Andersen Air Force Base - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Andersen Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF)

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

base located approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Yigo

Yigo, Guam

Yigo is the northernmost village of the United States territory of Guam, and is the location of Andersen Air Force Base. The municipality of Yigo is larger than any other village on the island in terms of area....

in the United States territory

United States territory

United States territory is any extent of region under the jurisdiction of the federal government of the United States, including all waters including all U.S. Naval carriers. The United States has traditionally proclaimed the sovereign rights for exploring, exploiting, conserving, and managing its...

of Guam

Guam

Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

.

The host unit at Andersen AFB is the 36th Wing
36th Wing
The United States Air Force's 36th Wing is the host wing for Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. It is part of United States Pacific Air Forces Thirteenth Air Force...

(36 WG), assigned to the Pacific Air Forces Thirteenth Air Force

Thirteenth Air Force

The Thirteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. 13 AF has never been stationed in the continental United States...

. A non-flying wing, the 36 WG's mission is to provide support to deployed air and space forces of USAF and foreign air forces to Andersen, and to support tenant units assigned to the base.

Andersen AFB was established in 1944 as North Field and is named for Brigadier General

Brigadier General

Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...

James Roy Andersen

Brigadier General James Roy Andersen is a deceased United States Army Air Forces officer. He was declared killed in action after an aircraft accident on 26 February 1945 over the Pacific Ocean.General Andersen was born on 10 May 1904, in Racine, Wisconsin....

(1904–1945). The 36th WG commander is Brig. Gen. John Doucette. The Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Margarita Overton.

Overview

Andersen is one of four Bomber Forward Operating Locations in the Air Force. These locations provide forward support to bomber crews deploying overseas in Europe, Southwest Asia and in the Pacific. The Air Force is establishing forward-deployed bomber beddown support at key locations throughout the world and Andersen is one of two critical bases in the Asia Pacific region. The other location is Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. Guam's almost unrestricted airspace and the close proximity of the Farallon de Medinilla Island

Farallon de Medinilla

Farallon de Medinilla is a small island in the Northern Mariana Islands chain and is situated north of Saipan. It is the second smallest in the chain; only Zealandia Bank is smaller. It is an uninhabited coral island which is 0.845 km² in area. It is 2.8 km long from southwest to...

, a naval bombing range approximately 150 miles (241.4 km) north, makes this an ideal training environment.

Units

Andersen is home to the following units:

36th Wing
36th Wing
The United States Air Force's 36th Wing is the host wing for Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. It is part of United States Pacific Air Forces Thirteenth Air Force...

(PACAF)
734th Air Mobility Support Squadron (Air Mobility Command)
Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Twenty-Five (HSC-25)*
- {HSC-25
  HSC-25
  Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Twenty Five "Island Knights" is a United States Navy helicopter squadron based at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. The "Island Knights" are the Navy's only forward deployed Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron...
  
  is a U.S. Navy squadron flying the MH-60S}

History

Andersen Air Force Base was established on December 3, 1944 and is named for Brigadier General James Roy Andersen (1904–1945). General Andersen graduated from the United States Military Academy

United States Military Academy

The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...

in 1926, served at various Army installations, and obtained his wings at Kelly Field, Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, in 1936. During 1943–1944 he served on the War Department General Staff. In January 1945, General Andersen was assigned to HQ AAF, Pacific Ocean Area. He died on February 26, 1945 in the crash of a B-24 Liberator

B-24 Liberator

The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...

aircraft between Kwajalein

Kwajalein

Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...

and Johnston Island while en route to Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

World War II

Andersen Air Force Base's origins begin on December 8, 1941 when Guam was attacked by the armed forces of Imperial Japan in the Battle of Guam (1941)

Battle of Guam (1941)

The First Battle of Guam, was an engagement during the Pacific War in World War II, and took place on 8 December 1941 on Guam in the Mariana Islands between the Empire of Japan and the United States...

three hours after the Attack on Pearl Harbor

Attack on Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...

. Guam surrendered to Japanese on December 10. At the height of the war, approximately 19,000 Japanese soldiers and sailors were deployed to the island. Guam was liberated by the United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

3rd Amphibious Corps on July 21, 1944, in the Battle of Guam (1944), after a 13 day pre-invasion bombardment.

The Japanese managed to contain the Marines on two beachheads, but their counter-attack failed. The Marines renewed their assault, and reached the northern tip of the island on August 10, 1944. Japanese guerrilla activities continued until the end of the war, and some even were holdouts for many years afterwards.

Guam was considered as being ideal to establish air bases to launch B-29 Superfortress

B-29 Superfortress

The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...

operations against the Japanese Home Islands

Japanese Archipelago

The , which forms the country of Japan, extends roughly from northeast to southwest along the northeastern coast of the Eurasia mainland, washing upon the northwestern shores of the Pacific Ocean...

. The Mariana Islands

Mariana Islands

The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...

are about 1500 miles (2,414 km) from Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

, a range which the B-29s could just about manage. Most important of all, it could be put on a direct supply line from the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

by ship. "North Field", as Andersen AFB was first named, was the first air base built on Guam after its liberation, being constructed by United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

Seebees beginning in November 1944. North Field and its co-located Northwest Field

Northwest Field (Guam)

Northwest Field is a former World War II airfield on Guam in the Mariana Islands. It was closed in 1949 and is unused.-History:Northwest Field was constructed in 1944–45 near Ritidian Point on the northwest end of the island of Guam as a base for Twentieth Air Force B-29 Superfortresses to carry...

, was a massive installation, with four main runways, taxiways, revetments for over 200 B-29s, and a large containment area for base operations and personnel.

The first host unit at North Field was the 314th Bombardment Wing

314th Air Division

The 314th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Pacific Air Forces, based at Osan AB, South Korea. It was inactivated in September 1986....

, XXI Bomber Command

XXI Bomber Command

The XXI Bomber Command was a unit of the Twentieth Air Force in Guam for strategic bombing during World War II.- Lineage:* Constituted as XXI Bomber Command on 1 Mar 1944, and activated the same day.-Assignments:...

, Twentieth Air Force

Twentieth Air Force

The Twentieth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.20 AF's primary mission is Intercontinental Ballistic Missile operations...

. The 314th arrived on Guam on January 16, 1945 from Peterson Field, Colorado. The 314th controlled four operational B-29 bomb groups, the 19th, (Square M), 29th

29th Bombardment Group

The 29th Flying Training Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit last based at Craig AFB, Alabama. It was inactivated when Craig AFB was closed as a budget reduction action after the Vietnam War....

(Square O), 39th (Square P), and 330th

330th Aircraft Sustainment Wing

The 330th Aircraft Sustainment Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Robins Air Force Base, Georgia.-Mission:...

(Square K).

B-29 Superfortress missions from North Field were attacks against strategic targets in Japan, initially operating in daylight and at high altitude to bomb factories, refineries, and other objectives. Beginning in March 1945, the XXI Bomber Command changed tactics and started carrying out low-level night incendiary raids on area targets. During the Allied assault on Okinawa, groups of the 314th Bomb Wing attacked airfields from which the Japanese were sending out suicide planes

Kamikaze

The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....

against the invasion force.

Flying out of Guam, S/Sgt Henry E Erwin

Henry E. Erwin

Henry Eugene "Red" Erwin, Sr., was a United States Army Air Forces airman and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II. He earned the award as a staff sergeant and radio operator aboard a B-29 Superfortress in the Asia-Pacific theater...

of the 29th Bombardment Group was awarded the Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...

for action that saved his B-29 during a mission over Koriyama, Japan, on April 12, 1945. When a phosphorus smoke bomb exploded in the launching chute and shot back into the plane, Sgt Erwin picked up the burning bomb, carried it to a window, and threw it out.

After the war, B-29s from North Field dropped food and supplies to Allied prisoners and participated in several show-of-force missions over Japan. The 29th, 39th and 330th Bomb Groups returned to the United States and inactivated in December 1945 while the 19th remained on Guam to become the host unit at the station when the 314th Bomb Wing was reassigned to Johnson AB, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

for occupation duty.

Postwar Years

After the end of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, Guam

Guam

served as a collection point for surplus war goods that had accumulated in the Pacific Theater

Pacific Theater of Operations

The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...

.

The 19th Bombardment Wing was formed at North AFB in 1948 from the resources of the former North Guam Air Force Base Command (Provisional). The 19th BW, with the 19th Bomb group as its operational flying unit, operated Andersen AFB and maintained proficiency in B-29s. In May 1949, headquarters Twentieth Air Force

Twentieth Air Force

moved from Guam to Kadena AB, Okinawa and its former staff was assigned to the 19th Bomb Wing.

At Andersen, the wing assumed responsibility for administering two active and one semi-active bases plus an assortment of communication, weather, radar, rescue and other facilities and units including the Marianas Air Material Area, a wing size unit. Many of the units and facilities were inactivated within a few months.

In October 1949, the 19th Wing again became subordinated to the 20th AF and the remaining units in the Marianas and Bonin Islands were transferred to other organizations. From October 17, 1949 until June 28, 1950, the wing continued B-29 training, operation of Andersen AFB and some rescue and reconnaissance missions.

1950s

Three days after North Korea

North Korea

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...

invaded South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

in 1950, the 19th Bomb Group deployed B-29s

B-29 Superfortress

to Andersen to begin bombing targets throughout South Korea

South Korea

. A few days later, the group was detached from the 19th Bomb Wing and deployed to Kadena Air Base

Kadena Air Base

, is a United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Kadena Air Base is the hub of U.S. airpower in the Pacific, and home to the USAF's 18th Wing and a variety of associate units.-Units:The 18th Wing is the host unit at Kadena...

on Okinawa Island

Okinawa Island

Okinawa Island is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, and is home to Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture. The island has an area of...

, Japan

Japan

, though the rest of the wing stayed at Andersen and provided maintenance for transient aircraft and operated ammunition dumps until 1953.

In 1951, the Strategic Air Command

Strategic Air Command

The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...

(SAC) chose several overseas bases to support rotational unit deployments of its bombers from stateside bases, starting with B-29 Superfortress

B-29 Superfortress

units and later including Convair B-36

Convair B-36

The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" was a strategic bomber built by Convair and operated solely by the United States Air Force from 1949 to 1959. The B-36 was the largest mass-produced piston engine aircraft ever made. It had the longest wingspan of any combat aircraft ever built , although there have...

, B-47 Stratojet

B-47 Stratojet

The Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...

, B-50 Superfortress

B-50 Superfortress

The Boeing B-50 Superfortress strategic bomber was a post-World War II revision of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines, stronger structure, a taller fin, and other improvements. It was the last piston-engined bomber designed by Boeing for...

bombers, and KB-29 refueling tankers.

With hostilities in Korea

Korea

Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

at a standstill, the 19th Bomb Wing headquarters relocated to Kadena Air Base

Kadena Air Base

, Japan in 1953, and was replaced by the 6319th Air Base Wing of the Far East Air Forces (FEAF)

United States Far East Air Force

The Far East Air Force was the military aviation arm of the United States Army in the Philippines just prior to and at the beginning of World War II. Formed on 16 November 1941, FEAF was the predecessor of the Fifth Air Force of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air...

.

However, the FEAF Bomber Command

United States Far East Air Force

(FEAF's

United States Far East Air Force

19th Bomb Wing and SAC's

Strategic Air Command

98th and 307th Bomb Wings) was inactivated in 1954 and its three B-29 wings returned stateside and replaced with B-47s

B-47 Stratojet

.

The 3rd Air Division was activated on June 18 in its place, its object being control of all SAC units in the Far East

Far East

The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...

. The division operated as a tenant unit from June 1954 until April 1955, and received host-base support services from the 6319th until that unit was inactivated on April 1, 1955. The 6319th was replaced with the SAC-aligned 3960th Air Base Wing.

The Strategic Air Command

Strategic Air Command

continued its 90-day unit rotational training program, and began to take over control over the base from the FEAF

United States Far East Air Force

. After the April 1, 1955 base transfer and activation of the 3960th Air Base Wing, B-47s

B-47 Stratojet

replaced the B-36s

Convair B-36

in the rotations, and the 43rd Bomb Wing from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base

Davis-Monthan Air Force Base

Davis–Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, and approximately south-southeast of downtown, Tucson, Arizona....

, Arizona

Arizona

Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...

, operated from July to October 1957 (it eventually became the host unit at Andersen). The 3960th Air Base Wing was redesignated on July 1, 1956 as the 3960th Air Base Group.

Additionally, the 41st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron of the Pacific Air Forces

United States Pacific Air Forces

Pacific Air Forces is a Major Command of the United States Air Force. PACAF is also the air component of the United States Pacific Command . PACAF is headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base Hawaii. It is one of two USAF Major Commands assigned outside of the Continental United States, the other...

, along with its F-86s

F-86 Sabre

The North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...

, was stationed at Andersen from August 1956 until it was inactivated in March 1960. After that, the air defense mission was provided by deployments of 5th

Fifth Air Force

The Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....

and 13th Air Force

Thirteenth Air Force

units flying the F-102

F-102 Delta Dagger

The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was a US interceptor aircraft built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s. Entering service in 1956, its main purpose was to intercept invading Soviet bomber fleets...

aircraft.

Vietnam

Andersen saw an end to its role in rotational duties when the B-47

B-47 Stratojet

was phased out and replaced by the B-52 Stratofortress

B-52 Stratofortress

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...

. The first B-52

B-52 Stratofortress

, the "City of El Paso", arrived from the 95th Bomb Wing at Biggs Air Force Base

Biggs Army Airfield

Biggs Army Airfield or Biggs AAF is a military airport located at Fort Bliss near El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, in the United States. The airfield was previously Biggs Air Force Base, a Strategic Air Command installation, between 1947 and 1966. The U.S. Army began operations supporting Ft...

, Texas

Texas

, in March 1964, followed by KC-135 Stratotanker

KC-135 Stratotanker

The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...

s.

With the start of Operation Arc Light

Operation Arc Light

Operation Arc Light was the 1965 deployment of B-52D Stratofortresses as conventional bombers from bases in the US to Guam to support ground combat operations in Vietnam...

in June 1965

1965 in aviation

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1965:-January:* January 2 - Denis Healey, the United Kingdoms Secretary of Defence, cancels the nation's fighter and military transport programmes and orders the purchase of the US-built F-4 Phantom and C-130 Hercules in their place.* January 26 -...

, B-52s

B-52 Stratofortress

and KC-135s

KC-135 Stratotanker

began regular bombing missions over Vietnam

Vietnam

Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

, and continued in that capacity until 1973

1973 in aviation

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1973:- Events :*Don Taylor attempts round-the-world trip in his homebuilt Thorp T-18, ended by a spate of really bad weather between northern Japan and the Aleutian Islands. His next attempt in the summer of 1976 is successful.-January:* U.S...

, with a break between August 1970 and early 1972.

In support of Operation Arc Light

Operation Arc Light

Operation Arc Light was the 1965 deployment of B-52D Stratofortresses as conventional bombers from bases in the US to Guam to support ground combat operations in Vietnam...

, SAC

Strategic Air Command

activated the 4133rd Bombardment Wing (Provisional) on February 1, 1966, though the 3960th Strategic Wing, originally activated in 1955 as the 3960th Air Base Wing, continued as the base's host wing until it was inactivated and replaced by the 43rd Strategic Wing on April 1, 1970. The 43rd assumed the mission of the 4133rd on July 1, 1970, and continued in this capacity until the 57th Air Division (Provisional) and 72nd Strategic Wing (Provisional) were activated in June 1972 in support of Operation Bullet Shot (military operation

Military operation

Military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state's favor. Operations may be of combat or non-combat types, and are referred to by a code name for the purpose...

name for TDY temporary duty of US-based technician

Technician

A technician is a worker in a field of technology who is proficient in the relevant skills and techniques, with a relatively practical understanding of the theoretical principles. Experienced technicians in a specific tool domain typically have intermediate understanding of theory and expert...

s — "the herd shot 'round the world".) The 303rd Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Wing (Provisional) was activated a month later in July. All of the provisional units remained at Andersen until bombing missions ceased on November 15, 1973.

Operation Linebacker II

Operation Linebacker II

Operation Linebacker II was a US Seventh Air Force and US Navy Task Force 77 aerial bombing campaign, conducted against targets in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam during the final period of US involvement in the Vietnam War...

continued the mission of Operation Arc Light

Operation Arc Light

Operation Arc Light was the 1965 deployment of B-52D Stratofortresses as conventional bombers from bases in the US to Guam to support ground combat operations in Vietnam...

, and was most notable for its 11-day bombing campaign between December 18 and 29 1972, in which more than 150 B-52

B-52 Stratofortress

bombers flew 729 sortie

Sortie

Sortie is a term for deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops from a strongpoint. The sortie, whether by one or more aircraft or vessels, usually has a specific mission....

s in 11 days. The B-52s

B-52 Stratofortress

at Andersen, combined with other bombers stationed at U-Tapao Field

U-Tapao International Airport

-Charter services:-Accidents and incidents:On 28 October 1977, a Douglas DC-3 of Air Vietnam was hijacked to U-Tapao International Airport where the four hijackers surrendered. Two people on board the aircraft were killed in the hijacking...

in Thailand

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

, constituted about 50 percent of SAC's

Strategic Air Command

total bomber force and 75 percent of all combat crews. Essentially, two bases contained the equivalent of 13 stateside bomber wings.

The frequent bombings resulted in a cease-fire in Vietnam

Vietnam

, but the B-52s

B-52 Stratofortress

continued to fly missions over Cambodia

Cambodia

Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...

and Laos

Laos

Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...

until those were halted on August 15 1973. With the end of these runs, more than 100 B-52s

B-52 Stratofortress

, both D and G models, were redeployed elsewhere in the world by October 1973. The Eighth Air Force

Eighth Air Force

The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....

moved to Barksdale Air Force Base

Barksdale Air Force Base

Barksdale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east-southeast of Bossier City, Louisiana.The host unit at Barksdale is the 2d Bomb Wing , the oldest Bomb Wing in the Air Force. It is assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command's Eighth Air Force...

, Louisiana

Louisiana

Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

, and the 3rd Air Division was reactivated on January 1, 1975.

When the Communist

Communist Party of Vietnam

The Communist Party of Vietnam , formally established in 1930, is the governing party of the nation of Vietnam. It is today the only legal political party in that country. Describing itself as Marxist-Leninist, the CPV is the directing component of a broader group of organizations known as the...

forces overran South Vietnam

South Vietnam

South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...

later in 1975, the base provided emergency relief and shelter for thousands of Vietnamese

Vietnamese people

The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...

evacuees as a part of Operation New Life
Operation New Life
Operation New Life was the U.S. military evacuation of about 110,000 Southeast Asian refugees displaced by the Vietnam War out of South Vietnam....

. After the fall of Saigon

Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...

, Andersen received almost 40,000 refugees and processed another 109,000 for onward transportation to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

The base returned to routine operations by the late 1970s, but continued to serve as one of SAC's

Strategic Air Command

strategic locations. Crews and aircraft were regularly sent to sites between Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, Alaska

Alaska

Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

, and Korea

Korea

, and supported sea surveillance operations support for the U.S. Navy

United States Navy

.

Andersen was also home to the 54th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron "Typhoon Chasers" during the 1960s through the 1980s. Aircrews flying WC-130s tracked and penetrated typhoons giving advanced warnings to military and civilian populations throughout the western Pacific. During the Vietnam War, the 54th also provided cloud-seeding capability along the Ho Chi Minh Trail

Ho Chi Minh trail

The Ho Chi Minh trail was a logistical system that ran from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to the Republic of Vietnam through the neighboring kingdoms of Laos and Cambodia...

and synoptic reconnaissance, deploying from Udorn RTAFB when not at Guam. The 54th WRS was deactivated in September, 1987.

Post-Vietnam

In 1983, the 43rd completed its transition from the B-52D to the B-52G, and thus became one of only two SAC

Strategic Air Command

bomber wings equipped with the Harpoon anti-ship missile

Boeing Harpoon

The Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile system, developed and manufactured by McDonnell Douglas . In 2004, Boeing delivered the 7,000th Harpoon unit since the weapon's introduction in 1977...

.

The base saw a major change in 1989

1989 in aviation

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1989:-January:* January 4 – United States Navy F-14 Tomcats shoot down two Libyan Air Force Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23s....

, when control transferred from the Strategic Air Command

Strategic Air Command

to Pacific Air Forces. The 633rd Air Base Wing activated on October 1, 1989, which led to the deactivations of the 43rd Bomb Wing on March 26, 1990, and the 60th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on April 30, 1990.

In August 1990, Andersen personnel began shipping over 37,000 tons of munitions to forces in the Persian Gulf

Persian Gulf

The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...

in support of Operations Desert Shield

Gulf War

The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...

and Desert Storm

Gulf War

.

With the eruption of Mount Pinatubo

Mount Pinatubo

Mount Pinatubo is an active stratovolcano located on the island of Luzon, near the tripoint of the Philippine provinces of Zambales, Tarlac, and Pampanga. It is located in the Tri-Cabusilan Mountain range separating the west coast of Luzon from the central plains, and is west of the dormant and...

in June 1991, Andersen was instrumental in caring for American evacuees and their pets as a part of Operation Fiery Vigil

Operation Fiery Vigil

Operation Fiery Vigil was the emergency evacuation of all non-essential military and United States Department of Defense civilian personnel and their dependents from Clark Air Base and U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay during the June 1991 volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines...

. In December, Andersen became home to the Thirteenth Air Force

Thirteenth Air Force

, which had evacuated from Clark Air Base

Clark Air Base

Clark Air Base is a former United States Air Force base on Luzon Island in the Philippines, located 3 miles west of Angeles City, about 40 miles northwest of Metro Manila. Clark Air Base was an American military facility from 1903 to 1991...

in the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

after the eruption.

Modern era

The host unit changed again on October 1, 1994, when the 633rd Air Base Wing was deactivated. The 36th Air Base Wing took over host operations, and was redesignated as the 36th Wing

36th Wing

The United States Air Force's 36th Wing is the host wing for Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. It is part of United States Pacific Air Forces Thirteenth Air Force...

on April 12, 2006.

In October 1994, the U.S. Navy's Helicopter Combat Support Squadron Five (HC-5) relocated to Andersen from the now closed Naval Air Station Agana

Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport

Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport , also known as Guam International Airport, is an airport located in Tamuning and Barrigada, three miles east of the capital city of Hagåtña in the U.S. territory of Guam. It is named for Antonio Borja Won Pat, the first delegate from Guam to the United...

, Guam. HC-5 was later redesignated as Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Twenty-Five (HSC-25

HSC-25

Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Twenty Five "Island Knights" is a United States Navy helicopter squadron based at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. The "Island Knights" are the Navy's only forward deployed Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron...

) following its transition from the CH-46 to the MH-60S.

The base was one of the few places in the world where the NASA

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...

Space Shuttle

The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...

were permitted to land, serving as an Augmented Emergency Landing Site for the Shuttle orbiter.

On February 23, 2008, a USAF B-2 Spirit

B-2 Spirit

The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit is an American heavy bomber with low observable stealth technology designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses and deploy both conventional and nuclear weapons. The bomber has a crew of two and can drop up to eighty -class JDAM GPS-guided bombs, or sixteen ...

stealth bomber, one of the most expensive military aircraft in the world, crashed on the base. Both pilots ejected safely before the plane, valued at US$

United States dollar

The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

, crashed moments after take-off due to a mechanical failure. This was the first time a B-2 had crashed.

On July 21, 2008, a US B-52 Stratofortress

B-52 Stratofortress

crashed into the sea while on a training mission that was to include a flyover during a parade in Guam remembering the U.S. liberation of the island from Japanese occupation in 1944.

On August 21, 2008, a US district court

United States district court

The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...

judge awarded an Air Force member, Master Sergeant

Master Sergeant

A master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in some armed forces.-Israel Defense Forces:Rav samal rishoninsignia IDF...

Thomas Rutledge, and his wife, Deborah Rutledge, US$

United States dollar

The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

, in damages for a malpractice case against the Andersen base family medical clinic."

B-2s from the 13th Bomb Squadron

13th Bomb Squadron

The 13th Bomb Squadron is an active United States Air Force organization assigned to the 509th Operations Group, stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri...

and 393d Bomb Squadron

393d Bomb Squadron

The 393d Bomb Squadron is part of the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri.-History:Activated as a B-29 Superfortress squadron in early 1944; trained under Second Air Force. Training delayed as engineering flaws being worked out of the B-29...

have taken turns with B-52 aircraft to provide a continuous bomber presence at the base. The most recent four-month deployment by four B-2s began in March 2009.

In March 2009, the base announced that it would look into allegations by a whistleblower of environmental violations at the base. The allegations include poaching, illegal trapping of coconut crabs and resale of trophy deer, and paving beaches and stripping vegetation used for nesting by endangered hawksbill turtles and green sea turtles. Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) stated that, "The Air Force program for protecting Guam's natural resources has utterly broken down." The Department of Defense Inspector General (DOD IG) determined that the Air Force responses to the PEER allegations adequately addressed the issues raised. Consequently, DoD IG determined further investigation was not warranted.

Previous names

Established as: North Field, December 1944 (station became operational on 3 February 1945)
North Field AB Command, 9 May 1946
North Army Air Base, 20 December 1947
North Air Force Base, 1 March 1948
North Guam Air Force Base, 22 April 1948
North Field Air Force Base, 1 February 1949
North Guam Air Force Base, 1 March 1949
Andersen Air Force Base, 7 October 1949–present

Major commands to which assigned

Twentieth Air Force
Twentieth Air Force
The Twentieth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.20 AF's primary mission is Intercontinental Ballistic Missile operations...

, February 3, 1945
Far East Air Force, May 15, 1949
Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...

, April 1, 1955
Pacific Air Forces, October 1, 1989

Major units assigned

314th Bombardment Wing
314th Air Division
The 314th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Pacific Air Forces, based at Osan AB, South Korea. It was inactivated in September 1986....

, January 16, 1945 – May 15, 1946

19th Bombardment Group,January 16, 1945 – June 1, 1953

29th Bombardment Group, January 17, 1945 – May 20, 1946

39th Bombardment Group

39th Air Base Wing

The 39th Air Base Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe Third Air Force. It is stationed at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey...

, February 18 – November 17, 1945

330th Bombardment Group

330th Aircraft Sustainment Wing

The 330th Aircraft Sustainment Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Robins Air Force Base, Georgia.-Mission:...

, February 18 – November 17, 1945

19th Air Refueling Group
19th Air Refueling Group
The 19th Airlift Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Mobility Command Eighteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Little Rock AFB, Arkansas...

, North Army Air Base Command (Provisional), December, 20 1947 - August 17, 1948
North Guam Air Force Base Command (Provisional), May 15, 1946 – August 24, 1948
19th Bombardment Wing, August 10, 1948 – June 1, 1953
54th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, February 21, 1951 – March 18, 1960
6319th Air Base Wing, June 1, 1953 – April 1, 1955
3d Air Division, June 18, 1954 – April 1, 1970
92d Bombardment Wing, October 16, 1954 – January 12, 1955
509th Bombardment Wing
509th Bomb Wing
The 509th Bomb Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command, Eighth Air Force. It is stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri....

, July 10 – October 8, 1954
6th Bombardment Wing
6th Air Mobility Wing
The United States Air Force's 6th Air Mobility Wing is the host wing for MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It is part of Air Mobility Command's Eighteenth Air Force....

, January 14 – April 12, 1955
3960th Air Base Wing, April 1, 1955 – April 1, 1970

5th Bombardment Wing
5th Bomb Wing
The 5th Bomb Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Force Global Strike Command's Eighth Air Force. It is stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. The wing is also the host unit at Minot...

, January 14 – April 12, 1955
99th Bombardment Wing
99th Air Base Wing
The 99th Air Base Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command United States Air Force Warfare Center. It is stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada...

, January 29 – April 25, 1956
303d Bombardment Wing
303d Aeronautical Systems Wing
The 303d Aeronautical Systems Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Material Command Aeronautical Systems Center. It is stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio as a tenant unit....

, July 12 – October 4, 1956
41st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
41st Flying Training Squadron
The 41st Flying Training Squadron is part of the 14th Flying Training Wing based at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. It operates T-6 Texan II aircraft conducting flight training.-Mission:...

, August 5, 1956 – March 8, 1960
320th Bombardment Wing
320th Air Expeditionary Wing
The 320th Air Expeditionary Wing is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force District of Washington. It is stationed at Bolling AFB, District of Columbia...

, October 5, 1956 – January 11, 1957
327th Air Division
327th Air Division
The 327th Airlift Division is an inactive United States Air Force air division. It was assigned to Pacific Air Forces' Thirteenth Air Force throughout its existence. It was last stationed at Taipei AS, Taiwan...

, July 1, 1957 – March 8, 1960
605th Military Airlift Support Squadron, December 27, 1965

Redesignated: 605th Airlift Support Squadron, January 8, 1966

Redesignated: 734th Air Mobility Squadron, June 1, 1992 – present

4133d Bombardment Wing (Provisional), February 1, 1966 – July 1, 1970
43d Strategic (later Bombardment) Wing
43d Airlift Wing
The 43rd Airlift Group is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Pope Army Airfield, part of Fort Bragg, North Carolina.The 43 AG performs en route operations support at Pope AAF to include mission command & control, aircrew management, aircraft maintenance, aircraft loading, aircraft fueling...

, April 1, 1970 – September 30, 1990
633d Air Base Wing
633d Air Base Wing
The United States Air Force's 633rd Air Base Wing is the host at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, as directed by BRAC 2005...

, October 1, 1989 – October 1, 1994
36th Air Base Wing, October 1, 1994

Redesignated: 36th Wing

36th Wing

The United States Air Force's 36th Wing is the host wing for Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. It is part of United States Pacific Air Forces Thirteenth Air Force...

, April 12, 2006 – present

Education

Andersen Air Force Base is home to Andersen Elementary School and Andersen Middle School

Andersen Middle School

Andersen Middle School, on Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, caters to a population of 6th to 8th graders from American military families. The school is under the Department of Defense Education Activity school system, and under the subsystem DDESS Guam...

. High school students attend Guam High School in Asan, Guam.

Higher educational opportunities for those in the military and working for the Department of Defense, as well as for family members at Andersen are available through contracted academic institutions such as The Asian Division of University of Maryland University College (UMUC) and The Pacific Far East Division of Central Texas College.

Other sources

Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office 1961 (republished 1983, Office of Air Force History, ISBN 0-912799-02-1).
Ravenstein, Charles A. Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell Air Force Base
Maxwell Air Force Base
Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force installation under the Air Education and Training Command . The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, US. It was named in honor of Second Lieutenant William C...

, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...

: Office of Air Force History 1984. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
Fletcher, Harry R. (1989) Air Force Bases Volume II, Active Air Force Bases outside the United States of America on 17 September 1982. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799536

External links

Andersen Air Force Base History Factsheet
Andersen Air Force Base at GlobalSecurity.org
GlobalSecurity.org
GlobalSecurity.org, launched in 2000, is a public policy organization focusing on the fields of defense, space exploration, intelligence, weapons of mass destruction and homeland security...
www.pacificwrecks.com
"Arc Light Memorial" and "Combat Skyspot Memorial"
Resources for this airport:

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Overview

Units

History

World War II

Postwar Years

1950s

Vietnam

Post-Vietnam

Modern era

Previous names

Major commands to which assigned

Major units assigned

Education

See also

Other sources

External links