Sec. 1093. Sense of Congress regarding the importance of Panama City, Florida, to the history and future of the armed forces
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Congress makes the following findings: On December 6, 1941—one day before the attack on Pearl Harbor—the War Department established Tyndall Field as an Army Air Force gunnery school in Panama City, Florida. Tyndall Field was named in honor of native Floridian Lieutenant Francis B. Tyndall, who received the U.S. Air Force flying ace designation for his service in the First World War. Tyndall Field became an important center for aerial gunnery training during the Second World War, hosting training missions using aircraft including A–33, 0–47, AT-6, Martin B-26 Marauders, and B–17 bombers.
On January 13, 1948, Tyndall Field became Tyndall Air Force Base and was an active site for air training and defense throughout the Cold War. Tyndall AFB is now home to the First Air Force as well as the 325th Fighter Wing Headquarters and their F–22 Raptors. The 325th Fighter Wing has been instrumental to national security at such crucial junctures as the Cuban Missile Crisis, throughout the Cold War, and more recently in intercepting unidentified aircraft and supporting anti-smuggling efforts.
On July 20, 1945, the Navy Mine Countermeasure Station was established in Panama City. The Navy Mine Countermeasure Station developed into the Naval Support Activity Panama City (NSAPC), which has faithfully carried out its mission since its inception and continues to support the crucial efforts and important research of tenant command organizations such as the Naval Surface Warfare Center: Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) and the Navy Experimental Diving Unit (NEDU). Research performed at NSWC PCD has been integral to equipping the Navy with the personnel and technology necessary to maintaining its status as the world’s greatest and most technologically advanced.
NSWC PCD’s newest facility, the Littoral Warfare Research Facility, is one of the Navy’s major research, development, test, and evaluation laboratories and where standards for weapons integration on Littoral Combat Ships are often developed. NEDU is a global hub of research, development, and testing for undersea operations. During the Second World War, the Wainwright Shipyard in Panama City built over 100 vessels for the war effort and employed over 15,000 people. Panama City’s shipbuilding legacy continues as home to one of today’s most prolific domestic shipbuilders, Eastern Shipbuilding.
The Department of Defense is the largest employer in Panama City, where many of the residents and their relatives have proudly served in the Armed Forces for generations. Congress— commends the longstanding dedication and contribution to the Armed Forces by the people of Panama City, both through the legacy of naval shipbuilding and through their ongoing commitment to support the mission of Panama City’s military installations and the personnel assigned to them; honors the members of the Armed Forces who have trained and served at the several military installations in and around Panama City; recognizes the contribution of the industry and workforce of Panama City to naval shipbuilding; and encourages the recognition of the importance of Panama City to the history of the Armed Forces by Congress, the Air Force, the Navy, and the American people by honoring the contribution of the people of Panama City to the defense of the United States.