🇺🇸 Pope Field

Pope Field (IATA: POB, ICAO: KPOB, FAA LID: POB) is a U.S. military facility located 12 miles northwest of Fayetteville, North Carolina, within Spring Lake, Cumberland County. It is part of Fort Bragg and is operated by the U.S. Air Force through agreements with the U.S. Army.

Type of facility and operations: Pope Field is a U.S. Army Air Field, with operations managed by both the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force. The Fort Bragg Garrison is the host organization, providing airfield support, security, and protection, including emergency medical and fire response, aircraft security, and transient alert support. The 43d Air Mobility Operations Group (AMOG) performs en route operations support, mission command and control, aircrew management, aircraft maintenance, loading, fueling, and supply, air traffic control, and aircraft landing systems maintenance. The 43 AMOG also coordinates joint training exercises for Fort Bragg's XVIII Airborne Corps and 82nd Airborne Division and leads rapid deployment coordination for the 82nd Airborne Division's Immediate Response Force (IRF). Other units operating from Pope Field include the 18th Air Support Operations Group, 427th Special Operations Squadron, 21st Special Tactics Squadron, 24th Special Tactics Squadron, and the Air Force Combat Control School.

Notable features and history: Established in 1919, Pope Field is one of the oldest flying installations in the U.S. military. It was named after First Lieutenant Harley Halbert Pope, who died in a plane crash in 1919. Initially, it supported artillery spotting, terrain mapping, and mail delivery. In the 1930s, the facility underwent its first major expansion, and in 1940, paved runways replaced dirt fields. During World War II, Pope Field became a troop carrier training site and played a crucial role in paratrooper training for the 82nd Airborne Division. It was known as Pope Air Force Base from 1947 until March 1, 2011, when it was absorbed into Fort Bragg and reverted to Pope Field. Hangars 4 and 5 and the Pope Air Force Base Historic District were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. The runway (05/23) is 7,501 x 150 feet (2286 x 46 meters) with a concrete/grooved surface and high-intensity runway edge lights. There is also an Assault Strip of 3,000 feet (914.4 meters).

Current status: Pope Field is operational. In 2021, a $90 million project to replace the runway and lighting system was completed ahead of schedule, reopening on October 14, 2021.

*Sources researched: pope.af.mil, airnav.com, en.wikipedia.org*