Grissom Air Reserve Base

Grissom Air Reserve Base at a glance

Grissom Air Reserve Base is the north-central Indiana home of the Air Force Reserve's 434th Air Refueling Wing. Known as the Hoosier Wing, it operates KC-135R aircraft and prepares forces to support worldwide air mobility missions. Operations, maintenance and mission support organizations sustain both the tanker mission and the base's host responsibilities.

Grissom's aviation history began with a different service. The site opened as Bunker Hill Naval Air Station in 1942 to train naval aviation personnel, closed after World War II and reopened for Air Force use in 1954. It received the Grissom name in 1968 in honor of astronaut Virgil 'Gus' Grissom. That history distinguishes the present reserve tanker base from its original naval training role.

Also searched as: Grissom ARB, 434th Air Refueling Wing, Bunker Hill Naval Air Station.

Sources: 434th Air Refueling Wing fact sheet; History of Grissom Air Reserve Base

Mission and major activities

• The 434th Air Refueling Wing provides KC-135R aerial refueling forces.
• Trains personnel for air mobility missions and deployment.
• Sustains Grissom's host installation services.

Sources: 434th Air Refueling Wing fact sheet

History and identity

Bunker Hill Naval Air Station opened on July 1, 1942. The Air Force reopened the site in 1954 and renamed it for astronaut Gus Grissom in May 1968.

Sources: History of Grissom Air Reserve Base

Location and community

Grissom is in north-central Indiana, as described by the installation's official introduction.

Sources: About Grissom

A tanker mission and responsibility for the installation

Grissom’s wing fact sheet describes two linked responsibilities: preparing Reserve personnel for worldwide air-refueling duty and operating the base that supports them. Training includes flying, deployments and weekend activity. Aircraft readiness therefore sits alongside maintenance, infrastructure and the administrative work of a host installation. For assignment research, distinguish the tanker unit from the office or support organization named on your orders. This is particularly helpful when comparing a flight-related visit, a maintenance assignment and a support appointment. The older fact sheet provides institutional context; current schedules, personnel and assignment instructions should come from the gaining organization.

Official sources: Grissom: 434th Air Refueling Wing

North-central Indiana and the wider service community

The installation introduction places Grissom on U.S. Highway 31 in north-central Indiana and describes its relationship to Kokomo, Indianapolis and South Bend. Those regional references help orient a search but do not establish a driving time from a prospective home or a precise reporting point. The same introduction identifies a Family Readiness Support Center that assists military dependents across service branches. As an editorial planning step, connect the proposed travel dates and destination with the correct unit, then ask which household resources apply. A person visiting for Reserve training may need a different set of arrangements from someone taking a full-time assignment.

Official sources: Grissom: installation introduction and questions

Army and Marine Corps connections at an Air Force base

The official contact directory includes Army Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve entries alongside Air Force installation services. Grissom’s historical tenant fact sheet provides additional context, describing Army and Marine facilities and their training, administrative, vehicle and supply functions as of June 2013. That dated account is useful for understanding why older unit records identify Grissom, while individual unit names and structures need current confirmation. A tenant connection does not turn the tenant into part of the tanker wing. Start with the organization that owns the assignment and use the installation directory to reach the service or Reserve component involved.

Official sources: Grissom: official installation contact directory; Grissom: historical tenant-unit description, June 2013

Lodging, unit reservations and family readiness

Grissom publishes separate directory entries for lodging and lodging reservations for unit members. It also lists the Airman and Family Readiness Center, visitor services, personnel and ID cards, legal assistance and other offices. The separate lodging entries are a reason to ask which reservation process applies to your duty arrangement rather than assuming that a general accommodation inquiry settles a unit training visit. Confirm room availability and eligibility directly; a directory listing is not a reservation. Keep the gaining unit’s instructions with the contacts for the particular services you need so a short visit can be planned around the correct appointments.

Official sources: Grissom: official installation contact directory

Published addresses and access

Use the destination label below to distinguish visitor access, a service office and postal mail. A published address does not authorize entry. Confirm current access, sponsorship, appointments and reporting instructions with the official office before travelling.

Before you arrive

Use these questions with your sponsor or gaining organization. They are a starting point for planning, including assignments, courses and training periods that differ from a routine permanent change of station.

1. Confirm the organization, duration and reporting instructions shown on your orders. Ask which office handles your arrival.
2. Clarify lodging and housing arrangements before booking. Ask about availability, required approvals and how to handle a late arrival.
3. Before choosing a home, compare the commute, lease terms, school needs and your household budget. Ask the housing office about the options that apply to your situation.
4. Coordinate household goods and personal travel with the appropriate transportation office. Keep orders, receipts and important family records together.
5. Make a short list of contacts for medical care, schools, childcare and family support, where applicable to your assignment.

Official PCS planning resources   Housing allowance information

Sources: History of Grissom Air Reserve Base

Resources for service members and families

Start with the official resources for Grissom Air Reserve Base and ask which services your household can use. For a training site, rotational location or Reserve component assignment, confirm arrangements with your unit rather than assuming the services of a large residential installation are available.

From this mission to your next career

The mission at Grissom Air Reserve Base suggests the following areas to consider when describing your experience. These are LockLeed career suggestions based on the public mission, not a list of vacancies or qualifications held by everyone assigned here.

Write down the equipment, systems, processes and teams you personally supported. Add a specific result you can discuss publicly, then match that evidence to the civilian role you want. Keep operational details and sensitive information out of your application.

Official transition resources   Explore SkillBridge programs

Official contacts and installation services

Use the named official resource for this installation or its support community. A directory link does not establish service eligibility, availability or a reporting location. Confirm arrangements with the office or your gaining organization.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and editorial notes

Installation facts above are drawn from the official sources below. Career suggestions and planning questions are LockLeed editorial guidance. Use official offices for current policies, eligibility and arrangements.

1. 434th Air Refueling Wing fact sheetSupports: overview, mission
2. History of Grissom Air Reserve BaseSupports: overview, history, planning note
3. About GrissomSupports: local context
4. Grissom: official installation contact directorySupports: expanded guide and official services
5. Grissom: historical tenant-unit description, June 2013Supports: expanded guide and official services

Reviewed 2026-09-30. This independent guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense. Map points are approximate and are not routing or reporting instructions.