Simmons Army Airfield is a military use airport located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is located on the southeast portion of Fort Bragg and supports the aviation needs of the XVIII Airborne Corps, the 82nd Airborne Division, Special Operations, U.S. Army Reserve and U.S. National Guard aviation units.Units 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade with the Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior.HistoryAs part of Exercise Test Drop in August 1952, the 406th Engineer Brigade constructed an airfield in the vicinity of Smith Lake on land acquired by Fort Bragg. The field originally known as Smith Lake Airfield.In June 1952 the 6th Transportation Company (Helicopter) arrived with 21 Sikorsky H-19C Chickasaw and two Bell H-13 Sioux helicopters; it deployed to Korea in December 1952 as the first combat helicopter company.On May 1953 Fort Bragg engineers completed final plans for an expanded field and started construction the next summer. In August 1954, the runway was repaved, aprons improved and the floor was laid for field's first hangar.
