Rhein-Main Air Base

Rhein-Main Air Base was a United States Air Force air base near the city of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It was a United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) installation, occupying the south side of Frankfurt Airport. Its military airport codes are discontinued. Established in 1945, Rhein-Main Air Base was the primary airlift and passenger hub for United States forces in Europe. It was billed as the "Gateway to Europe". It closed December 30, 2005.During its lifetime, the base's host airlift wing operated C-130 Hercules and Douglas C-9 Nightingale aircraft, as well as supporting a large number of transient C-5 Galaxy, C-141 Starlifter, C-17 Globemaster III, KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-10 Extender flight operations each day, as well as weekly or daily contract air passenger flights for United States personnel arriving in or leaving Europe.ArrivalAfter the U.S. 7th Army moved through the Frankfurt area, the 826th Engineer Aviation Battalion (EAB), a unit of the IX Engineer Command, arrived at Frankfurt/Rhein-Main Airfield on 26 April 1945. It was classified as Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) Y-73. On 11 May 1945, the engineers began the task of clearing rubble and reconstructing major buildings. The Army engineers also built new runways and extended and widened the existing runway, constructed aprons and hardstands as well as taxiways leading to the terminal.