Tinker Air Force Base was named in honor of Major General Clarence L. Tinker of Pawhuska, Okla. General Tinker lost his life while leading a flight of LB-30 "Liberators" on a long-range strike against Japanese forces on Wake Island during the early months of World War II.
Tinker’s history began in 1940 when a group of Oklahoma City civic leaders and businessmen learned that the War Department was considering the central United States as a location for a maintenance and supply depot. On April 8, 1941, the order was officially signed awarding the depot to Oklahoma City.
During World War II, Tinker’s industrial plant repaired B-24 and B-17 bombers and fitted B-29s for combat. Throughout the Korean conflict, Tinker continued its output -- keeping planes flying and funneling supplies to the Far East. The base also played an important role in the Berlin and the Cuban crises. During the Vietnam War, Tinker provided logistics and communications support to Air Force units in Southeast Asia. Tinker and OC-ALC began the decade of the 90s providing front-line support to the forces engaged in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
In 1999 Tinker was awarded the largest engine repair contract in the history of the Air Force valued at 10.2 billion dollars over 15 years. Today with nearly 24,000 civilian and military assigned to the base, logistics work is just part of Tinker's mission. After the arrival of the Navy, Tinker became one of DOD’s premiere interservicing facilities.
From the initial planned site of 960 acres in March 1941, Tinker's physical plant has become by many standards a "mega-facility." Today, the base is made up of 5,020 acres with 732 buildings containing 15.5 million square feet of floor space, including 136 acres of indoor maintenance area, 254 acres of ramp space all supported by the Wing.
Main
phone numbers: Commercial (405)732-7321
Mailing
address: Tinker AFB, OK 73145
Population:
8,621 active duty; 1,693 reservists; 12,488
civilians
Housing: 108
officer family units; 622 enlisted family units; 11
dormitories with 848 spaces for unaccompanied personnel
(405)734-2821
Temporary
lodging: 165 visitor units; 39 temporary
units (405)734-2822; campground 9405)734-2289
Family
Support Center: (405)739-2747
Schools: Elementary
school on base run by Mid-Deal school system
Child
Care: Two centers; approved home care
(405)734-3116
Health
care: Hospital. Appointments
(405)734-2778; benefits (405)734-2614; Tricare
(800)406-2832
Tinker AFB - Oklahoma City, OK
has a
large size commissary - (405)734-5965,
a large exchange, a mall, and one shoppette (405)734-3035.
