The Air Force inactivated the last unit at Brooks City-Base, Tex., marking the end to nearly a century of cutting-edge research, service, and training. The 311th Air Base Group cased its colors during a ceremony Wednesday in front of more than 200 people. Gen. Donald Hoffman, Air Force Materiel Command boss, and 311th ABG Commander Col. Harry Kimberly, the last commander at Brooks, led the ceremony. “This isn’t a funeral, it is a transition. And, this has certainly been a smooth transition,” said Hoffman. The base will remain open until Sept. 15, when all 23 bases affected by BRAC 2005 will shut their gates for good. More than 750 people, including former Air Force Secretary Whitten Peters, gathered at a dinner Tuesday to salute the base, reported the San Antonio Express News. “Instead of focusing on what is no more, I propose we focus with pride on all that has taken place,” said Kimberly. (Includes Brooks report by Joe N. Wiggins)
Celebrating 100 Years of Liquid-Fueled Rockets
March 11, 2026
March 16, 2026, marks 100 years since Dr. Robert H. Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket. Over the past century, new and ever more capable liquid-fueled rockets have literally propelled humanity into space. Why liquid-fueled rockets?