Howard Air Force Base

Howard Air Force Base, Canal Zone, 1990's or 1970 (date is unclear).

Data

Howard Air Force Base.

Category.	Statistic.
Location.	Panama.
Opened in.	Built in 1939, but opened in 1942.
Closed in.	1999.
Operated by.	Various US-army, USN, US coast guard and Panama Canal Zone authorities forces 1939-1999 and
Owned by.	US DoD\Panama Canal Zone authorities 1939-1999 and
Outside link.	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Air_Force_Base, https://centreforaviation.com/news/vivacolombia-confirms-panama-and-peru-services-and-new-base-at-bogota-in-2014-294269, http://military.wikia.com/wiki/Howard_Air_Force_Base, https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=AwrBT9SY711ZJUkAgY9XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTByMjB0aG5zBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--?p=Howard+Air+Force+Base&fr=yset_chr_cnewtab, http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/howard.htm, http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/Howard+Air+Force+Base, https://www.jetphotos.com/showphotos.php?location=Howard%20Howard%20Air%20Force%20Base%20-%20MPHO, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panam%C3%A1_Pac%C3%ADfico_International_Airport, https://centreforaviation.com/news/vivacolombia-confirms-panama-and-peru-services-and-new-base-at-bogota-in-2014-294269, http://www.panamasimple.com/howard-air-force-base-panama-pacifico/ and http://themilitarystandard.com/afb/outside_us/howard.php.

Howard AFB July 2009.wmv

Last July, ten years after leaving Panama, we were fortunate enough to take a vacation there and visit Howard Air Force Base, where we lived for a total of about four years. Anyone else who lived there knows how great it was. Seeing Howard again was kind of sad, because the housing area of the base has been sitting completely untouched ever since the base closed. It was pretty much a ghost town. Our old house still had the carpet in it! Unlike Albrook and Clayton, where all of the houses have been sold and remodeled, Howard has been sitting empty. I'll be posting more videos very soon. Thanks for watching and subscribing.

Howard Air Force Base

The old Howard Air Force Base is across the road from our hotel in Panama. We walk over to take a closer look at a bunker.

Overview

Howard Air Force Base, (IATA: BLB, ICAO: MPPA), is a former United States Air Force base located in Panama. It discontinued military operations on 1 November 1999 as a result of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, which specified that US military facilities in the former Panama Canal Zone be closed and the facilities be turned over to the Panamanian government. After demilitarization, the facility reopened as Panamá Pacífico International Airport in 2014.

History

Previous names

1. Bruja Point Military Reservation, 11 August 1928
2. Fort Bruja, 1929
3. Fort Kobbe (named after Maj Gen William A. Kobbe, USA, who died 1 November 1931) 1932; airfield section of Fort Kobbe named Howard Field, 1 December 1939
4. Howard Air Base, 10 July 1941
5. Howard Air Force Base, 1948 – February 1950; October 1955 – 1999

Major commands to which assigned

1. Panama Canal Department, 1 December 1939 – 19 October 1940
2. Panama Canal Air Force, 19 October 1940 – 5 August 1941
3. Caribbean Air Force, 5 August 1941 – 18 September 1942
4. Sixth Air Force, 18 September 1942 – 31 July 1946
5. Caribbean Air Command, 31 July 1946 – 8 July 1963
6. Operations at Howard drew down during the summer of 1949 and all training ceased on 11 October 1949; the base was transferred in inactive status to USA, Caribbean, in February 1950. In the 1950s, Albrook AFB used Howard to reduce aircraft activity at Albrook; a joint United States Army Caribbean, and Caribbean Air Comd, USAF, agreement (18 August 1955) permitted the resumption of regular flying operations at Howard in October 1955.
7. United States Air Forces Southern Command, 8 July 1963 – 1 January 1976
8. Tactical Air Command
9. USAF Southern Air Division, 1 January 1976 – 1 January 1989
10. 830th Air Division, 1 January 1989 – 15 February 1991
11. Air Forces Panama, 15 February 1991 – 11 February 1992
12. Tactical Air Command, 11 February – 31 May 1992
13. Air Combat Command, 31 May 1992 – 1 November 1999

Civil use

Panama Pacifico International Airport, previously known as Howard Air Force Base (IATA: BLB, ICAO: MPHO), is an airport and former United States Air Force base located in Panama. Commercial airline service started in 2014, with VivaColombia being the first to begin operations.

Also see

1. Panama
2. Noteworthy Air bases