Homestead Air Reserve Base
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Homestead Air Reserve Base (formerly Homestead Air Force Base), is a United States Air Force base located in South Miami-Dade County Florida adjacent to the city of Homestead (25 29' 31.62" N 80 23' 05.00" W). It is located south of SW 288th Street (Biscayne Drive), north of SW 308th Street, and east of SW 137th Avenue (Speedway Boulevard). It is the home of the 482nd Fighter Wing of the Air Force Reserve which operates F-16 Fighting Falcons from an 11,500 foot runway.
In October 1962, Homestead was a major staging base for the contemplated invasion of Cuba. The newly-built B-52H aircraft from the 19th Bomb Wing were evacuated to Wurtsmith AFB, Oscoda, Michigan, where they stood at Nuclear Alert. F-100 Super Sabre fighter-bombers armed for ground attack filled the runways for immediate deployment to Cuba. Army troops with heavy equipment arrived by road, rail, and a vast air-lift - accommodated in a tent city built on all available open space.
The B-52s later returned and intermittently participated in the "Chrome Dome" Mission wherein some flew Airborne Alert 24/7.
On August 24, 1992, Hurricane Andrew caused the almost total destruction of the base. It was rebuilt during much of 1993 and into 1994, and it was redesignated from an Air Force Base to an Air Reserve Station. It officially reopened in March 1994.
