Fresno Air National Guard Base
Encyclopedia
- See: Fresno Yosemite International AirportFresno Yosemite International AirportFresno Yosemite International Airport , formerly known as Fresno Air Terminal, is a joint civil-military public airport located in eastern Fresno, in Fresno County, California. The airport is more than south of Yosemite National Park on California State Route 41. The airport covers and has two...
for civil airport information
Fresno Air National Guard Base is the home base of the California Air National Guard
California Air National Guard
The California Air National Guard is the air component of the California National Guard. The California Air National Guard is headquartered at Sacramento, California.One of the duties of the California Air National Guard is defense of the United States...
144th Fighter Wing
144th Fighter Wing
The United States Air Force's 144th Fighter Wing is a unit of the California Air National Guard, operationally gained by the Air Combat Command and located at Fresno Air National Guard Base / Fresno Yosemite International Airport in Fresno, California....
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Overview
The Fresno Air National Guard Base in California is home to the 144th Fighter Wing144th Fighter Wing
The United States Air Force's 144th Fighter Wing is a unit of the California Air National Guard, operationally gained by the Air Combat Command and located at Fresno Air National Guard Base / Fresno Yosemite International Airport in Fresno, California....
. The 144th Fighter Wing (FW) of the California Air National Guard
California Air National Guard
The California Air National Guard is the air component of the California National Guard. The California Air National Guard is headquartered at Sacramento, California.One of the duties of the California Air National Guard is defense of the United States...
occupies two separate parcels of land (the main base area and the Munitions Storage Area) totaling 110.726 acre (0.44809262036 km²) of leased land on the Fresno Yosemite International Airport
Fresno Yosemite International Airport
Fresno Yosemite International Airport , formerly known as Fresno Air Terminal, is a joint civil-military public airport located in eastern Fresno, in Fresno County, California. The airport is more than south of Yosemite National Park on California State Route 41. The airport covers and has two...
(formerly named Fresno Air Terminal), located approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) east of downtown Fresno, California
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
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Operationally gained by the Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
(ACC), the mission of the 144th FW is to provide air defense protection for California from the Mexican border to Oregon utilizing F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. The 144th FW occupies six administrative, 16 industrial and two services buildings totaling approximately 341251 square feet (31,703.3 m²) with 325 full-time personnel, primarily Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) and Air Reserve Technician (ART) personnel. A unit training drill is conducted once a month and results in a surge of up to a total of 990 personnel when "traditional" part-time air national guardsmen are included. The part-time personnel, particularly pilots, also perform additional drills, additional flying training periods and/or additional active duty every month throughout the year.
The Composite Support Facility, completed in late 2001, added an additional 6236 sq ft (579.3 m²) of building area. The 144th FW occupies 6 administrative, 16 industrial and 2 services buildings totaling approximately 341251 square feet (31,703.3 m²) with 325 full-time personnel. A unit training drill is conducted once a month and results in a surge of up to a total of 990 personnel. There is currently an ongoing construction project (Composite Support Facility), which when completed by the end of FY 2001, will add an additional 6236 square feet (579.3 m²) of building area.
In addition to its Fresno ANGB facility, the 144 FW also maintains a permanent F-16 alert detachment/operating location (OL) at March Air Reserve Base
March Air Reserve Base
March Joint Air Reserve Base is located in Riverside County, California between the cities of Riverside and Moreno Valley. It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Command's 4th Air Force Headquarters and the 452d Air Mobility Wing , the largest air mobility wing of the 4th Air Force...
, near Riverside, California
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
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The California Army National Guard
California Army National Guard
The California Army National Guard is the land force component of the California National Guard, one of the reserve component United States Army and is part of the United States National Guard. The California Army National Guard is composed of about 20,000 soldiers...
[CAARNG] aviation units are based at the Mather Army Aviation Support Facility (AASF) located at the former Mather Air Force Base
Mather Air Force Base
Mather Air Force Base is a closed United States Air Force Base located east of Sacramento at Rancho Cordova, California on the south side of U.S. Route 50....
(AFB) in Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
, the California Aviation Classification Repair Depot (AVCRAD) in Fresno, the AASF in Stockton
Stockton
-Places:Australia:*Stockton, New South WalesNew Zealand:*Stockton, New ZealandUnited Kingdom:*Stockton, Cheshire*Stockton, Norfolk*Stockton, Warwickshire*Stockton, Wiltshire*Stockton-on-Tees*Stockton-on-Teme*Stockton-on-the-ForestUnited States:...
, and the Armed Forces Reserve Center (AFRC) in Los Alamitos
Los Alamitos
Los Alamitos can mean:* Los Alamitos, California, a city in Orange County, California**Los Alamitos High School**Los Alamitos Army Airfield...
. All sites include hangar facilities, aircraft parking aprons, and armories. The 1106th AVCRAD's mission is to provide aircraft support to the National Guard's aviation units of thirteen western states. It performs the highest level of maintenance possible on Army aircraft.
History
Hammer Field, Fresno County, Fresno, California, also known as Fresno Air Base and previously known as Fresno Air Field and Municipal Airport at Fresno, was located 5 miles (8 km) northeast of Fresno. The Army Air Force acquired this area for the Airways Detachment to set up a sub-base of Camp Pinedale for an extension of ordnance storage facilities and additional land for housing construction, a hospital, laundry, drainage facilities, cold storage, fire station, school building, rifle ranges, high tower shot gun range, motor pool areas, chemical warfare storage area, a concrete underground igloo magazine arms storage.Hammer Field also had an Army Air Forces regional hospital. The Army Air Force acquired this area for the Airways Detachment to set up a sub-base of Camp Pinedale for an extension of ordnance storage facilities and additional land for housing construction, a hospital, laundry, drainage facilities, cold storage, fire station, school building, rifle ranges, high tower shot gun range, motor pool areas, chemical warfare storage area, and a concrete underground igloo magazine arms storage.
Known Army Air Force units at Hammer Field were:
- 84th, 85th, 86th, 97th Bombardment Squadron (Light)
- 15th Air Force, 456th Bomb Group, 745th Squadron, 15th Crew (B-24 Bombers)
Night Fighter Training
On 1 January 1944, the Army Air Forces Night Fighter School was reassigned from the Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics at Orlando Army Airfield, Florida to IV Fighter CommandIV Fighter Command
The IV Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Fourth Air Force, based at Oakland Airport, California...
. The 481st Night Fighter Operational Training Group (NFOTG) was moved to Hammer Field on 30 January.
The group operated a combination of modified Douglas A-20 Havocs for night fighter operations, designated P-70, and brand-new prototype YP-61 Black Widow purpose-built night fighters manufactured by Northrup
Northrop Corporation
Northrop Corporation was a leading United States aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1939 until its merger with Grumman to form Northrop Grumman in 1994. The company is known for its development of the flying wing design, although only a few of these have entered service.-History:Jack...
in Hawthorne
Hawthorne, California
Hawthorne is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California. The city at the 2010 census had a population of 84,293, up from 84,112 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, California. Along with the headquarters and main base at Hammer Field, other auxiliary fields used by the 481st NFOTG were Salinas Army Air Base, Delano Army Airfield, Meadows Field, Bakersfield, and Visalia Army Airfield. The 348th Night Fighter Squadron
348th Night Fighter Squadron
The 348th Night Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force squadron. Its last assignment was with the 481st Night Fighter Operational Training Group, based at Salinas Army Air Base, California...
was the Operational Trainng Unit (OTU) under the 481st which provided instructional training to new pilots. Newly-manufactured aircraft were transferred from Northrup at Hawthorne to the newly-formed operational squadrons at Hammer Field prior to their deployment to the overseas combat theaters.
When the school moved from Florida, the 425th Night Fighter Squadron was in training at Orlando AAF. It was reassigned initially to Hammer Field on 30 January 1944, and was further reassigned to Visalia
Visalia
-California:* Visalia, California* Downtown Visalia* Greater Visalia Area** Tulare County, California* Visalia Municipal Airport-Fictional Places:* Visalia, California , a fictional version of Visalia where parts of Season 2 of 24 was set....
AAF on 25 February. It eventually was deployed to England in May.
Night Fighter Squadrons which were formed and/or trained at Hammer Field were:
- 426th Night Fighter Squadron
- Formed January 1944 at Hammer Field, moved to DelanoDelano- Places :In the United States:* Delano, California* Delano, Minnesota* Delano, Nevada* Delano, Pennsylvania* Delano Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania* Delano Peak, a mountain in Utah* Delano Hotel, Miami Beach* The Delano Neighborhood of Wichita, KS...
for training in March. Deployed to Tenth Air ForceTenth Air ForceThe Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....
in the CBICBI- Places and installations :* Cape Breton Island, part of Nova Scotia, Canada* Center for Biomedical Imaging, a research facility of Boston University Medical Center* Central Bukidnon Institute, a secondary school in the Philippines...
- 427th Night Fighter Squadron
- Formed February 1944 at Hammer Field, moved to Bakersfield for training in May. Was programmed for assignment to the Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
to protect USAAF bases in the UkraineUkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
as part of Operation FranticOperation Frantic-Airfields:In February 1944, the USAAF received access to six air bases in Ukraine, but it turned out only three were set up for the effort. In haste, the United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe established a headquarters detachment at Poltava Airfield, near Kiev in the Soviet Union in late...
. Instead was assigned to the CBI.- 547th Night Fighter Squadron547th Night Fighter SquadronThe 547th Intelligence Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit. It is currently responsible for intelligence support for all Red Flag-Nellis exercises.-History:...
- 547th Night Fighter Squadron
- Formed March 1944 at Hammer Field, moved to Visalia for training in May. Deployed to Thirteenth Air ForceThirteenth Air ForceThe 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...
in the Philippines.- 548th Night Fighter Squadron
- Formed April 1944 at Salinas Army Air Base, moved to Delano for training in June. Deployed to Seventh Air ForceSeventh Air ForceThe Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....
in the Mariana IslandsMariana IslandsThe 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...
for protection of B-29 Bases- 549th Night Fighter Squadron549th Night Fighter SquadronThe 549th Combat Training Squadron is a non-flying United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 57th Operations Group, and is stationed at Nellis AFB, Nevada.-Overview:...
- 549th Night Fighter Squadron
- Formed May 1944 at Hammer Field, moved to Bakersfield for training in June. Deployed to Seventh Air ForceSeventh Air ForceThe Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....
in the Mariana Islands for protection of B-29 Bases- 550th Night Fighter Squadron550th Night Fighter Squadron.The 550th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 56th Operations Group, being inactivated at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona on 30 March 1995....
- 550th Night Fighter Squadron
- Formed June 1944 at Hammer Field, moved to Visalia for training in August. Deployed to Fifth Air ForceFifth Air ForceThe 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....
in New Guinea.
With the 550th NFS deploying to the Pacific in December 1944, the 481st NFOG was inactivated. It was replaced by the 450th Army Air Forces Base Unit (AAFBU), and the mission of Hammer Field and the Night Fighter Training School became Replacement Pilot Training (RTU). The 450th was made up of a number of lettered squadrons, which were expressed as the 450th AAFBU (A Squadron), and so on. These replacement training squadrons operated at the same airfields as was used by the 481st NFOG in the San Joaquin Valley. The 441st AAFBU provided gunnery training from Van Nuys Airport
Van Nuys Airport
Van Nuys Airport is a public airport located in Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley section of the city limits of Los Angeles, California, United States. No major commercial airlines fly into this airport; it is used by private, chartered, and small commercial aircraft...
in the San Fernando Valley and the 403d AAFBU at Hammer Field provided ground training for support personnel. All of these Army Air Force Base Units were under the operational control of the IV Fighter Command 319th Wing, headquartered at Hammer Field.
The 319th Wing concluded its training of replacement pilots in May 1945 and operations at the airfield were phased down to a standby status. The 319th was moved to San Francisco in September 1945 taking over the air defense mission of the San Francisco Air Defense Region.
Postwar use
With the end of the war in September 1945, Hammer Field was inactivated and was disposed of though the War Assets Administration (WAA). By 1949 the facility was completely in civil hands; the sources included the city of Fresno (804.59 acres by lease), 21 individual landowners (781.96 acres by fee and 27.24 acre (11 ha) by lease), easement right-of-ways (1.42 acres) and permit (1.64 acres). In 1943, the lease on 9.24 acres (37,393 m²) was terminated. In 1945 and 1946, the leases for 18 acre (7.3 ha) and 5 acre (2 ha) were terminated, respectively. Effective January 15, 1947, 23.06 acre (9.3 ha) were reassigned for the Hammer Field National Guard training area. In 1948, 319 acre (129.1 ha) were quitclaimed and the lease on 799.69 acre (323.6 ha) was transferred to the city of Fresno. In 1948 and 1949, 441.5 acre (178.7 ha) were quitclaimed to the state of California.In 1945 and 1946, the leases for 18 acres (72,843.5 m²) and 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) were terminated, respectively. Effective January 15, 1947, 23.06 acres (93,320.6 m²) were reassigned for the Hammer Field National Guard training area. In 1948, 319 acres (1.3 km²) were quitclaimed and the lease on 799.69 acres (3.2 km²) were transferred to the City of Fresno. In 1948 and 1949, 441.5 acres (1.8 km²) were quitclaimed to the State of California.