Courtesy of the author, a photo of the Looking Glass Logistics Officer Association Chapter at Offut AFB.

Offut Logisticians Glean Insights from Eppley Airfield

By: 1st Lt Timothy Rei Villanueva

In July 2025, the Looking Glass LOA Chapter from Offutt AFB visited Omaha Eppley Airfield, learning about their current expansion and modernization project while building community relations. This medium-hub airport served over 5.2 million passengers in 2024, but is posturing to increase its foot traffic while providing a better customer experience and streamlining operations across the board. By the end of 2028, the Omaha Airport Authority is aiming to expand the terminal by 72%, including two new gates and a customs area for future international flights. This will allow the Omaha metropolitan area to grow substantially as they compete with other airports in the Midwest, such as Kansas City International Airport.

During our visit, we talked to representatives from STS Aviation Group and the Omaha Airport Authority Operations Staff. They gave us a peek at their daily operations as we drew comparisons to our military aviation experiences. From the way they log maintenance discrepancies to the monitoring of all activities in the Air Operations Area, the Looking Glass Chapter logisticians found industry best practices that could help our daily operations.

A month later, we invited them onto Offutt AFB to discuss their current construction progress and their upcoming milestones as we continue to witness the growth of Eppley Airfield. In return, we hosted a tour of the Bennie Davis Maintenance Facility and the RC-135V/W Rivet Joint to showcase how critical our mission is. They expressed their gratitude for the site visit and the opportunity to connect with logistics leaders from the 55th Wing. By fostering these local connections, the Looking Glass Chapter is committed to developing exceptional logistics officers for the USAF.

Rendering of the $950 million expansion plans for Eppley Airfield. Photo courtesy of Build Omaha.

The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the US Government.