<item><hi format=bold>Location and Origin of Name:</hi> eight miles southeast of Oklahoma City, and named for Major General Clarence L. Tinker, commander of the 7th Air Force whose LB-30 disappeared over the Pacific while leading a raid against Wake Island on 7 June 1942
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<p>The base was known as Midwest Air Depot when it opened in 1941, becoming the Oklahoma City Air Depot and later still Tinker Field. It produced A-26s, C-47s and C-54s at the Douglas plant, while conducting repairs to B-17s, B-24s and B-29s during World War II. The Oklahoma City Air Depot Control Area Command was activated in February 1943 as the forerunner of today's Air Logistics Center. Postwar, the base carried out overhaul and modification of aircraft, engines and associated equipment. The 323rd BW was activated as a Reserve unit and assigned between June 1949 and March 1951. The 506th Strategic Fighter Wing was based between March 1955 and April 1959. The 1707th Air Transport Wing was located in June 1959 to conduct aircrew training for MATS, until January 1966 when it was replaced by the 443rd MAW. The latter relocated to Altus AFB in May 1969. The 4552nd AW&CS was formed in October 1974 to prepare for the arrival in TAC service of the E-3 Sentry. The 4552nd was inactivated in July 1976 when the 552nd AW&CW relocated from McClellan AFB. Navy Strategic Communications Wing One formed at Tinker to operate the E-6A Hermes.
