157-523: Bangor Air National Guard Base is a United States Air National Guard base located on the grounds of Bangor International Airport in Bangor, Maine . Created in 1927 as the commercial Godfrey Field , the airfield was taken over by the U.S. Army just before World War II and renamed Bangor Army Air Field and later Dow Field . It became Dow Air Force Base (AFB) in 1948, when the newly formed U.S. Air Force took over many Army air assets. In 1968, Dow AFB
314-470: A V-1 flying-bomb-style weapon that never left the drawing board, the track found use after the war as a test area for V-2 rockets captured from Nazi Germany in Operation Paperclip . Later, Lt. Col. John Stapp appropriated the track for his MX981 project and installed what was believed to be one of the most powerful mechanical braking systems ever constructed. His deceleration tests led
471-548: A balloon, it was not clear whether members of the unit had ever actually ascended in it. In 1910 the unit raised $ 500 to finance its first aircraft. During the Mexican Border Crisis of 1915 Captain Raynal Cawthorne Bolling organized and took command of a unit that became the 1st Aero Company, New York National Guard . It trained at Mineola Field, Mineola, Long Island . It is recognized as
628-533: A high plateau at Edwards. By the time the base was officially designated the U.S. Air Force Flight Test Center in June 1951, more than 40 different types of aircraft had first taken flight at the base and the nation's first generation of jet-powered combat airplanes had already completed development. One of them, the North American F-86 Sabre , was dominating the skies over Korea. The promise of
785-596: A means to avoid the draft into the active duty U.S. Army in an enlisted status. Air National Guard airlift units, however, began flying regularly to Japan and South Vietnam beginning in 1966 to support Military Airlift Command (MAC) operations. These flights continued on a regular basis until 1972. In addition, between August 1965 and September 1969, Air National Guard domestic and offshore aeromedical evacuation flights freed active duty Air Force resources for such missions in Southeast Asia (SEA). Moreover, after
942-625: A methodical fashion to answer largely theoretical questions. Then, as now, the great bulk of flight testing at Muroc focused on evaluations of the capabilities of aircraft and systems proposed for the operational inventory. In December 1949, Muroc was renamed Edwards Air Force Base in honor of Captain Glen Edwards (1918–1948), who was killed a year earlier in the crash of the Northrop YB-49 Flying Wing. During World War II , he flew A-20 Havoc light attack bombers in
1099-482: A month later, Major Chuck Yeager topped this record as he piloted the second-generation Bell X-1A to a top speed of Mach 2.44 (2,989 km/h; 1,857 mph) and, just nine months later, Major Arthur "Kit" Murray flew the same airplane to a new altitude record of 90,440 feet (17.129 mi; 27.57 km). These records stood for less than three years. In September 1956, Captain Iven Kincheloe became
1256-616: A new aviation record by piloting the first non-stop, around-the-world flight on a single tank of fuel in the Rutan Voyager . Extensive aviation research was also conducted on the ground at Edwards. Two rocket sled tracks pioneered important developments and research for the Air Force. The first 2,000-foot (610 m) track was built by Northrop in 1944 near what is currently the North Base. Originally intended to help develop
1413-599: A peak altitude of 74,494 feet (14.1087 mi; 22.706 km). Then, in 1953, Marine Corps test pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Marion Carl , flew the same plane to an altitude of 83,235 feet (15.7642 mi; 25.370 km). On 20 November 1951, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics' Scott Crossfield became the first man to reach Mach 2 as he piloted the Skyrocket to a speed of Mach 2.005 (2,456.2 km/h; 1,526.2 mph). Less than
1570-599: A pivotal role in the development of systems that would provide the United States with true intercontinental power projection capabilities as it tested aircraft such as the B-52 Stratofortress , C-133 Cargomaster and KC-135 Stratotanker , as well as the YC-130 Hercules which served as the basis for a classic series of tactical transports that would continue in frontline service until well into
1727-412: A possible Soviet nuclear response to the crisis. But in the end, no ANG unit was federalized. As a result of these two Cold War incidents, from January through December 1963, for the first time Air National Guard airlift units began routinely deploying overseas during their annual training periods, primarily to Europe, to exercise their wartime missions. Air National Guard transport units hauled cargo for
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#17327980644151884-591: A receiver site at Columbia Falls AFS , Maine 44°47′42″N 067°48′41″W / 44.79500°N 67.81139°W / 44.79500; -67.81139 ( Columbia Falls AFS ) . These systems were inactivated in 1997, and the unit was inactivated. Flying and notable non-flying units based at Bangor Air National Guard Base. Air National Guard [REDACTED] This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency United States Air National Guard The Air National Guard ( ANG ), also known as
2041-554: A replica of a Japanese cruiser, nicknamed " Muroc Maru ", was constructed in Rogers Dry Lake where it was used for bombing training until 1950. With the end of the war, Fourth Air Force relinquished command of Muroc Army Airfield on 16 October 1945 and jurisdiction was transferred to Air Technical Service Command , becoming Air Materiel Command in 1946. Test work on the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star
2198-471: A search for a new, isolated site where a "Top Secret" airplane could undergo tests "away from prying eyes." The urgent need to complete the P-59 program without delay dictated a location with good, year-round flying weather, and the risks inherent in the radical new technology to be demonstrated on the aircraft dictated a spacious landing field. After examining a number of locations around the country, they selected
2355-510: A separate reserve component of the United States Air Force in addition to the purely "federal" Air Force Reserve , was a product of the politics of postwar planning and inter-service rivalry during World War II . The Army Air Forces leaders who planned and maneuvered for an independent postwar Air Force during World War II had little confidence in the reserves of the U.S. Army, especially the state-dominated National Guard. On
2512-698: A separate reserve component on 18 September 1947, concurrent with the establishment of the U.S. Air Force. However, National Guard aviation emerged before World War I with aviation units in Army National Guard organizations. In April 1908, a group of enthusiasts organized an "aeronautical corps" at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City to learn ballooning. They were members of the 1st Company, Signal Corps, New York National Guard . Although they received instruction and assembled
2669-585: A single accident and, though the aircraft did not prove to be combat worthy, the successful conduct of its test program, combined with the success of the Lockheed XP-80 program which followed it in early 1944, sealed the future destiny of the remote high desert installation. Muroc would thenceforth become synonymous with the cutting edge of the turbojet revolution in America. Aircraft testing continued at this desert "Army Air Base", then on 8 November 1943,
2826-605: A site along the north shore of the enormous, flat surface of Rogers Dry Lake about six miles away from the training base at Muroc. Ground tests began five days after the first XP-59 arrived on 21 September 1942. First flight took place on 30 September when the XP-59 rose to 10 feet (3.0 m) altitude for 0.5 miles (0.80 km) during taxi testing. However, the first official flight was 1 October 1942 with NACA, Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, Royal Air Force , Army, Bell and General Electric personnel on hand. As with virtually all of
2983-514: A tenant unit. This was done primarily to relieve overcrowding. The 83d ATS operated C-54 Skymasters from Dow, and its primary mission was to support Northeast Air Command bases and radar stations in Newfoundland and Labrador , Baffin Island , and Greenland . It was reassigned to the 1610th Air Transport Group at Grenier AFB , New Hampshire effective 1 July 1953, however, on 29 May 1953,
3140-524: A testing site for experimental airplanes. The success of these programs attracted a new type of research activity to the base in late 1946. The rocket-powered Bell X-1 was the first in a long series of experimental airplanes designed to prove or disprove aeronautical concepts—to probe the most challenging unknowns of flight and solve its mysteries. Further evidence of things to come was experienced on 14 October 1947 when Captain Charles "Chuck" Yeager flew
3297-507: A year until being reassigned to Second Air Force and was transferred to Tinker AFB , Oklahoma on 20 March 1955. The escort fighters were replaced by the SAC Eighth Air Force 4060th Air Refueling Wing, activated on 8 March 1955. Equipped with KC-97 Stratofreighters , the 4060th was a provisional organization with a mission to support B-47 Stratojet deployments to Europe and Morocco, with air refueling taking place over
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#17327980644153454-797: The 108th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron in Illinois, the 126th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron in Wisconsin, and the 145th Air Transport Squadron in Ohio, converted to KC-97Fs and were redesignated air refueling squadrons. World War II had left the city of Berlin 100 miles deep within East German territory, controlled by the Soviet Union , and divided into Soviet , British, French, and United States zones of occupation, administered under local agreements which did not guarantee Western access to
3611-585: The 109th Observation Squadron of the Minnesota National Guard (1921–1941) became the first post World War I air unit to receive federal recognition. During the interwar period, 29 observation squadrons were established. They were either integral elements of National Guard infantry divisions or assigned to Army corps aviation. An aviator in the 110th Observation Squadron of the Missouri National Guard (1923–1943) became
3768-605: The 138th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Hancock Field , Syracuse, New York, and the 194th Fighter-Bomber Squadron at Hayward, California, the experiment began on 1 March 1953. It proved a great success and in August eight squadrons began "standing alert" using volunteer aircrews on a rotating basis for 14 hours a day. In October, nine more squadrons joined the program. The ANG runway alert program required some planes and pilots to be available around-the-clock to become airborne within minutes of being notified to scramble. At its peak in
3925-753: The 1968 Tet Offensive in which the Communist North Vietnamese and Vietcong troops attacked positions throughout the Republic of Vietnam , the Pentagon dispatched four Air National Guard fighter squadrons to that nation. In addition, the Pueblo Crisis in Korea also saw mobilized Air Force Reservists, Air National Guardsmen and Naval Reservists in flying units. That crisis prompted the third partial Air National Guard mobilization since
4082-533: The 30th Air Defense Missile Squadron was activated 4 miles north-northeast of the base, equipped with 28 CIM-10 Bomarc -A liquid-fueled surface-to-air missiles . Also that month, the 75th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron which was moved from the closing Presque Isle AFB , Maine to Dow to keep interceptors in Maine. The Bomarc missiles remained active until 15 December 1964 when they were inactivated due to limited funding The 75th FIS remained until April 1968 when Dow
4239-618: The 49th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Dow. The ADC 32d AD also activated several Aircraft Control and Warning Squadrons (128th (WI ANG), 679th, 765th), which were Ground Intercept Radar units. These squadrons were formed at Dow, and later deployed to new radar stations being constructed in Maine which were equipped with long-range radars and then directed the interceptor aircraft at Dow to unknown aircraft which entered their coverage. On 9 September 1952, Military Air Transport Service Atlantic Division at Westover AFB activated 83d Air Transport Squadron (1600th Air Transport Wing) to Dow AFB as
4396-474: The 94th Pursuit Squadron from Villeneuve, France on the first combat mission ever ordered by an American commander of a U.S. squadron of American pilots. At least four Guardsmen—Chambers, Field Kindley (Kansas), Reed Landis (Illinois), and Martinus Stenseth (Minnesota) – became aces. 2nd Lieutenant Erwin R. Bleckley of Kansas was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his heroism as an aerial observer. After
4553-536: The Air Force Materiel Command center for conducting and supporting research and development of flight, as well as testing and evaluating aerospace systems from concept to combat. It also hosts many test activities conducted by America's commercial aerospace industry. Notable occurrences at Edwards include Chuck Yeager 's flight that broke the sound barrier in the Bell X-1 , test flights of
4710-761: The Air Guard , is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force , as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia , the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , and the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands . It, along with the Army National Guard component of each state, district, commonwealth or territory, makes up the National Guard of each region as applicable. When Air National Guard units are used under
4867-567: The Air Mobility Command (AMC). Download coordinates as: About 1985, the 776th Radar Squadron was reformed with its headquarters at Bangor ANGB. The mission of the squadron was to operate two over the horizon radar (OTH-B) very long-range early warning radar sites. The squadron operated an OTH-B transmitter site at Moscow AFS , Maine, 45°08′14″N 069°48′07″W / 45.13722°N 69.80194°W / 45.13722; -69.80194 ( Moscow AFS ) and
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5024-517: The B-2 Spirit bomber represented third-generation stealth technology, following the SR-71 and F-117. The 1980s also saw Edwards host a demonstration of America's space warfare capabilities when a highly modified F-15 Eagle launched an ASM-135 anti-satellite missile at the dead P78-1 (or Solwind) satellite and destroyed it. In 1986, Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager launched from Edwards to set
5181-892: The Great Circle Route to Prestwick Airport , Scotland; and airfields in Northern Ireland . One of the B-17s that passed through Dow became the most famous B-17 of the war, the Memphis Belle (aircraft) . (Once in the British isles, the aircraft were modified for combat missions by Eighth Air Force units over Nazi-occupied Europe.) On 5 March 1944, Dow was transferred to Air Transport Command 's North Atlantic Wing. In 1944, more than 8,400 aircraft passed through Dow, and about 2,150 in January through May 1945. After
5338-592: The Korean War , some 45,000 Air Guardsmen, 80 percent of the force, were mobilized. That callup exposed the weaknesses of the United States' various military reserve programs, including the ANG. Sixty-six of the Air Guard's ninety-two flying squadrons, along with numerous support units, were mobilized. Once in federal service, they proved to be unprepared for combat. Many key Air Guardsmen were used as fillers elsewhere in
5495-877: The Military Air Transport Service (MATS) while training for their wartime global airlift role. With the Regular Air Force tanker fleet being used more and more in Southeast Asia after 1965 to support combat operations in South Vietnam , combined with the concurrent demands of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) for performing its nuclear deterrence mission, both volunteer Air Force Reservists and Air National Guardsmen in air refueling units participated in worldwide air refueling missions during their Annual Training or other additional active duty periods in order to supplement
5652-606: The National Guard Bureau (NGB) developed a table of organization for the Air National Guard to include at least one unit allocation per state. In addition, the territories of Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico were allocated one unit designation each. A table of organization was developed in which a series of twelve ANG Wings were allocated to provide command and control over separate regions of the United States; each Wing controlled three or four Groups within
5809-485: The North African campaign on 50 hazardous, low-level missions against German tanks, convoys, troops, bridges, airfields, and other tactical targets. Edwards became a test pilot in 1943 and spent much of his time at Muroc Army Air Field, on California's high desert, testing wide varieties of experimental prototype aircraft. He died in the crash of a Northrop YB-49 flying wing near Muroc AFB on 5 June 1948. From
5966-632: The North American X-15 , the first landings of the Space Shuttle , and the 1986 around-the-world flight of the Rutan Voyager . A water stop on the Santa Fe Railroad since 1882, the site was largely unsettled until the early 20th century. In 1910, Ralph, Clifford and Effie Corum built a homestead on the edge of Rogers Dry Lake . The Corums proved instrumental in attracting other settlers and building infrastructure in
6123-574: The U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) to plan for a significant Air Force National Guard once the overseas fighting ended. General of the Army George C. Marshall , the Army Chief of Staff, also pressured the USAAF to revise its ambitious plans for a large postwar active duty force. When President Harry S. Truman instituted dramatic postwar military budget cuts, he split defense dollars evenly among
6280-401: The U.S. Navy , U.S. Marine Corps or U.S. Coast Guard . Because the present day U.S. Air Force evolved from the U.S. Army , it was only natural that a separate Air National Guard would be established with the divestiture of the former U.S. Army Air Forces and its establishment as a separate and independent U.S. Air Force in 1947. The Air National Guard was officially established in law as
6437-558: The 101st was reassigned to be an associate unit of SAC and was renamed the 101st Air Refueling Wing (101 ARW), operating the KC-135 Stratotanker . The 101 ARW was later re-equipped with the Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker, which it continues to operate today. and shares the runway with the civilian airport facilities. With the disestablishment of SAC in 1992, the 101 ARW is now operationally gained by
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6594-720: The 1960s, the T-38 Talon , B-52H Stratofortress , F-4 and RF-4 Phantom II , the F-111 and FB-111, C-141 Starlifter and C-5 Galaxy , all became mainstays in the USAF operational inventory. Another aircraft gained world fame in the late 1960s at Edwards: the Lockheed YF-12A , a precursor to the SR-71 Blackbird , shattered nine records in one day of testing at Edwards. The SR-71's full capabilities remain classified, but
6751-881: The 1961 Berlin Crisis. By August 1962, the units mobilized for the Berlin Crisis returned to state control. They had hardly resumed normal operations when President Kennedy announced on 22 October 1962 that the Soviet Union had placed nuclear warheads in Cuba , only 90 miles from Florida. With the Cuban Missile Crisis , Air National Guard fighter units trained for "no notice" deployments, and volunteer ANG airlift crews and their aircraft augmented Air Force global airlift operations. Air National Guard bases hosted Air Force fighters and bombers dispersed there to avoid
6908-542: The 21st century. It also supported the development of the extremely high-altitude and long-range Lockheed U-2 and the dazzling ultra-performance capabilities of the B-58 Hustler , the world's first Mach 2 bomber. Throughout the 1950s, American airplanes regularly broke absolute speed and altitude records at Edwards, but nothing compared to the arrival of the North American X-15 in 1961. The program got under way in earnest in 1961 when Maj. Robert M. "Bob" White became
7065-600: The 355th TFS changed from a Regular Air Force unit composed almost entirely of recent SEA returnees to a composite squadron consisting of approximately 50% of whose personnel assets were composed of activated ANG members from the 119th TFS of the New Jersey ANG ) and the 121st TFS of the District of Columbia ANG ). The 355th deployed on temporary duty (TDY) to Phù Cát Air Base on 14 May 1968 with 13 of its 30 pilots being ANG members. The transfer became permanent on 26 June 1968, at which time all TDY members were offered
7222-496: The 397th numerical designation of the newly established wing. The 397th Bomb Wing continued to conduct strategic bombardment training and air refueling operations to meet operational commitments of Strategic Air Command , including deployments to Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War . By 1968, Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) had been deployed and become operational as part of the United States' strategic triad, and
7379-587: The 4144th Air Force Base Unit was re-designated as the 2759th AF Base Unit and with the adoption of the Hobson Plan , as the 2759th Experimental Wing. With the X-1, flight testing at Muroc began to assume two distinct identities. Highly experimental research programs—such as the X-3, X-4, X-5 and XF-92A—were typically flown in conjunction with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, or NACA, and were conducted in
7536-541: The 78th and 81st Fighter Groups. In 1943, the 360th Fighter Group and 382d Bombardment Groups were assigned permanently to Muroc for P-38 Lightning and B-24 Liberator Replacement Training (RTU) of personnel. In the spring of 1942, the Mojave Desert station was chosen as a secluded site for testing America's first jet, the super-secret Bell Aircraft P-59 Airacomet jet fighter. The immense volume of flight tests being conducted at Wright Field, in Ohio, helped drive
7693-610: The ANG's oldest unit and its lineage is carried by the 102nd Rescue Squadron of the New York Air National Guard . On 13 July 1916, the 1st Aero Company mobilized during the border crisis with Mexico. the unit was called into federal service when the Mexican revolution spilled over the border into the United States. Bolling's unit was joined at Mineola by the 2nd Aero Company of Buffalo and 12 Guard officers from other states. Both air units remained at Mineola during
7850-482: The Air Force. It took three to six months for some ANG units to become combat ready. Some never did. Eventually, they made substantial contributions to the war effort and the Air Force's global buildup. In the Far East, the ANG's 136th and 116th Fighter-Bomber Wings compiled excellent combat records flying F-84 Thunderjets . Air Guardsmen flew 39,530 combat sorties and destroyed 39 enemy aircraft. But, 101 of them were either killed or declared missing in action during
8007-464: The Air National Guard converted to the wing-base ( Hobson Plan ) organization. As a result, the former Army Air Forces Wings which were allocated were inactivated by the National Guard Bureau returned to the control of the Department of the Air Force on 31 October 1950. The personnel and equipment of the inactivated wings were transferred to new Air National Guard wings which were established, recognized and activated on 1 November 1950. After World War II,
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#17327980644158164-616: The Air National Guard developed an unfortunate reputation as a glorified "flying club" for World War II combat veterans. Not only did the units and individuals lack specific wartime missions, their equipment, especially aircraft, was obsolete and their training was usually deplorable. Once mobilized, those Air National Guardsmen proved to be almost totally unprepared for combat. Regardless of their previous training and equipment, Air National Guard units were assigned almost at random to major air commands. It took months and months for ANG units to become combat ready; some units never succeeded. During
8321-451: The Air National Guard's modern homeland defense role. Moreover, it was the first broad effort to integrate reserve units into a major Air Force combat mission in peacetime on a continuing basis using volunteers. Originally the Air National Guard was designed as a combat reserve force. After World War II, its flying units consisted of 72 fighter and 12 light bomber squadrons equipped with obsolescent World War II propeller-driven aircraft while
8478-419: The Army Air Forces. As individual units were organized, federally recognized, and activated, the Army Air Forces provided them airfields, equipment and surplus aircraft. Once formed, the units began obtaining federal recognition, and the state Air National Guard units were established. Its primary units were 84 flying squadrons, mostly equipped with P-51 Mustang and P-47 Thunderbolt fighters with air defense of
8635-549: The Army, Navy, and Air Force. That move also required the Air Force to plan for a far smaller active duty service than it had envisaged. As a result, the Air Force needed both reserve components, the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve , to help fill the gap. As the wartime Army Air Forces demobilized in 1945 and 1946, inactivated unit designations were allotted and transferred to various State and Territorial Air National Guard bureaus to provide them unit designations to re-establish them as Air National Guard units. Initially,
8792-400: The Atlantic Ocean. In addition, during the late 1950s, SAC extended the runway at Dow to 11,000' and alert pads were constructed at the end of Runway 15. On 15 February 1960, SAC established the 4038th Strategic Wing at Dow as part of SAC's plan to disburse its B-52 Stratofortress heavy bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out
8949-428: The B-52 synthetic fuel program , the C-17 Globemaster III , and many prototype unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Edwards is among the few U.S. military bases to have gained jobs since the Cold War. Under the DoD's Base Realignment and Closure process, several smaller bases have been decommissioned, and their facilities and responsibilities have been sent to Edwards, China Lake , and other large bases. During 2012,
9106-577: The Berlin mobilization of 1961, he was also reluctant to recall Reservists and National Guardsmen without the assurance that their employment would significantly affect the course of the war, an assurance no official in his administration could provide. As a result, even though still populated by many World War II and Korean War combat veterans, the Reserves and the National Guard acquired ill-deserved reputations during this period as havens for relatively affluent, young white men with no prior active duty military service to serve as officers or enlisted personnel as
9263-442: The California desert, yet accidents continued even as spring arrived in 1948. On 25 August 1948, Dow Air Force Base was assigned to one of ADC's first Air Divisions, the 26th Air Division . Its new mission was defending the northeastern United States from New York City to the Maine- New Brunswick border during daylight and fair weather; the F-82 Twin Mustangs of the 52d Fighter Group (All-Weather) at Mitchel AFB , New York, flew
9420-444: The Center at the time of activation were the 6510th Air Base Wing for station support units. The test flying units at Edwards were assigned directly to the AFFTC . That same year, the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School moved to Edwards from Wright Field, Ohio. Its curriculum focused on the traditional field of performance testing and the relatively new field of stability and control, which had suddenly assumed critical importance with
9577-466: The Guard fondly. After the Fall of France , during 1940–1941, approximately 4,800 experienced National Guard aviation personnel were mobilized from their observation squadrons. They provided a significant augmentation of the Army's rapidly expanding air arm during a critical period. Most Guard air units were stripped of many key personnel, and the units were federalized into the regular Army Air Corps and were re-equipped with more modem aircraft. Some of
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#17327980644159734-488: The Korean War. After that conflict, in April 1955, the Air National Guard acquired its first special operations unit when the 129th Air Resupply Squadron was federally recognized and two C-46 Commandos were delivered to it at Hayward, California. It was allocated to the Air Resupply And Communications Service (ARCS), a predecessor organization of today's Air Force Special Operations Command As its P-51 Mustangs and P-47 Thunderbolts became more and more obsolescent in
9891-426: The Leuhman Ridge east of Rogers Dry Lake on Edwards AFB. Construction began in November 1949 on what was to become the Experimental Rocket Engine Test Station. Jurisdiction of Edwards AFB was transferred from Air Materiel Command on 2 April 1951 to the newly created Air Research and Development Command . Activation of the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) followed on 25 June 1951. Units designated and assigned to
10048-424: The Maine Army National Guard 's Army Aviation Support Facility. Under Maine ANG jurisdiction, the airfield was initially the home to the 101st Air Defense Wing of the Maine Air National Guard, an ANG associate of Aerospace Defense Command's (ADC) 36th Air Division at what was then Topsham AFS , Maine. It operated F-102 Delta Daggers until 1969, then changed to F-101 Voodoo interceptors until 1976. In 1976,
10205-534: The Muroc Bombing and Gunnery Range, Muroc Lake, California, was designated as a separate post (Exempted Status). The name of the facility at the time was "Army Air Base, Muroc Lake." In July 1942, Muroc Army Airfield became a separate airfield from March Field and was placed under the jurisdiction of Fourth Air Force . Throughout the war years, the primary mission at Muroc was providing final combat training for bomber and fighter aircrews just before overseas deployment. Among its sub-bases and auxiliaries were: Muroc
10362-417: The National Security Act. The postwar Air National Guard force of the late 1940s included 58,000 members. Between 1946 and 1949, all of the initial allotment of units received federal recognition in the CONUS. The Hawaii Territory ANG received recognition and was activated on 4 November 1946; the Puerto Rico ANG on 23 November 1947, and the Alaska Territory ANG on 15 September 1952. At the end of October 1950,
10519-463: The Persian Gulf conflict of the early 90s. The Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night, or LANTIRN, system revolutionized air-to-ground combat operations during the same conflict by denying opposing forces the once comforting sanctuary of night. The late 1980s also witnessed the arrival of the first giant flying wing to soar over the base in nearly 40 years. The thin silhouette, compound curves and other low-observable characteristics of
10676-439: The Raptor, the F-22A continues to undergo test and evaluation at Edwards. A new group of research projects came to Edwards in the 1990s. Global Hawk , an unmanned aerial vehicle that has been used extensively in Afghanistan and Iraq, made its first flight at Edwards in February 1998. The X-24, X-33, X-34, X-36 and X-38, a series of new lifting bodies, technology demonstrators and half-scale models were tested here by NASA during
10833-413: The Soviet Union ratcheted up the Cold War. President John F. Kennedy mobilized a limited number of Reserve and Guard units, dispatching 11 ANG fighter squadrons to Europe. All the Guard units were in place within a month of their respective mobilization days, although they required additional training, equipment, and personnel after being called up. In all, some 21,000 Air Guardsmen were mobilized during
10990-411: The Space Shuttle landed follows the route that hosted racing in the 1930s. The first major aerial activity occurred at Muroc in 1937 when the entire Army Air Corps participated in a large-scale maneuver. From then on, the bombing range grew in size. When Arnold became Chief of the Air Corps in 1938, the service was given a renewed focus on research and development . Muroc Field drew attention because
11147-434: The U.S. traces its origins to 13 December 1636, when the Massachusetts Bay Colony's General Court passed an act calling for the creation of three regiments, organizing existing separate militia companies in and around Boston. The creation of the militia regiments was caused by the perceived need to defend the Bay Colony against American Indians and from other European countries operating in North America. This organization formed
11304-648: The X-15 Program, AFFTC and NASA also teamed up to explore a new concept called "lifting reentry" with a series of wingless lifting body aircraft. These rocket powered-vehicles – the M2-F2, M2-F3, HL-10, X-24A and X-24B – paved the way for the Space Shuttle and future spaceplane designs when they demonstrated that they could make precision landings after high-speed gliding descents from high altitude. The major aircraft systems that were tested and developed during
11461-433: The active duty Air Force transitioned to jet fighters. Although it had no airlift or tanker units, the Air National Guard's flying units were equipped with a small number of liaison, trainer, and transport planes, and the Air National Guard actively sought out new missions and aircraft. With the end of World War II, the Air Force dropped "Air Commando" or special operations units from its rolls, although they were revived for
11618-680: The active duty tanker force. The Texas Air National Guard 's 136th Air Refueling Wing inaugurated Operation Creek Party on 1 May 1967, because the Regular Air Force did not have enough KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft available in Europe to train its fighter pilots in USAFE . The operation eventually involved nine ANG air refueling groups that rotated approximately every two weeks to Rhein-Main Air Base in West Germany . The Vietnam War provided
11775-547: The active force. The Air National Guard requested these aircraft be sent to ANG units, and in January 1960, units in California, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, and Oklahoma began trading in their obsolete fighters for C-97s. Additionally, the Air National Guard also took on an air refueling mission. The Air National Guard received its first KC-97 Stratofreighter aerial tankers in July and August 1961. During that period,
11932-407: The afternoon of 7 December 1941 , the 41st Bombardment Group and the 6th Reconnaissance Squadron moved to Muroc from Davis-Monthan Army Airfield , Arizona , with a collection of B-18 Bolos , B-25 Mitchells , and an A-29 Hudson . On Christmas Eve, the 30th Bombardment Group and the 2d Reconnaissance Squadron arrived from New Orleans Army Airbase , Louisiana , for crew training. On 23 July 1942,
12089-522: The area, and when a post office was commissioned for the area, they named it Muroc, a reversal of the Corum name, due to the presence of a town named Coram. Conscious that March Field was located in an area of increasing growth in Riverside County , and with the need for bombing and gunnery ranges for his units, base and 1st Wing commander Lieutenant Colonel Henry H. "Hap" Arnold began
12246-668: The armistice and the return of the American Expeditionary Force in 1919, the wartime squadrons were demobilized and inactivated. After the war, National Guard aviation was placed on a permanent basis over the initial opposition of the Army's General Staff. In 1920, the Militia Bureau and the Army Air Service agreed on a plan for re-organizing National Guard aviation units. On 17 January 1921,
12403-473: The base is Edwards, California . Established in the 1930s as Muroc Field , the facility was renamed Muroc Army Airfield and then Muroc Air Force Base before its final renaming in 1950 for World War II USAAF veteran and test pilot Capt. Glen Edwards . Edwards is the home of the Air Force Test Center , Air Force Test Pilot School , and NASA 's Armstrong Flight Research Center . It is
12560-548: The base title was changed to "Muroc Army Air Field, Muroc". In the fall of 1944, Eighth Air Force ran tests to determine how well conventional fighters stood up against jets. Also, in October 1944, a small detachment arrived at the base for experimental work in rocket firing and achieved such success that they remained through most of 1945. Other World War II test flights included the Northrop JB-1 Bat . In 1943,
12717-678: The base was under Air Force control. Godfrey Field opened in 1927 as a commercial airport. Northeast Airlines began commercial operations there in 1931. Just before World War II , the United States Army Air Corps took over the base, renamed it Bangor Army Air Field , and placed it under the 8th Service Group, Air Service Command. Bangor AAF prepared and maintained the Lend-Lease aircraft that would be flown by AAC Ferrying Command to RCAF Stations in Newfoundland for eventual transport to Britain. The Army expanded
12874-428: The basis of subsequent colonial and, post-independence, state and territorial militias which later became the Army National Guard . Being "local" ground forces affiliated with the Army, militias were considered state-centric/territorial-centric in nature, this versus naval forces, which were considered wholly activities of the federal government. This distinction accounts for why there are no National Guard components in
13031-477: The city. Responding to a series of Soviet actions in 1948, the three western allies consolidated their zones and formed the city of West Berlin . For fifteen years the western powers maintained a tenacious hold on West Berlin under periodic harassment of the Soviets. On 13 August 1961, Berliners woke up to find they lived in a divided city. A wall now separated East Berlin from West Berlin. With that provocative act,
13188-500: The civil airport, adding three hard-surfaced 7,000-foot runways, aligned 01/19 (N/S), 08/26 (NE/SW) and a main (NW/SE) runway aligned 14/32; along with many hardstands and taxiways to allow the temporary parking of large numbers of aircraft. In 1942, the station's name was changed to Dow Field to honor James Frederick Dow, an Army Air Corps pilot whose bomber collided with another near Mitchel Field on Long Island, New York , on 17 June 1940. During this time, Milford Auxiliary Airfield
13345-497: The conflict. Four Air Guardsmen—Captains Robert Love (California), Clifford Jolley (Utah), and Robinson Risner (Oklahoma), plus Major James Hagerstrom (Texas) – became aces, with some, such as Risner, later transferring to the Regular Air Force. Largely as a result of the Korean War experience, senior ANG and Air Force leaders became seriously committed to building the Air National Guard as an effective reserve component. With
13502-471: The continental United States against the Soviet air threat. It was proposed to employ ANG pilots full-time from "strategically placed" Air National Guard units to perform "air intercept missions" against unidentified aircraft entering United States airspace. In addition they would "provide simulated fighter attacks against the Strategic Air Command 's nuclear-capable bombers." Using Air National Guardsmen from
13659-506: The continental United States as their main mission, its units under the jurisdiction of the USAAF Air Defense Command . Tactical Air Command also had several ANG units being assigned B-26 Invader medium bombers. 18 September 1947, however, is considered the Air National Guard's official birth, concurrent with the establishment of the United States Air Force as a separate branch of the United States military under
13816-419: The continental United States, Alaska , Newfoundland , Europe, and French Morocco . As a result of the federalization of the Air National Guard, ADC, SAC and TAC established additional wings for command and control of the federalized units. These were as follows: Air National Guardsmen began to be demobilized in July 1952, with their units being inactivated by the active duty air force. Subsequently,
13973-516: The contractor's reports, this preliminary evaluation consisted of a very limited number of flights and was essentially completed within a month. Formal operational suitability and accelerated service tests did not get underway until 1944, well after the AAF had decided that the airplane would not be suitable for combat operations and would, instead, be relegated to a training role. The P-59s were tested at Muroc from October 1942 through February 1944 without
14130-502: The contrary, those leaders expected to build the largest and most modern standing air force possible. However, domestic politics and American history forced them to significantly alter their plans. Determined to include an Air Force National Guard in the postwar U.S. military establishment during World War II, the National Guard Association of the United States flexed its considerable political muscle. It compelled
14287-893: The crisis. When the U.S. entered World War I in April 1917, the War Department decided that it would not mobilize National Guard air units. Instead, individual Guard volunteers provided a major pool for the Army to draw aviators from. They were required to leave the Guard and enter the Signal Corps Reserve if they wished to fly in the war. About 100 National Guard pilots joined the newly formed U.S. Army Air Service . Guardsmen also played prominent roles in air operations in France. On 14 April 1918, Tennessee Guardsman Reed Chambers flew with Eddie Rickenbacker and David Peterson of
14444-479: The current terminals, but not part of Bangor ANG Base, is the Maine Army National Guard 's Army Aviation Support Facility. With the inactivation of Dow AFB in 1968, most of the base was purchased by the city of Bangor and reopened the following year as Bangor International Airport. That portion of Dow AFB not turned over to the city became the basis for the current Air National Guard Base and
14601-624: The decade. The new millennium brought new projects with worldwide impact. The X-35A and X-32A, competing models for the Joint Strike Fighter program, made their first flights in September and October 2000. The X-35A won the competition in 2001 and will eventually be built in various versions for America's flying armed services and for foreign air forces as well. Also new are the RQ-4 Global Hawk , YAL-1 Airborne Laser ,
14758-479: The desert. For the next two years aircraft shuttled back and forth between Muroc Dry Lake and March Field for Crew Bombing Practice. At this time, another colorful character in Edwards' history, Pancho Barnes , built her renowned Rancho Oro Verde Fly-Inn Dude Ranch that would be the scene of many parties and celebrations to come. The dry lake was a hive of hot rodding, with racing on the playa. The runway on which
14915-572: The development of a new subsonic attack aircraft that was designated the F-117A Nighthawk. The capabilities of existing aircraft such as the F-15 and F-16 have been continually refined and expanded, even as totally new aircraft and systems incorporating radical new technologies are developed for future operational use. The dual-role F-15E, for example, was developed in the 1980s and went on to demonstrate truly remarkable combat effectiveness in
15072-458: The dramatic increases in speed offered by the new turbojets. As the decade opened, the first-generation X-1 reached Mach 1.45 (1,776 km/h; 1,104 mph) and a 71,902 feet (13.6178 mi; 21.916 km) altitude, representing the edge of the envelope. The D-558-II Douglas Skyrocket soon surpassed these marks. In 1951, Douglas test pilot Bill Bridgeman flew the Skyrocket to a top speed of Mach 1.88 (2,303 km/h; 1,431 mph) and
15229-518: The duration of the shuttle program. Shuttles landed at Edwards as recently as 9 August 2005 ( STS-114 ), 22 June 2007 ( STS-117 ), 30 November 2008 ( STS-126 ), 24 May 2009 ( STS-125 ), and 11 September 2009 ( STS-128 ) due to rain and ceiling events at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility . STS-126 was the only mission to land on temporary runway 04 at Edwards, as the refurbished main runway was operational from STS-119 through to
15386-425: The early-deploying squadrons maintained a degree of unit integrity and cohesion. But, most lost their character and identity as Guard organizations during World War II . The units were transformed from observation organizations into reconnaissance, liaison, fighter, and bombardment squadrons. They served in every major combat theater during the war. The most significant wartime contribution of National Guard aviators
15543-483: The eight C-54s of the 83rd ATS departed in a permanent change of station. In November 1952, jurisdiction of Dow AFB was officially transferred from ADC to Strategic Air Command (SAC). The ADC units remained at the base in a tenant status for a few years, until the 49th FIS was moved and placed under the 4707th Air Defense Wing at Hanscom AFB , Massachusetts in November 1955. ADC returned to on 1 June 1959, when
15700-550: The end of World War II, and eventually two ANG fighter squadrons were dispatched to South Korea. However, the Pueblo crisis ended without a resort to combat. In July 1970, two EC-121 "Super Constellations" from the Pennsylvania ANG's 193rd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron departed their home station for Korat RTAFB , Thailand. During the next six months, approximately 60 Air National Guardsmen were rotated through
15857-609: The end of the European war in May 1945, many aircraft returned to the United States via Dow. The base was drawn down during the demobilization in late 1945, and placed in a standby status on 7 May 1946 as a satellite base of Westover Field , Massachusetts. Still, Dow remained part of ATC's North Atlantic Transport route for strategic air transportation between the United States and the United Kingdom, and ATC aircraft passed through
16014-479: The entire fleet with a surprise first strike. The wing consisted of the 341st Bombardment Squadron , consisting of 15 B-52Gs, and the KC-135 -equipped 71st Air Refueling Squadron . Half of the aircraft were maintained on fifteen-minute alert, fully fueled, armed, and ready for combat. SAC Strategic Wings were considered a provisional unit by HQ, USAF and could not carry a permanent history or lineage. The 4038th SW
16171-487: The facility and supervise the remaining construction. During the Korean War , the Maine Air National Guard was brought into active service at the base. The 101st Fighter-Interceptor Wing activated two F-80C Shooting Star interceptor squadrons (101st FIS, 132d FIS) which were placed under ADC's Eastern Air Defense Force . In 1952, the ANG squadrons were returned to state control and ADC activated
16328-544: The field occasionally. In November 1946, First Air Force , Air Defense Command , took over the airfield and activated the 14th Fighter Group there, consisting of the P-47N Thunderbolts of the 37th, 48th and 49th Fighter Squadrons. One of the first USAAF groups assigned to Air Defense Command, the unit was responsible for the air defense of the northeastern United States. In July 1947, the group deployed to Muroc AFB , California, to perform acceptance tests on
16485-432: The fighter squadrons in these instances with transport aircraft a viable option for overcoming runway issues or community objections and also was a way to keep experienced senior aviators in the cockpit. During the late 1950s, the Air Force allowed several Air National Guard units to trade in their aging piston-driven fighters for second-line transports. New Jersey's newly organized 150th Air Transport Squadron (Light) became
16642-669: The first and primary source of manpower to augment the active duty forces in any future crisis. Muroc AFB Edwards Air Force Base ( AFB ) ( IATA : EDW , ICAO : KEDW , FAA LID : EDW ) is a United States Air Force installation in California . Most of the base sits in Kern County , but its eastern end is in San Bernardino County and a southern arm is in Los Angeles County . The hub of
16799-480: The first man to exceed Mach 4, as he accelerated to Mach 4.43 (5,427 km/h; 3,372 mph) on 7 March. He claimed Mach 5 just three months later when he pegged a speed of Mach 5.27 (6,456 km/h; 4,012 mph) on 23 June and then, during the X-15's first full-powered flight on 9 November, he exceeded Mach 6, as he flew to a speed of Mach 6.04 (7,399 km/h; 4,598 mph). Major White also became
16956-458: The first man to fly an airplane in space when he climbed to 314,750 feet (59.612 mi; 95.94 km) on 17 July 1962. NASA's Joe Walker flew the airplane to its peak altitude of 354,200 feet (67.08 mi; 108.0 km) on 22 August 1963 and Maj William J. "Pete" Knight reached Mach 6.72 (8,232 km/h; 5,115 mph) in the modified X-15A-2 on 3 October 1967, a speed that remains the highest ever attained in an airplane. In addition to
17113-527: The first man to soar above 100,000 feet (19 mi; 30 km), as he piloted the Bell X-2 to a then-remarkable altitude of 126,200 feet (23.90 mi; 38.5 km). Flying the same airplane just weeks later on 27 September, Captain Mel Apt became the first to exceed Mach 3 (3,700 km/h; 2,300 mph), accelerating to a speed of Mach 3.2 (3,920 km/h; 2,440 mph). His moment of glory
17270-428: The first pure airlift unit in the Air National Guard on 1 February 1956. It received Curtiss C-46D Commandos . Two other aeromedical transport squadrons followed that year, primarily because of the impracticality of converting their locations to modern jet fighter operations. In 1959, the Air Force, in order to save operating funds, planned to phase out 48 C-97 Stratofreighters before their replacements were available to
17427-486: The importance of having fighter escorts, so they had fighter wings placed under their own operational control. Although assigned to SAC, the group was associated with the ADC units at Dow. The wing was deployed to Misawa Air Base , Japan between 13 August and 7 November 1953 to support SAC's rotational deployment of fighter units to northern Japan to perform air defense duties, relieving the 12th Strategic Fighter Wing . Under
17584-502: The individual state Air National Guard bureaus reactivated and reformed the units beginning in January 1953. The USAF-established wings were also allocated to their states. Although Korean War hostilities ended in July 1953, the Cold War with the Soviet Union persisted. The initial mobilization fiasco forced the Air Force to achieve an accommodation with the Air National Guard and to thoroughly revamp its entire reserve system. Because of
17741-492: The jet age of the 1950s, the force structure gradually changed to include a significant number of airlift, tanker, and specialized combat-support units. As the Air National Guard expanded, additional squadrons, including airlift units as well as Air Resupply and Communications units, were established. Additional command and control groups and wings were also established by the National Guard Bureau and allocated to
17898-463: The jurisdiction of the state governor they are fulfilling their militia role. However, when federalized by order of the President of the United States , ANG units become an active part of the U.S. Air Force. They are jointly administered by the states and the National Guard Bureau , a joint bureau of the Army and Air Force that oversees the U.S. National Guard . The modern day National Guard in
18055-494: The latter installation on 30- to 60-day tours in Operation "Commando Buzz," their aircraft serving as flying radar stations and airborne control platforms for U.S. air operations in Southeast Asia (SEA) until January 1971. The 355th Tactical Fighter Squadron (355th TFS) in 1967 was a Regular Air Force squadron assigned to the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing at Myrtle Beach AFB , South Carolina. From January 1968 until June 1969,
18212-403: The mid-1950s, all 70 Air National Guard fighter squadrons participated in that program, although that number was reduced to 25 by 1961 due to budget constraints. Most of the runway alert exercises involved interceptions of SAC bombers; although a few actual scrambles turned out to be interceptions of late or off-course commercial airliners. The runway alert experiment in 1953 marked the beginning of
18369-416: The missions at night and in poor weather. That year, Deblois Bombing Range was opened nearby and the old Milford Air Force Auxiliary Airfield became part of an Air Force survival school a few years later. In July 1949, the 14th Fighter Wing sent sixteen F-84Bs to celebrate New York City's new Idlewild Airport . The group was inactivated on 2 October 1949 due to budget cuts. In the early 1950s, Dow AFB
18526-508: The most famous National Guard pilot during the interwar period: Captain Charles A. Lindbergh . His service illustrated the close ties between military and commercial aviation. Trained to fly by the Army, he joined the 110th Observation Squadron in November 1925. The following year, he became chief pilot for an airmail venture started by fellow 110th pilots Major William Robertson and his brother Frank. After Lindbergh made his historic solo trans-Atlantic flight in May 1927, he recalled his service in
18683-413: The nearby dry lake was so flat (Arnold described it as "level as a billiard table") that it could serve as a giant runway, ideal for flight testing. Over US$ 120 million was spent to develop the base in the 1940s and expand it to 301,000 acres (470 sq mi; 1,220 km ). The base's main 15,000-foot (4,600 m) runway was completed in a single pour of concrete. Download coordinates as: On
18840-613: The need for B-52s had been reduced. In addition, funds were also needed to cover the costs of combat operations in Vietnam and accompanying combat support operations elsewhere in Indochina , which led to the closure of several other domestic air force bases and naval air stations that year. Dow AFB officially closed and the "keys" to the major portions of the base were passed to the City of Bangor on 1 April 1968. The 397th Bombardment Wing
18997-543: The need to fight the war, but he wanted to prosecute it as quietly as possible, not attracting too much attention at home and risk jeopardizing his domestic programs. He also wanted to avoid drawing the Communist Chinese into the war or the attention of the Soviet Union , the latter which might view the mobilization of Reserve and National Guard units as "escalatory" within a larger Cold War context. Moreover, recalling Reservists' complaints of inactivity following
19154-462: The new F-84B Thunderjets . (The 14th Fighter Group became the 14th Fighter Wing in August 1947.) First operational production USAF F-84Bs arrived at Dow AFB on 7 November; the last P-84B was delivered in February 1948. Throughout the winter of 1947–48, the 14th Fighter Wing lost three F-84s at Dow. Investigators found that the aircraft performed better in the cold Maine climate than during testing in
19311-457: The next significant test for the Air National Guard. However, for largely domestic political reasons, President Lyndon B. Johnson chose not to mobilize most of the nation's reserve forces before 1968. His reasons for not mobilizing reserve forces were many. Primarily, he did not believe that the war in Vietnam justified the dramatic act of mobilizing Reserve and National Guard forces. He accepted
19468-565: The opportunity to volunteer for a full year's tour. All 13 ANG pilots volunteered, one of whom was killed in action a month later. By Christmas 1968, 87% of the squadron's support personnel were ANG members. Five of the ANG pilots also volunteered as Misty Forward Air Controllers (FACs) flying the F-100 Super Sabre . In all, ANG pilots were awarded 23 Silver Stars , 47 Distinguished Flying Crosses , and 46 Bronze Stars with Combat V for valor while stationed at Phu Cat. As part of
19625-479: The press to nickname him the "fastest man on earth" and the "bravest man in the Air Force". The results from the first track prompted the Air Force to build a second in 1948. Located just south of Rogers Lake, the 10,000-foot (1.9 mi; 3.0 km) track was capable of supersonic speeds. Its first project was the development of the SM-62 Snark cruise missile . This track was so successful that an extension
19782-477: The problems associated with the Korean War mobilizations, the Air Force and its reserve components pioneered new approaches like the runway alert program to reserve training and management. The Air Division chief at the National Guard Bureau wanted to find an innovative way to provide additional training for fighter pilots after their units were demobilized. At the same time, Air Defense Command could not call upon sufficient active duty Air Force units to defend
19939-433: The process of acquiring land next to Muroc Dry Lake for a new bombing range away from populated areas in August 1932; the last tract was not acquired until 1939. The facility established to support the range, initially called "Mohave Field" for the nearby community of Mohave , was Muroc Field. In October 1935, five men under a Sergeant Folgleman were sent to the area from March Field. They put out circular bombing targets in
20096-468: The prophecy concerning the ever-increasing importance of systems testing and integration. Moreover, another major new element of complexity was soon introduced into the flight test process. At a remote location in 1978 and 1979, an AFFTC test pilot and a pair of flight test engineers were engaged in proof-of-concept testing with Lockheed's "low-observable" technology demonstrator, dubbed "Have Blue." The successful completion of those tests led immediately to
20253-563: The re-thinking of military concepts after the Vietnam War, beginning in the early 1970s with the establishment of the All-Volunteer Armed Forces, both the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve force planning and policymaking were influenced by the "Total Force" Concept and have remained so to this day. The concept sought to strengthen and rebuild public confidence in the reserve forces while saving money by reducing
20410-609: The records set on 1 May 1965 included a sustained speed of 2,070 miles per hour (3,330 km/h) and an altitude of 80,257 feet (15 mi; 24 km). New aircraft types arrived in the 1970s: the F-15 Eagle with its advanced engine and fire-control system; the single-engine F-16 Fighting Falcon with its revolutionary "fly-by-wire" flight control system; and the B-1 Lancer with its multitude of highly sophisticated offensive and defensive systems. These planes more than bore out
20567-544: The region, and the Groups controlled squadrons within the region, sometimes distributed over several states. On 21 August 1946, inactivated USAAF group and squadron designations were transferred from the Department of the Army to the National Guard Bureau . The units were re-designated with unit designations within the 101–299 range and allotments were made to Adjutant General of the states and territories whose mission it
20724-997: The reinforcement of the Far East Air Forces (FEAF), Air National Guard squadrons were deployed to Europe in late 1950, being assigned to newly constructed bases in France as part of United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE). These deployments helped reinforce the NATO commitment of the United States in case the combat in Korea became part of a wider conflict with the Soviet Union . Beginning in February 1951, mobilized units were assigned to Air Defense Command (ADC), Strategic Air Command (SAC) and Tactical Air Command (TAC), replacing or augmenting active duty units. Air National Guardsmen assigned to ADC also were assigned to various aircraft control and warning as well as radar calibration units. Their organizations either strengthened American air defenses or were converted to tactical air control units that directed Air Force fighter aircraft in
20881-575: The retirement of the shuttles. The end of the Cold War was marked by the arrival of the YF-22A and the YF-23A . The two prototype fighters were the first airplanes to blend stealth with agility and high-speed, supersonic cruise capability. The YF-22A was selected to become the Air Force's new advanced tactical fighter after a brief demonstration and validation risk reduction flight test program. Now named
21038-508: The self-supporting concept, the 506th SFW gained the KB-29P Superfortress 506th Air Refueling Squadron on 23 September 1953. The 506th ARS remained with the wing until 1 March 1955. Upon the wing's return to the United States, the 506th was re-equipped with new F-84F Thunderstreaks , in January 1954 becoming the first SAC fighter wing to be equipped with the swept-wing Thunderjet model. The wing remained at Dow for just over
21195-470: The shuttle was serviced before relaunch, were important factors in its selection and it continued to serve as the primary landing area for the space shuttle until 1991. After that time, Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida was favored. This saved the considerable cost of transporting the shuttle from California back to Florida, but Edwards AFB and White Sands Space Harbor continued to serve as backups for
21352-567: The size of the active duty force. In practical terms, the Total Force policy sought to ensure that all policymaking, planning, programming, and budgetary activities within the Defense Department considered active and reserve forces concurrently and determined the most efficient mix of those forces in terms of costs versus contributions to national security. The policy also insured that Reservists and Guardsmen, not draftees, would be
21509-547: The small bullet-shaped airplane to become the first human to exceed the speed of sound. Four months later, on 10 February 1948, Muroc AAF was re-designated Muroc Air Force Base with the establishment of the United States Air Force as a separate military service. Units attached or assigned to the base at the time were the 4144th Army Air Force Base Unit, the 3208th Strategic Bomb Test Squadron along with communications and weather detachments. On 20 August 1948,
21666-408: The states. The ANG however, unlike the active duty USAF, did not inactivate its combat groups during the 1950s as part of the tri-deputate organization. Many of the combat groups remained assigned to the wings from which they were derived. It was not until 1974 that the ANG fully adapted the USAF tri-deputate organization and inactivated its combat groups, assigning its operational squadrons directly to
21823-472: The test programs conducted during the war years, most of the actual flight test work on the P-59 was conducted by the contractor. Although Army Air Forces (AAF) pilots flew the aircraft from time to time, and flight test engineers from Wright Field reviewed the data, the formal preliminary military test and evaluation program did not commence until the Fall of 1943, a year after the first flight. Designed to validate
21980-462: The time Edwards Air Force Base was named, speed and altitude records began to pile up as new aircraft were developed and the base started to build and branch out significantly. A major reason for the growth of Edwards AFB was the nearness of West Coast aircraft manufacturers. However, another major reason was the decision in 1947 to build a missile test facility on the base. The need for a static missile faculty to test high-thrust missile rocket engines
22137-516: The turbojet revolution and the supersonic breakthrough were realized in the 1950s, as the Center tested and developed the first generation of true supersonic fighters—the famed "Century Series" F-100 Super Sabre , F-101 Voodoo , F-102 Delta Dagger , F-104 Starfighter , F-105 Thunderchief and F-106 Delta Dart , and, in the process, defined the basic speed and altitude envelopes for fighter aircraft that still prevail to this day. The Center also played
22294-471: The wings. The Air National Guard aggressively worked to preserve its existing flying units by obtaining the most modern aircraft available. Some existing Air National Guard fighter units equipped with piston-driven fighters, however, could not convert to jets because the runways at the local airports where they were based were too short. In addition, some local leaders simply did not want jet fighters operating in their communities. The ANG considered replacing
22451-592: Was carried to altitude by the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) and released. In all, 13 test flights were conducted with the Enterprise and the SCA to determine their flight characteristics and handling. After Space Shuttle Columbia became the first shuttle launched into orbit on 12 April 1981, it returned to Edwards for landing. The airbase's immense lakebeds and its proximity to Plant 42 , where
22608-497: Was closed as part of a nationwide reduction in stateside air force bases and naval air stations to free up funds for combat operations in Southeast Asia. The base was given to the city of Bangor by the General Services Administration as a civilian airport. Maine Air National Guard units continue to be based at the airport in a lease agreement with the city, in an area they had previously occupied when
22765-512: Was constructed, and on 13 May 1959, the full 20,000-foot (3.8 mi; 6.1 km) track was opened. After the Navy had conducted research on the UGM-27 Polaris ballistic missile , the track was used to develop ejection seats that could be used at supersonic speeds. Though this program was a success, a budgetary review concluded that the track was too expensive to maintain, and the track
22922-456: Was decommissioned on 24 May 1963. Before it was closed, a trial run set a world speed record of Mach 3.3 (4,040 km/h; 2,510 mph) before the test car broke up. After it closed, the rails were pulled up to help straighten Lancaster Boulevard. After President Richard M. Nixon announced the Space Shuttle program on 5 January 1972, Edwards was chosen for Space Shuttle orbiter testing. The prototype Space Shuttle Enterprise
23079-480: Was expanded and rebuilt. A long jet runway was laid down parallel to the wartime NW/SE main runway, and a permanent Air Force Base was built on the north side of the World War II and prewar facility. The older facilities were abandoned and ultimately were torn down. Today, they are a wooded area on the southwest side of the airport. Dow AFB was activated on 1 January 1951. The 4009th Air Base Squadron supported
23236-477: Was first envisioned in 1946 by the Power Plant Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base . It was that decision that such a facility should be government-owned to prevent a single contractor exclusive advantages on Air Force contracts for high-thrust missile rocket power plants, and it would eliminate duplication of like facilities by different manufacturers. The choice of location in 1947 was
23393-507: Was inactivated on 25 April 1968, and its aircraft were reassigned to other SAC units. The city of Bangor purchased most of the base which then reopened in 1969 as Bangor International Airport. The western portion of Dow AFB not turned over to the city and occupied by the Maine Air National Guard since its federal recognition on 4 February 1947, became the basis for the current Bangor Air National Guard Base. Co-located near
23550-408: Was inactivated. The SAC 506th Strategic Fighter Wing was activated at Dow on 20 November 1952 and was assigned to SAC's Eighth Air Force . The wing composed of the 457th, 458th and 462d Strategic Fighter Squadrons and was equipped with F-84G Thunderjets . SAC was founded by men who had flown bomb raids against Germany during World War II. They usually encountered swarms of enemy fighters and knew
23707-508: Was initially used for IV Bomber Command Operational Unit training. The B-25 Mitchell 41st and 30th Bombardment Groups and the A-20 Havoc 47th Bombardment Groups trained at the station in early 1942. The training provided newly graduated pilots eight to 12 weeks of training as a team using the same aircraft they would use in combat. In 1942, the training mission was transferred to IV Fighter Command , with P-38 Lightning OTU training for
23864-586: Was opened nearby at the Bangor Precision Bombing Range . On 28 February 1942, Dow Field was transferred to Air Service Command (ASC) because of its proximity to the Air Transport Command (ATC) North Atlantic air ferry route to the United Kingdom. Its mission became servicing long-range Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and, later, Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bombers and other combat aircraft before they flew via
24021-399: Was redesignated as the 397th Bombardment Wing (397th BW) on 1 February 1963 in a name-only redesignation and was assigned to SAC's Eighth Air Force , 6th Air Division . The 341st BS was also redesignated as the 596th Bombardment Squadron , one of the unit's World War II historical bomb squadrons. The 71st ARS designation was unchanged, and component support units were also redesignated to
24178-467: Was the primary mission of the base for the greater part of the fall of 1945. The Consolidated Vultee XP-81 single-seat, long-range escort fighter and Republic XP-84 Thunderjet fighter arrived at the base in early 1946 for flight testing. It was obvious even at this embryonic stage of base development that the Army Air Force desert station was destined to become a proving ground for aircraft and
24335-597: Was to organize the units being allocated and prepare them for federal recognition by the NGB. The combat element was organized into twelve wings which were then divided into 20 fighter groups totaling 62 squadrons, two light bombardment groups comprising four squadrons, and five composite groups with twelve fighter squadrons and six bombardment squadrons. Command and control organizations were: Individual state squadrons were assigned to either Groups or Wings, depending on circumstances, allocations, and gaining commands of
24492-477: Was to train and lead the large numbers of volunteer airmen who had entered the AAF. That role was epitomized by Lt Col Addison E. Baker , a Guardsman from Akron, Ohio. On 1 August 1943, Baker commanded the VIII Bomber Command 's 93rd Bombardment Group on a daring but ill-fated low-level attack against enemy oil refineries at Ploiești, Romania . Baker was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic leadership. The Air National Guard as it exists today,
24649-405: Was tragically brief, however. Just seconds after attaining top speed, the X-2 tumbled violently out of control and Apt was never able to recover. With the loss of the X-2, the search for many of the answers to the riddles of high-Mach flight had to be postponed until the arrival of the most ambitious of the rocket planes—the North American X-15 . Meanwhile, the turbojet revolution had reached
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