As the host unit at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the 88th Air Base Wing operates the airfield, maintains all infrastructure and provides security, communications, medical, legal, personnel,finance, transportation, air traffic control, weather forecasting, public affairs, recreation and chaplain services for more than 100 associate units. The 88th Air Base Wing is comprised of more than 5,000 officers, enlisted, Air Force civilian and contractor employees. The Wing reports to Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, a major development and acquisition product center of the Air Force Materiel Command.

The 88th Air Base Wing is the host organization for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. We maintain more than 8,000 acres of land, a physical plant of over 16 million square feet and provide operational support for more than 100 associate units located at Wright-Patterson. There are two runways supporting an average of 47,000 aircraft operations annually in addition to handling the payroll, keeping records on the workforce, maintaining infrastructure, providing security, communications, medical, transportation, air traffic control, weather forecasting, legal and chaplain services.

The Wing is responsible for three primary missions: operating the installation; training and deploying expeditionary Airmen in support of joint operations, and defending the base and its people.

The 88th Medical Group operates the second largest U.S. Air Force medical center, and deploys medical personnel to support global operations and exercises. The 88th Communications Group provides computer network, telephone and radio support to more than 20,000 base with more than 36,000 active phone lines. The 88th Mission Support Group oversees the largest Force Support Squadron in the Continental U.S. The Wing also hosts the annual U.S. Air Force Marathon.        

The base is headquarters for a vast, worldwide logistics system, a world-class laboratory research function, and is the foremost acquisition and development center in the U.S. Air Force. Dozens of associate organizations representing a broad spectrum of Air Force and Department of Defense activities call Wright-Patterson home. The base is comparable to a medium sized city with services ranging from shopping facilities to child care centers.  Wright-Patterson's economic impact to the greater Dayton region is approximately $4 billion.

Approximately 30,000 military members, civilian and government contractor employees work on the base making Wright-Patterson the largest single site employer in the state of Ohio and one of the largest employers among Air Forces bases worldwide.

Many major advances in aviation technology can be traced to Wright-Patterson. The birthplace, home and future of aerospace - that's what Wright-Patterson is about. The heritage of a legendary past spurs aerospace acquisition specialists, scientists and engineers, and logisticians, educators and trainers to "keep 'em flying," faster, higher, farther and safer than man has ever flown before.

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is one of the nation's most important military installations. The base has a rich aviation heritage. It was here in 1904 and 1905 on Huffman Prairie Flying Field where the Wright Brothers "really learned to fly". Here they flew the first turn, circle, and figure eight. From 1910 to 1916 the brothers operated a flying school at Huffman Prairie. Among their 119 students were Henry "Hap" Arnold who commanded the Army Air Forces in World War II and H. Roy Brown, the Canadian ace who was credited with shooting down the Red Baron in World War I.

Just off the end of Runway 23, a marker, sign and replica of the Wright Brothers 1905 hangar and catapult launcher commemorate the exact location of their early aviation accomplishments. In 1992, Huffman Prairie became one of four sites in the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.

Steeped in tradition, Wright Patterson Air Force Base has been a leader in military aviation development from the time of airplane inventors Wilber and Orville Wright to today's aerospace age.