Kelly Air Force Base opened in 1917. By the 1960s, 28,000 civilian employees worked at the base. In 1995, second and third generation workers got the news that their beloved Air Force Logistics Command would be closed. In this week's series “Kelly Field: A Family Changed,” reporter Eileen Pace takes a look back, presenting conversations with Kelly workers, the BRAC decision, and the outside-the-box thinking that created new life for the base.
Kelly Field: A Family Changed, Part 1
Ten years after the close of Kelly Air Force Base, Port San Antonio officials marked the occasion last week with the unveiling of an aluminum mural commissioned to illustrate Kelly’s long and adaptive history. In her series, “Kelly Field: A Family Changed,” Texas Public Radio’s Eileen Pace takes a look back this week at the Kelly that was, the BRAC closure, and the turn-around process that created and shaped Port San Antonio. - more -
Kelly Field: A Family Changed, Part 2
Civilian workers at Kelly Air Force Base numbered in the tens of thousands over the years, and their service was critical to war fighters in every conflict since World War I. At its peak, Kelly employed 28,000 workers and still numbered in the thousands when the flag came down on July 13, 2001. In Part 2 of our series, “Kelly Field: A Family Changed,” Texas Public Radio’s Eileen Pace talks with former Kelly workers who adapted to new job situations when the BRAC closure hit the base. - more -
Kelly Field: A Family Changed, Part 3
Some of those involved in the closure of Kelly Air Force Base had a different agenda than that of the Air Force. In Part 3 of our series, “Kelly Field : A Family Changed,” Texas Public Radio’s Eileen Pace talks with those on the inside track of the 1995 BRAC about how San Antonians responded. - more -
Kelly Field: A Family Changed, Part 4
It has been ten years since the draw down of Kelly Air Force Base, and much progress has been made on re-using the property. In Part 4 of our series, “Kelly Field: A Family Changed,” Texas Public Radio’s Eileen Pace examines how the local community overcame the challenges of revitalizing a 1,900 acre tract of government property. - more -
Kelly Field: A Family Changed, Part 5
When a group of dedicated individuals created a turn-around plan for Kelly Air Force Base in the years following its closure, they had two priorities: to minimize the impact on Kelly employees and establish the best use of facilities. Texas Public Radio’s Eileen takes a look at the future for the unique logistics and industrial complex that already employs almost 15,000 workers and brings an estimated $4 billion dollars to the local economy each year. - more -
