Mission Statement
"Project airpower and diplomacy from America's Airfield through Airmen who Respond, Defend, Sustain and Care.” (316th Wing)
(Source:
Joint Base Andrews 316TH Wing Factsheet)
History and General Information
Origins of Andrews Air Force Base (AFB) date to the Civil War when Union soldiers established their headquarters and campground at a small church in the area. Today, that church, known as Chapel Two, is still used for worship services. In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the land to be purchased to build Camp Springs Army Airfield, which became operational with the early mission to train fighter pilots for overseas combat duty.1 Camp Springs Army Airfield was renamed Andrews Air Force Base (AFB) after Lt. Gen. Frank M. Andrews, when in 1945 the Air Force was broken out from the Army as a separate military service.
In 1946, President Harry S. Truman flew on the first presidential flight from Andrews AFB, which became known as Americas Airfield after a $14 million renovation to upgrade the existing runway and add a parallel runway. In 1959, Andrews AFB became the port of entry and departure for dignitaries. The prominent airfield provides service for Americas highest ranking senior officials and is the first stop for many arriving kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers, and foreign dignitaries.2 Andrews was designated the Home of Air Force One in 1962 when President John F. Kennedy's official aircraft permanently transferred from Washington National Airport.
In response to the 2005
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission's recommendations, Andrews Air Force Base, along with Naval Air Facility Washington, became a joint base known as Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility Washington, or Joint Base Andrews (JBA), in 2009.
In 2020, the 316th Wing was activated as the host wing and is responsible for providing security, personnel, contracting, finance, and infrastructure support for five wings, three headquarters, more than 80 tenant organizations, 148 geographically separated units, 6,500 airmen in the Pentagon, as well as 60,000 airmen and families in the National Capital Region and around the world. The 316th Wing supports contingency operations in our nation's capital with immediate response rotary-wing (helicopter) assets and provides security for the world's highest visibility flight line.3
Air Force District Washington (AFDW) is the parent command to the 316th Wing and 844th Communications Group at JBA, and the 11th Wing at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. AFDW provides personnel and support for Air Force activities within the National Capital Region with approximately 33,000 airmen and civilians performing duties in more than 500 locations across more than 100 countries.4
Compatible Use Organizations, Programs, and Resources
For more information on how JBA works with the surrounding communities to build a strong and mutually beneficial relationship, you can explore compatible use organizations, programs, and resources.
Community Resources to Promote Compatibility
Military installations and their host communities have strong and mutually beneficial relationships. They rely on and support one another in terms of jobs, housing, schools, recreation, infrastructure, and social services. Communication, coordination, and partnerships that support compatible community development can create mutually beneficial results to ensure support for warfighters and their families, military operations, and continued community growth and economic development.
A Compatible Use Study, formerly referred to as a Joint Land Use Study, represents a community-driven, cooperative, and
strategic planning process to protect and preserve military readiness and defense capabilities, while supporting continued
community growth and economic development. The study is based upon technical information the military service provides
to describe current military operations. The compatibility analysis results in a series of recommended actions included
in an implementation strategy to guide compatible community development in support of continued military operations.
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Prince George's County Planning Department, sponsored the
Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility Washington Joint Land Use Study (JLUS). Financial support was provided by
the Department of Defense Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (formerly known as Office of Economic Adjustment).
The JLUS, completed in December 2009 includes details of a compatibility assessment and implementation recommendations.
The study was a collaborative effort by JBA and the adjacent communities of Prince George's County and the town of Morningside.
The recommended implementation strategies of the JLUS represent a coordinated approach to compatibility planning developed
with the support of stakeholders involved throughout the process.
While JBA has supported military air operations since World War II, the character of the surrounding land once populated
with small farms rapidly changed after the war. Suburbanization of the area with commercial and residential development
was amplified by the construction of the Capital Beltway and Washington Metro system's Green Line . The suburban growth
brought with it compatibility issues, as the development was adjacent to a military airfield that supports national defense
missions.
Chapter 4 of the JLUS includes policy recommendations to address compatibility issues such as land use, noise, the height
of structures, transportation, economic and community development, environmental/natural resources, historic and cultural
resources, as well as a leadership structure to carry out the recommendations. The JLUS included descriptions of evaluated
compatibility factors used to develop recommendations. Land use policies recommended as part of the JBA JLUS include
requiring new development in noise zones of greater than 65 dB to incorporate noise reduction measures. This recommendation,
along with others, was codified by establishing a Military Installation Overlay Zone (Prince George's County, Maryland
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Code of Ordinances, Subtitle 27. Zoning, Part 10C. - Military Installation Overlay Zone) as a new zoning district
in November 2015.
An Air Installations Compatible Use Zones (AICUZ) study is designed to assist local communities with future planning and
promote public health and safety while maintaining the operational capability of DoD installations with fixed and/or
rotary wing aircraft. AICUZ studies are updated every 10 years or when a new mission is assigned that could change the
noise profile of the installation.
Joint Base Andrews Air Installations Compatible Use Zones Study (2017) reflects updated aircraft operations at the
installation and documents changes in flight operations and land use compatibility conditions since their 2007 AICUZ
study. The noise contours and accident potential zone data from the AICUZ provides the information needed by surrounding
communities and the installation leadership to promote community development compatible with military flight operations.
The AICUZ serves as a key data set and point of reference to guide the compatibility assessments included in the JLUS.
Included are analyses of noise and safety hazards from military aircraft operations, identification of existing and possible
future incompatible land uses, and recommended compatible land uses within a defined area surrounding the installation.
The AICUZ also includes recommended development density within designated Clear Zones, Accident Potential Zones and Noise
Zones. Collaboration between an installation and surrounding communities is needed to implement recommendations from
an AICUZ study.
Counties and municipalities develop comprehensive plans to provide a long-term vision for their future growth and development.
Comprehensive plans typically include maps showing proposed future land uses and anticipated transportation and community
facilities, and emphasize sustainability, as well as protection of environmental features, and historical and cultural
resources.
While comprehensive plans in Maryland do not require a military element, many plans for jurisdictions around JBA include
references to the installation and consider potential influences on the community. JBA is referenced in the following
comprehensive plans:
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Prince George's County 2035 General Plan (2014)
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While JBA is acknowledged as a federal hub asset, the plan notes that Prince George's County has not been successful in promoting
supplemental development associated with its federal facilities. (pg. 72)
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The plan compiles a Generalized Future Land Use Map to help guide public facility and infrastructure investment decisions
at the federal, state, and local levels, further supporting future activities of JBA. (pg. 101)
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The plan recognizes JBA and other federal government entities as part of one of the targeted industry clusters that have
the highest concentrations of economic activity in the county. It further encourages strategies that improve transportation
access and connectivity, new business development in support of federal facilities, and continued investment.
Established by Congress in 1924, the
National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) is the federal government's central planning agency for the National
Capital Region. Through planning, policymaking, and project review, NCPC protects and advances the federal government's
interest in the region's development. The commission provides overall planning guidance for federal land and buildings
in the region by reviewing the design of federal and certain local projects, overseeing long-range planning for future
development, and monitoring capital investment by federal agencies. NCPC provides an advisory role for JBA's construction
and other projects.
Economic Resources to Promote Compatibility
A jurisdiction's economic development office and support organizations offer a variety of resources that help the community seek out economic growth opportunities and strengthen existing businesses. These resources are particularly valuable for defense communities that are continually looking for ways to attract new business, retain a skilled workforce, and provide resources and opportunities for military families relocating to the area.
JBA generates more than 19,024
direct, indirect and induced jobs as a result of its operations at JBA and the surrounding region.5 This includes the military, civilian, and contractor employees responsible for carrying out the installation's mission and the employment opportunities generated by local spending on goods and services by the workforce. For a breakdown of employment type by installation, refer to the installation's
economic impact analysis sheet.
The
Andrews Business & Community Alliance (Alliance) is a subsidiary of the
Greater Prince George's Business Roundtable. The Alliance provides advocacy and support for JBA with its diverse
membership of business, civic, faith, and public sector communities. A few projects sponsored by the Alliance include
The Maryland Room, a recreation room for wounded soldiers returning from war, and Andrews Attic, which provides electronics,
clothing, and furniture to airmen.
The
Joint Base Andrews Small Business Office's mission is to "maximize small business participation in Joint Base Andrews
procurements." The Small Business Office provides education to internal and external customers, advises and assists contracting
and program personnel on small business dynamics, and tracks small business performance.
The Prince George’s
Economic Development Corporation's mission is to “cultivate and promote a strong
local economy that supports the growth and prosperity of entrepreneurs and
businesses, dedicated to strengthening communities through business development
and job creation”. Among the many services offered, the Innovation Station Business Incubator is a business accelerator program that can help
grow new small businesses local to JBA to provide products and services.
The Nation Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) is the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the region, playing an important role as the forum for regional transportation planning. With participation from the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia departments of transportation and the region's local governments, the TPB prepares intermediate-range and long-range plans and programs that permit federal transportation funds to flow to the metropolitan Washington region. The TPB also works to advance safety, coordinate land use, and inform the work of decision makers. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments hosts and staffs the TPB.
One of the requirements of the TPB is to produce a Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) to describe the planned schedule for a six-year period in which federal, state, and local funds for state and local transportation projects are distributed. Notably, in the FY 2021-2024 approved TIP, MDOT's I-95/I-495 (Capital Beltway) Bridges over Suitland Parkway project is listed in the use of funds. This project replaces the bridges and raises the profile of I-95/I-495 by one foot to provide additional clearance for Suitland Parkway in addition to drainage improvements and pedestrian lighting for a major interchange that provides access to JBA.
1 Joint Base Andrews History. Joint Base Andrews. United State Air Force.
2 Ibid.
3 Joint Base Andrews 316th Wing. Joint Base Andrews. United State Air Force.
4 Joint Base Andrews Fact Sheets. Joint Base Andrews. United State Air Force.
6 Ibid.
