10 May 1953 the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing was reassigned to Spangdahlem AB from Toul - Rosieres Air Base , France . The base population at this time totaled slightly more than 1 , 900 personnel . Operational squadrons of the 10th TRW were : Upon its arrival at Spangdahlem AB , the 10 TRW operated Lockheed RF - 80A Shooting Star for daylight aerial recon and the Douglas RB - 26C Invader for night recon missions . The RB - 26s were replaced in October 1954 by Martin RB - 57A Canberras and the RF - 80s in July 1955 by Republic Aviation RF - 84F Thunderjets . In 1957 the RB - 57s and RF - 84s were transferred to Chateauroux - Deols Air Depot and the 1st and 38th were re - equipped with the Douglas RB - 66 Destroyer . Three additional squadrons , the 19th and 30th ( 8 January 1958 ) and 42d Tactical Reconnaissance ( 8 December 1957 ) were assigned to the 10th TRW from the 66th TRW , ( Sembach AB ) , flying variants of the RB - 66 . The 19th TRS operated from RAF Sculthorpe united Kingdom during 1958 , moving to Spangdahlem in 1959 . The 42nd TRS flew from RAF Chelveston and remained there as a detachment of the 10th TRW . On 25 August 1959 , the 10th TRW ended its six - year stay at Spangdahlem and moved to RAF Alconbury , United Kingdom . 49th Tactical Fighter Wing . On 25 August 1959 , the 49th Tactical Fighter Wing moved to Spangdahlem AB from the Etain - Rouvres Air Base , France , and assumed host unit duties . In 1957 , the French Government decreed that all nuclear weapons and delivery aircraft had to be removed from French soil . As a result , the nuclear - capable North American F - 100C / D Super Sabres of the 49th TFW had to be removed from France . Squadrons of the 49th TFW at Spangdahlem were ( squadron tail colour stripe ) : The 49th TFW flew F - 100s until 1961 when it converted to the Republic F - 105D / F Thunderchief , commonly known as the " Thud " . The 49th TFW was only the third USAF unit to operate the F - 105 . The 49th received two Air Force Outstanding Unit Award s for F - 105 operations at Spangdahlem . On 9 March 1967 , the Wing began receiving the McDonnell Douglas F - 4D Phantom II . The 49 TFW remained at Spangdahlem AB until 1 July 1968 when it relocated to Holloman Air Force Base , New Mexico , to serve as the US Air Force ’ s first dual - based , NATO - committed wing . The 38 TRS was never equipped with RB - 66B models . When the 10 TRW re - equipped with the RB - 66 the 38 TRS and the 32 TRS moved away from Spangdahlem ( to France I believe ) and re - equipped with RF - 101s . The 1 , 19 , 30 , and the 42 TRS remained at Spangdahlem until their move to the UK . The 1 , 19 , and 30 TRS flew the RB - 66B and the 42 TRS flew the RB - 66C and WB - 66D . This movement of squadrons came about due to the introduction of the AFM 66 - 1 combined maintenance concept . It was decided to keep aircraft of one general type in the same units for maintenance and supply considerations . Fighter units got the RF - 101 and bomber units got the RB - 66 and these units combined accordingly . 7149th / 36th Tactical Fighter Wing . With the departure of the 49 TFW , the 7149th Air Base Group was activated to serve as a caretaker unit for a number of support organizations that remained behind after the departure of the 49 TFW . Although it did not have any assigned aircraft , the 7149 TFW would have served as a nucleus on which to build if the 49 TFW had been ordered to return to Europe to bolster NATO air forces . On 1 January 1969 , the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing , located at nearby Bitburg Air Base , assumed operational control of Spangdahlem , becoming a dual - based wing . Squadrons from the 36 TFW assigned to Spangdahlem were : The 23 TFS carried out tactical fighter training missions , while the 39 TEWS was a deployed squadron from Shaw AFB , South Carolina to conduct electronic warfare missions and train tactical reconnaissance and electronic warfare crews in Europe . 52d Tactical Fighter Wing . On 31 December 1971 the 52d Tactical Fighter Wing was transferred without personnel or equipment from Suffolk County AFB , New York to Spangdahlem . Upon activation in Germany , the 52 TFW assumed control of the two squadrons the 36 TFW had located at Spangdahlem : The 39 TEWS returned to Shaw Air Force Base , South Carolina on 1 January 1973 . In turn , it was replaced in the electronic warfare role by the 81st Tactical Fighter Squadron , flying the McDonnell Douglas EF - 4C Phantom II , being transferred to Spangdahlem from Zweibrücken Air Base , Germany under project " Creek Action " on 15 January 1973 . The 52 TFW gained its third fighter squadron with the activation of the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 15 November 1976 . On 1 January 1977 , the 52 TFW had the following operational squadrons : In 1979 , the more capable Wild Weasel F - 4G had replaced the EF - 4Cs of the 81 TFS , and in 1980 through 1982 , F - 4Es replaced the F - 4Ds of the 23d and 480th TFSs . A complete reorganization of wing aircraft and aircrews occurred in November 1983 , transforming the 52d TFW into the first and only all - defense suppression wing outside of the United States . Under this configuration , each of the wing ’ s three fighter squadrons flew E and G model F - 4s paired together into Wild Weasel " hunter / killer " teams capable of locating and destroying enemy radar - guided , surface - to - air threats in all weather . In April 1987 , the 52d began changing with the times and replaced its aging Phantoms with Block 30 / 32 F - 16C / D Fighting Falcons for the 23d and 480th TFSs . These were later replaced with Block 50 versions beginning in 1993 . The last USAF operational model F - 4E Phantom II aircraft departed Spangdahlem AB in December 1987 . In late 1990 , the 81st TFS reorganized to exclusively fly the F - 4G , then deployed 24 aircraft to Sheikh Isa Air Base , Bahrain for Operation Desert Storm combat operations . 52nd Fighter Wing On 1 October 1991 , the 52 TFW was redesignated the 52d Fighter Wing as part of a sweeping , Air Force - wide restructure . The 510th Fighter Squadron was moved to Spangdahlem with the closure of RAF Bentwaters United Kingdom on 4 January 1993 as the lone A - 10 Thunderbolt II squadron in USAFE . Also in early 1993 , the 81st FS was reorganized to fly a mixture of F - 4Gs and Block 30 F - 16C / Ds . The F - 4Gs were withdrawn and sent to AMARC in February 1994 . With the withdrawal of the Phantoms , the 510th Fighter Squadron was replaced by the 81st FS at Spangdahlem and was transferred to Ramstein Air Base to absorb the F - 16 assets of the 512th FS there . In February 1994 , the 53d Fighter Squadron relocated to Spangdahlem from Bitburg after its closure with F - 15C / Ds . The 480 FS was also inactivated during October 1994 , being replaced by the 22d Fighter Squadron from Bitburg . The 606th Air Control Squadron was also assigned to the 52d Fighter Wing but remained at Bitburg until September 1995 before moving to Spangdahlem . After the restructuring and the closure of Bitburg and transfer of 36 FW squadrons to Spangdahlem , the operational squadrons of the 52d Fighter Wing were : The 52d made history in 1997 with its first - ever deployment to a former Warsaw Pact nation . In September the 52d participated in EAGLE ’ S TALON - 97 , the first bilateral exercise involving US and Polish Air Forces . Units from the 52d deployed under the air expeditionary force ( AEF ) doctrine and formed the 52nd Combined Air and Space Expeditionary Wing , operating out of Powidz AB , Krzesiny AB , and Poznan , Poland . During the second quarter of FY 99 , the 52nd witnessed the inactivation of the 53rd Fighter Squadron . The 53d had called Spangdahlem Air Base home since February 1994 when the squadron moved from Bitburg Air Base . As the squadron prepared for its inactivation in March 1999 , all of the F - 15s were transferred to the 1 FW at Langley AFB , Virginia , or to the 48 FW at RAF Lakenheath , United Kingdom . In April 2010 , the wing ' s strength was reduced by one third . 20 F - 16Cs were flown to the 148th Fighter Wing , Minnesota Air National Guard and one F - 16 was transferred to Edwards Air Force Base , California . All aircraft were from the 22nd Fighter Squadron . As a result of the drawdown of F - 16s , the 22nd and 23rd Fighter Squadrons were inactivated on 13 August 2010 and formed a single " new " squadron , the 480th Fighter Squadron . In February 2012 , it was announced that the 81st Fighter Squadron will be inactivated in 2013 , leaving the 52nd Fighter " Wing " with just one squadron . Fiscal reductions have led observers to predict that Spangdahlem will soon close .