Vandenberg Air Force Base present . Today, Vandenberg stands as the third-largest Air Force base after Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, and Edwards Air Force Base in California. On 4 October 1958, Cooke AFB was renamed Vandenberg AFB, in honor of General Vandenberg, the Air Force's second Chief of Staff. The transition from Army camp to missile base solidified on 15 December 1958 when Vandenberg AFB successfully launched its first missile, a PGM-17 Thor IRBM (Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile) The launch from Vandenberg inaugurated the intermediate-range ballistic missile portion of the Pacific Missile Range and was fired by a crew from the 1st
Afonsos Air Force Base Subordinated to the command of the 2nd Air Force (II FAe), which is dedicated to Search and Rescue, Rotorary Wings, and Maritime Patrol: Subordinated to the command of the 5th Air Force (V FAe), which is dedicated to Transport Aviation: Additionally, the "Batalhão de Infantaria de Aeronáutica Especial dos Afonsos" (BINFAE-AF), an Infantry Battalion of the Brazilian Air Force that guards the Base, and the "Esquadrão Aeroterrestre de Salvamento" (EAS), known as Pára-SAR, specialized in Rescue missions are also based at Afonsos Air Force Base. The base is located approximately 30 km from Rio de Janeiro downtown in the district