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Ramstein Air Base at 72 Years
On August 5, 1952, then-Landstuhl Air Base opened in what we know today as the south side of Ramstein Air Base. Our current Kisling Drive, the main road through base that stretches from the West Gate to the East Gate, served as the physical divider between Landstuhl AB to the south and Ramstein AB to the north. Landstuhl AB opened first, on August 5, 1952, with a runway, control tower, operations support, and the newly transplanted 86th Fighter-Bomber Wing with their F-84F Thunderstreaks. Less than a year later, on June 1, 1953, the Ramstein Exempt Air Force Installation opened to the north of now-Kisling Drive. Ramstein AB served as the support installation to the operational Landstuhl AB.
Working in tandem for several years, the two installations combined into a single installation on December 1, 1957, named Ramstein-Landstuhl AB. Shortly after, on August 15, 1958, the installation was officially renamed Ramstein AB, as we are still named today.
Throughout the years, as missions have been added, changed, moved, or inactivated, and units have come to Ramstein AB and later leave (sometimes to come back again), the installation has remained a steady presence not only for U.S. military forces and their partners, but also for the local community. Ramstein village gifted land to develop and build our base, and in return the installation has maintained a close and positive relationship with the village. Shared community events, base events, and mutual relationships characterize Ramstein AB as the premier overseas base to live and work, from 1952 through our present day.
