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United States Air Force Tail Codes
 
Latest update: April 2023
 
USAF Tail Codes
 
Code Code reference Named after Base
AC Atlantic City City Atlantic City IAP, NJ
AF Air Force Heritage Pueblo Memorial, CO
AK Alaska State JB Elmendorf-Richardson, AK
AL Alabama State Montgomery (Dannelly Field), AL
AP     NAS Pensacola, FL
AT     Tucson IAP, AZ
AV Aviano Base Aviano AB, Italy
AZ Arizona State Tucson IAP, AZ
BB     Beale AFB, CA
BD Barksdale Base Barksdale AFB, LA
CA California State Moffett Federal Airfield, CA
CB     Columbus AFB, MS
CH     Creech AFB, NV
CI Channel Islands Base NAS Point Mugu / Channel Islands ANGS, CA
CO Colorado State Buckley AFB, CO
D 100th ARW Heritage RAF Mildenhall, UK
DC District of Colombia State Andrews AFB, MD
DM Davis-Monthan Base Davis Monthan AFB, AZ
DP Dog Patchers Squadron Davis Monthan AFB, AZ
DR     Davis Monthan AFB, AZ
DY Dyess Base Dyess AFB, TX
ED Edwards Base Edwards AFB, CA
EL Ellsworth Base Ellsworth AFB, SD
EN     Sheppard AFB, TX
ET     Eglin AFB, FL
FF First Fighter Heritage Langley AFB, VA
FL Florida State Eglin AFB, FL
FM     Homestead AFB, FL
FT     Moody AFB, GA
GA Georgia State Robins AFB, GA
GF Grand Forks Base Grand Forks AFB, ND
HD     Holloman AFB, NM
HH Hickam Hawaii Base JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HI
HL Hill Base Hill AFB, UT
HO Holloman Base Holloman AFB, NM
HT     Holloman AFB, NM
IA Iowa State Des Moines IAP, IA
ID Idaho State Boise (Gowen Field), ID
IN Indiana State Fort Wayne, IN
JS     Melbourne IAP, FL
JZ     New Orleans JRB, LA
KC Kansas City City Whiteman AFB, MO
LA Louisiana State Barksdale AFB, LA
LF     Luke AFB, AZ
LI     Suffolk County AP
LN Lakenheath Base RAF Lakenheath, UK
MA Massachusetts State Barnes Municipal Airport, MA
MD Maryland State Baltimore / Martin State AP, MD
MI Michigan State Selfridge ANGB, MI
MM Malmstrom Montana?   Malmstrom AFB, MT
MN Minnesota State Duluth IAP, MN
MO     Mountain Home AFB, ID
MT Minot Base Minot AFB, ND
OF Offutt Base Offut AFB, NE
OH Ohio State Springfield (Beckley MAP), OH
OK Oklahoma State Tulsa IAP, OK
OS Osan Base Osan AB, South Korea
OT Operational Test Role Edwards AFB, CA
PR Puerto Rico State Luis Muñiz Marin IAP. Puerto Rico
RA Randolph Base JBSA-Randolph, TX
RS Ramstein Base Ramstein AB, Germany
SA San Antonio City Lackland AFB, TX
SC South Carolina State Mc Entire ANGB, SC
SJ Seymour Johnson Base Seymour Johnson AFB, SC
SP Spangdahlem Base Spangdahlem AB, Germany
SW Shaw Base Shaw AFB, SC
TD     Tyndall AFB, FL
TR     Tonopah, NV
TX Texas State Fort Worth JRB, TX
TY Tyndall Base Tyndall AFB, FL
VN Vance Base Vance AFB, OK
VT Vermont State Burlington IAP, VT
WA Western Airlines Heritage Nellis AFB, NV
WI Wisconsin State Truax Field, Madison, WI
WM Whiteman Base Whiteman AFB, MO
WP Wolf Pack Heritage Kunsan AB, South Korea
WR     Palmdale Regional (USAF Plant 42), CA
WW Wild Weasel Heritage Misawa AB, Japan
XL     Laughlin AFB, TX
YJ Yokota Japan?   Yokota AB, Japan
ZZ   Heritage Kadena AB, Japan
       
 
WA (explained by the Thunderbirds on their Instagram account):

Las Vegas Airport was opened in 1929 as a small dirt airfield and was later sold to Western Air Express in 1932, who used the airfield as a stop between LA and Salt Lake City. The city of Las Vegas purchased the airfield and leased it out to the U.S. Army for their Flexible Gunnery School during WWII. After WWII ended, the airfield became the home of advanced pilot training and was later renamed “Nellis Air Force Base”.

ZZ (explained by 18th Wing on the Kadena website):

The code of "ZZ" was chosen due to the fact that the code "KA" had already been used by the 457th Tactical Airlift Wing stationed at Cam Rahn Bay in Vietnam, and the fact that the wing was already using the letter "Z" as the first letter of their old tail code. Wing leaders saw the "ZZ" code as a mark of distinction.