Location
Simmons Army Airfield (SAAF) is a military use airport located in Fayetteville, North Carolina, which is in Cumberland County. It is located on the southeast portion of Fort Bragg and supports the aviation needs of the XVIII Airborne Corps, the 82nd Airborne Division, Special Operations, U.S. Army Reserve and U.S. National Guard aviation units.
History
Combat engineers constructed SAAF in August 1952 to test and practice aerial deliveries of construction equipment and other supplies. During its early years, transportation remained the primary focus of Simmons Army Airfield until 1956. That year all Army aircraft moved to the airfield, thus expanding its mission to include air mobility/air assault, surveillance and other military operations. Simmons Army Airfield played a vital role in military operations during the Cold War, the Gulf War, and it continues to do so today in the Global War on Terrorism.
Simmons is home to 203 aircraft. Aircraft include UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopters, AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopters, and CH-47 Chinook Helicopters.
Mission
Simmons Army Airfield supports combat training and rapid contingency deployments of Fort Bragg’s airborne and special operations communities. Its primary function is to support aviation unit and individual training, aviation unit field training exercises, and aviation multi-service joint training exercises/operations.