1988
In April 1988, the Blytheville AFB was placed on the BRAC list for the third time. This came as quite a shock to base leadership, as the 97th Wing had secured the Omaha Trophy and the Fairchild Trophy in the previous two years, denoting it as the best performing wing in the entire Strategic Air Command. That May, in response to the BRAC placement, the airbase was renamed to Eaker Air Force Base, in honor of the famed World War 2 Army Air Forces General Ira C. Eaker.
By the time the base was renamed Eaker Air Force Base, the Cold War was winding down. The mission of SAC was beginning to wane as tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union eased due to new communications and cooperation between the two countries.