Military Connection

At Pioneer Drive, we love and appreciate the US military personnel. Dyess, located here in Abilene, is home to the 7th Bomb Wing, the premier operational B-1B Lancer unit in the U.S. Air Force and a vital player in both Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Dyess is also the home for the Premier C-130 317th Airlift Group. The men and women of Dyess serve our great nation and the Abilene community proudly.

The 7th Operations Group is responsible for executing global conventional bombing directed by proper command authority. It is the largest B-1B operations group comprised of 40 B-1s and 1,140 people assigned to five squadrons - the 9th and 28th bomb squadrons, the 7th Operations Support Squadron, and the 436th Training Squadron. Detachment 1 is the startup unit for the 13th Bomb Squadron. The 13th BS stoodup 14 June 2000 to become the fifth squadron under the group. The 7th Operations Group combines the skill and experience of these units to provide heavy firepower at a moment's notice anywhere on the globe.

The 317th Airlift Group was activated at Dyess April 1, 1997. Made up of the 39th and 40th airlift squadrons, 317th Operations Support Squadron, 317th Airlift Control Squadron and the 317th Maintenance Squadron, the group flies and maintains 24 C-130 Hercules intra-theater tactical transports.

Some Dyess personnel are in temporary training and will be in the area for a short time. Others will be in the Abilene area for months and even years before Uncle Sam sends them to another part of the world.

Whether long term or short term, single or married, we want to make sure our military personnel are appreciated, encouraged and strengthened in their faith while serving in the West Texas Area.

Our attempt to do this is called “Military Connection”.