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82-683: Merced Army Air Field auxiliary fields were built to support pilot training at the Merced Army Air Field . In 1940 the US Army wanted to build near Merced, California a 30,000 per year basic pilot training base. The former city of Cuba, Merced County, California near the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway rail line was chosen at 37°22′50″N 120°34′05″W  /  37.38056°N 120.56806°W  / 37.38056; -120.56806 at an elevation of 181 feet (55 m) for

164-463: A 1940 Works Progress Administration project to graded, level and installed drainage for a new airport. The Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA) also provide support for the new project. Merced Army Flying School on 7 April 1942 was authorized to build auxiliary airfields to support the training of pilots at the site. The New Merced Municipal Airport was leased to the Army to support the training program. Thus

246-522: A 3,000 by 3,000 landing mat was built at the site, there were no support buildings built. Due to poor water drainage, Howard Auxiliary Field was closed on 15 April 1944 and both leases canceled by 4 September 1944. The land was returned farmland and no trace of Howard Auxiliary Field remains. Athlone Auxiliary Field No. 4 was southeast of the city of Athlone, California at 37°11′37″N 120°21′41″W  /  37.19361°N 120.36139°W  / 37.19361; -120.36139 . Athlone started as

328-476: A building at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, adjacent to the Executive Mansion , part of a complex of four matching brick Georgian/Federal style buildings for Cabinet departments with War in the northwest, Navy in the southwest and to the other side: State to the northeast and Treasury in the southeast. The War Department building was supplemented in the 1850s by a building across the street to

410-651: A civilian with such responsibilities as finance and purchases and a minor role in directing military affairs, headed the War Department throughout its existence. The War Department existed from August 7, 1789 until September 18, 1947, when it split into the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force. The Department of the Army and Department of the Air Force later joined the Department of

492-628: A control tower, a storehouse, latrines, and sheds. Based at the Ballico Auxiliary Field were troops from the 90th Air Base Squadron. In 1944 Air Field control was taken over by the 3026th Army Air Forces Base Unit for the Basic Pilot School. On 1 July 1945 Ballico Auxiliary Field and the other support fields were turned over to the US Army's Fourth Air Force . After the war the base as closed, on 10 November 1946. The land

574-470: A railroad station in 1870s on the Southern Pacific line. Athlone was ideal for an airfield, it was level agricultural land, outside of Merced, which flooded sometimes. The site was near a railroad station and just west of US Highway 99, and near a power lines. The War Department leased 235 acres on 3 January 1942 from Fred B. Fancher. The Army built a paved 3,000 by 3,000-foot landing mat runway on

656-523: The Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1991 during Round II Base Closure Commission deliberations (BRAC 91). Part of the decision criteria on which bases to close at that time included how well the local community supported its airmen. Unfortunately, a local Home Owner's Association had just defeated a proposed new base housing project for Castle AFB. This news made it to the BRAC and

738-463: The Spanish–American War of 1898. This conflict demonstrated the need for more effective control over the department and its bureaus. Secretary of War Elihu Root (1899–1904) sought to appoint a chief of staff as general manager and a European-type general staff for planning, aiming to achieve this goal in a businesslike manner, but General Nelson A. Miles stymied his efforts. Root enlarged

820-560: The Western Flying Training Command . The Merced Army Air Field runway was long enough and strengthened to handle training for Boeing B-29 Superfortress in 1944. At its peak, 539 planes were based at Merced Army Air Field and its auxiliary fields. In April 1944 the 3026th Army Air Forces Base Unit (Pilot School Basic) was given command of the Merced flight school. Some of the pilots and crews that were trained at

902-404: The self-driving car , which has become Waymo . Google also leased a hangar at the former Air Force base in order to continue testing a new project, Project Loon . Project Loon was a program that creates an aerial Wi-Fi network, using balloons to loft relay equipment to high altitude. The former Base was expecting Google to pay approximately $ 456,000 in rental fees for both of these projects over

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984-575: The "State, War, and Navy Building" (now the Old Executive Office Building , and later renamed to honor General and President Dwight D. Eisenhower ), built in the same location as its predecessors. By the 1930s, the Department of State squeezed the War Department from its office space, and the White House also desired additional office space. In August 1939, Secretary of War Harry H. Woodring and Acting Chief of Staff of

1066-406: The 1940s. For training the Army used the existing: 3,306 foot runway, hangar, gasoline fueling equipment, lighting, and cabin. The airfield also served as an emergency landing field. At an elevation of 2,254 feet the airfield was above the common San Joaquin valley fog layer, making at a good training and emergency landings. Pilots used the airfield for takeoff and landing training. In 1945 the lease

1148-491: The 678th BS being re-designated as the 10th Recon Squadron and its aircraft being converted to the RB-29 configuration. The three B-29 squadrons inactivated at Atwater on 6 May 1946 with the 10th Reconnaissance Squadron relocating to Davis-Monthan Field , Arizona where it turned in its RB-29 aircraft. The 444th was inactivated on 16 November 1947. During the summer of 1945, when most other air fields were winding down, Merced

1230-681: The 90th Air Base Squadron, and the 340th Material Squadron at Moffett Field to the new base in November 1941. The Air Corps Basic Flying School was renamed the Merced Army Flying School on 7 April 1942. To support the training auxiliary fields near the Merced Army Flying School were to be built for the flight training program. Merced Army Flying School was renamed the Merced Army Air Field in May 1943 and became part of

1312-414: The 93d continued to supervise the closure of Castle AFB. The 93d Bomb Wing was inactivated on 30 September 1995 with the closure of Castle AFB. The Castle Air Museum remains at the site. As of 2008, local government plans to convert the dormant facility to civilian commercial use has become an active political issue. It has been identified as the preferred location for the central maintenance facility of

1394-456: The 93rd Bomb Wing continued to supervise the closure of Castle AFB. The 93rd Bomb Wing was inactivated on 30 September 1995 with the closure of Castle AFB, but was subsequently redesignated as the 93d Air Control Wing (93 ACW) and reactivated at Robins AFB , Georgia on 29 January 1996. The end of the Cold War brought many changes to the Air Force, and Castle AFB was selected for closure under

1476-407: The 93rd Bombardment lost its operational KC-135 unit, the 924th Air Refueling Squadron, and its KC-135 aircrew formal training unit, the 329th Combat Crew Training Squadron. It also implemented the objective wing organization and was redesignated as the 93rd Wing (93 WG). On 1 June 1992, pursuant to the inactivation of Strategic Air Command and the establishment of the new Air Combat Command (ACC),

1558-475: The 93rd Wing was transferred from SAC, reassigned to ACC, and renamed the 93rd Bomb Wing (93 BW). Shortly afterwards, nationwide base closures under the BRAC process targeted numerous USAF installations, especially former SAC installations, to include Castle AFB. With BRAC closure of Castle AFB confirmed, the 322d Bomb Squadron was inactivated on 3 May 1994 and the wing was placed on non-operational status. However,

1640-660: The 93rd operated a special B-52 replacement training unit to support SAC's B-52 operation in Southeast Asia. Also, the 328th and 329th Bomb Squadrons deployed to U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield , Thailand where they flew combat missions over Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos during the Vietnam War . The wing won the SAC Bombing and Navigation Competition and the Fairchild Trophy in 1949, 1952, and 1970, and

1722-574: The Airport to the US Army in 1942. The Merced Auxiliary Field was the main training headquarters while the Merced Army Airfield was being built. Temporary tents were put up for cadets and staff lived in the hangars and local hotels. The Merced Army Airfield was completed on 20 September 1941 and operations move to the new airbase. Merced Auxiliary Field was then used for landing and take off training, also as an emergency landing strip. After

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1804-627: The American South, and the last Republican state governments in the region ended. The Army comprised hundreds of small detachments in forts around the West, dealing with Indians, and in coastal artillery units in port cities, dealing with the threat of a naval attack. The United States Army, with 39,000 men in 1890 was the smallest and least powerful army of any major power in the late 19th century. By contrast, France had an army of 542,000. Temporary volunteers and state militia units mostly fought

1886-469: The Army Air Forces gained virtual independence in every way from the rest of the army. After World War II, the Department of War abandoned Marshall's organization for the fragmented prewar pattern while the independent services continually parried efforts to reestablish firm executive control over their operations. The National Security Act of 1947 split the War Department into the Department of

1968-785: The Army George C. Marshall moved their offices into the Munitions Building , a temporary structure built on the National Mall during World War I. In the late 1930s, the government constructed the War Department Building (renamed in 2000 as the Harry S Truman Building ) at 21st and C Streets in Foggy Bottom , but upon completion, the new building did not solve the space problem of the department, and

2050-527: The Army and the Department of the Air Force, and the Secretary of the Army and Secretary of the Air Force served as operating managers for the new Secretary of Defense. In the early years, between 1797 and 1800, the Department of War was headquartered in Philadelphia ; it moved with the other federal agencies to the new national capital at Washington, D.C. , in 1800. In 1820, headquarters moved into

2132-888: The B-36 groups were "Heavy." The wing began aerial refueling operations in October 1950, providing aerial refueling and navigational assistance for the July 1952 movement of the 31st Fighter-Escort Wing from the United States to Japan, the first jet fighter crossing of the Pacific Ocean, during the Korean War . From 1953 to 1955, the wing flew Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighters . All-jet Boeing KC-135 tankers came on line in 1957. The 93d Bombardment Wing (Medium) received its first Boeing B-47s in May 1954, but its involvement with

2214-595: The Board of War and Ordnance in 1776, operated by members of Congress. A second board was created in 1777, the Board of War, to operate separately from Congress. The Congress of the Confederation eventually replaced the system of boards with the Department of War. Only five positions were created within the department upon its creation: the Secretary at War, an assistant, a secretary, and two clerks. Shortly after

2296-616: The Corps of Engineers and CAA took over to complete the airfield. The Army built two 4,000' runways in a X shape and threshold lights. Completed in February 1942 the new airport was called New Merced Municipal Airport and served as an Airport Auxiliary Field. After the war, on 6 December 1948, the airport was returned to the City of Merced. Parts of the airport were used later by US Army helicopters, US Air Force and Navy aircraft to refuel aircraft in

2378-573: The Department of State ultimately used it. Coming into office with World War II raging in Europe and Asia, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson faced with the situation of the War Department spread through the overcrowded Munitions Building and numerous other buildings across Washington, D.C., and suburban Maryland and Virginia . On July 28, 1941, Congress authorized funding for a new Department of War building in Arlington, Virginia , which would house

2460-551: The Department of War. Many agencies still fragmented authority, burdening the chief of staff with too many details, making the whole Department of War poorly geared toward directing the army in a global war. General Marshall described the chief of staff then as a "poor command post." President Roosevelt brought in Henry L. Stimson as Secretary of War; after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor , Stimson supported Marshall in reorganizing

2542-461: The Merced Army Airfield during the war were from the Women's Air Service Pilots (WASPs). The Fourth Air Force took command of the Merced Army Air Field on 1 July 1945. On 17 January 1946 the Merced Army Air Field was renamed Castle Field , after Brigadier General Frederick W. Castle , who on 24 December 1944, continued flying his B-17 Flying Fortress so his crew could bail out, he was killed when

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2624-688: The Navy under the United States Department of Defense in 1949. The Department of War traces its origins to the committees created by the Second Continental Congress in 1775 to oversee the Revolutionary War . Individual committees were formed for each issue, including committees to secure ammunition, to raise funds for gunpowder, and to organize a national militia. These committees were consolidated into

2706-694: The Omaha Trophy as the outstanding SAC wing in 1970. In August 1990, the wing operated an aerial port of embarkation (APOE) for personnel and equipment deploying to Southwest Asia during Desert Shield . In addition to aerial refueling, Castle-based KC-135 tankers ferried personnel and equipment, while B-52s deployed to strategic locations worldwide, including Saudi Arabia. B-52s bombed the Iraqi Republican Guard and targeted Iraqi chemical weapons, nuclear, and industrial plants during Desert Storm , January–February 1991. On 1 September 1991,

2788-538: The United States Department of Defense. On the same day this act was signed, Executive Order 9877 assigned primary military functions and responsibilities with the former War Department split between the Department of the Army and Department of the Air Force. In the aftermath of World War II, the American government (among others around the world) decided to abandon the word 'War' when referring to

2870-697: The United States Military Academy at West Point, New York and established the United States Army War College and the General Staff. He changed the procedures for promotions and organized schools for the special branches of the service. He also devised the principle of rotating officers from staff to line. Concerned about the new territories acquired after the Spanish–American War, Root worked out

2952-589: The War Department building with its records and files was consumed by fire. The United States Military Academy at West Point and the Army Corps of Engineers were established in 1802. The Department of War was reduced in size following the end of the Quasi-War in 1802, but it was subsequently expanded in the years leading up to the War of 1812 . To accommodate this expansion, sub-departments were created within

3034-523: The ability of agricultural producers, manufacturers and other enterprises from throughout the San Joaquin Valley to quickly and efficiently ship and receive products via the BNSF railroad mainline, which runs adjacent to the site. A rail spur from the BNSF lines currently connects to Castle, and Patriot Rail will soon develop additional infrastructure to facilitate enhanced rail freight service from

3116-561: The aircraft exploded. Castle Air Force Base was closed in 1995. The Merced County Fairgrounds was also used for training. The most common planes to land and take off at Merced Army Airfield auxiliary fields were the Vultee BT-13 Valiant and BT-15 Valiant. Cadets trained for 8 hours a day at the Auxiliary Fields. Flight instructors also were the air traffic controllers from their planes. The other planes used at

3198-785: The army under the War Powers Act of 1941 . He divided the Army of the United States (AUS) into three autonomous components to conduct the operations of the War Department: the Army Ground Forces (AGF) trained land troops; the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) developed an independent air arm; and the Services of Supply (later Army Service Forces ) directed administrative and logistical operations. The Operations Division acted as general planning staff for Marshall. By 1942,

3280-621: The civilian leadership of their military. One vestige of the former nomenclature is the names of the service was colleges: the Army War College, the Naval War College , and the Air War College , which still train U.S. military officers in battlefield tactics and the strategy of war fighting. The date "MDCCLXXVIII" and the designation "War Office" are indicative of the origin of the seal. The date (1778) refers to

3362-421: The coming years as testing demand at the site increases. In addition to vehicle technology, Castle has also become a focal point for goods movement. In February 2022, the Board of Supervisors approved an agreement with Patriot Rail to establish a rail district at Castle Commerce Center. That district became operational in May 2022 and is located near the southeastern corner of Castle. The rail district will enhance

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3444-453: The course of one year. In 2021, Merced County completed a $ 2.1 million expansion project of the automotive research and testing complex located at Castle (pictured). Known as TRC—California, the site includes a 2.2-mile oval test track, a one-mile city course and two large vehicle dynamics areas. The 225-acre site is already attracting a significant amount of business interest from major car companies. The County expects expansion to continue in

3526-540: The department and the army fell to Secretary Knox, while direct field command of the small Regular Army fell to President Washington. In 1798, Congress authorized President John Adams to create a second provisional army under the command of former President Washington in anticipation of the Quasi-War , but this army was never utilized. The Department of War was also responsible for overseeing interactions with Native Americans in its early years. On November 8, 1800,

3608-453: The department, with each one led by a general staff officer . These sub-departments were reformed into a modern system of bureaus by Secretary of War John C. Calhoun in 1818. Secretary Calhoun created the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1824, which served as the main agency within the War Department for addressing the issues regarding Native Americans until 1849, when Congress transferred it to

3690-689: The entire department under one roof. When construction of the Pentagon was completed in 1943, the Secretary of War vacated the Munitions Building and the department began moving into the Pentagon. The United States Secretary of War, a member of the United States Cabinet, headed the War Department. The National Security Act of 1947 established the National Military Establishment , later renamed

3772-522: The equipment and aircraft of the inactivated 444th BG. On 1 October 1946, the base was put on "minimal operations on caretaker status," with control of the facility under the Colorado Springs AAF. The 93rd Bomb Group, however remained active. It, along with the 509th Composite Group at Roswell Army Air Field , New Mexico , was all there was of Strategic Air Command at that time. The base remained in this status until 1 May 1947 when it

3854-407: The establishment of a government under President George Washington in 1789, Congress reestablished the War Department as a civilian agency to administer the field army under the president (as commander-in-chief ) and the secretary of war. Retired senior General Henry Knox , then in civilian life, served as the first United States Secretary of War . When the department was created, the president

3936-451: The fields were Boeing-Stearman Model 75 (called Kaydet) and North American T-6 Texan . Merced Auxiliary Field No. 1 or Merced Municipal Airport Auxiliary Field was a sub base to support training at the Merced Army Airfield. Merced Auxiliary Field No. 1 was the 1932 Merced Municipal Airport located at 37°20′01″N 120°30′30″W  /  37.33361°N 120.50833°W  / 37.33361; -120.50833 . The 66-acres Airport

4018-738: The first Strategic Air Command bomb group to deploy in full strength to the Far East. Castle Field was renamed Castle Air Force Base on 13 January 1948, this following the establishment of the USAF as a separate military service in September 1947. On 27 June 1949, the Air Force Reserve 's 447th Bombardment Group was activated at Castle and equipped with the B-29s formerly of the 93d Bomb Wing. The 447th remained active until 16 June 1951 when

4100-543: The general staff on the pattern of his American Expeditionary Force (AEF) field headquarters, which he commanded. The general staff in the early 1920s exercised little effective control over the bureaus, but the chiefs of staff gradually gained substantial authority over them by 1939, when General George C. Marshall assumed the office of Army Chief of Staff . During World War II , General Marshall principally advised President Franklin D. Roosevelt on military strategy and expended little effort in acting as general manager of

4182-615: The general staff to few members before America entered World War I on April 6, 1917. President Woodrow Wilson supported Secretary of War Newton D. Baker , who opposed efforts to control the bureaus and war industry until competition for limited supplies almost paralyzed industry and transportation, especially in the North. Yielding to pressure from Congress and industry, Secretary Baker placed Benedict Crowell in charge of munitions and made Major General George W. Goethals acting quartermaster general and General Peyton C. March chief of staff. Assisted by industrial advisers, they reorganized

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4264-401: The group was activated and the aircraft and personnel sent to Far East Air Forces as replacements for combat losses during the Korean War . With the unit's departure, the 447th was inactivated. The Convair B-36 Peacemaker entered SAC's inventory in 1948. The huge plane dwarfed earlier bombers and the 93rd, along with all other B-29 and B-50 bomb groups, was redesignated as "Medium." Only

4346-459: The land. Merced Army Flying School used Athlone Auxiliary Field for training of pilots. Athlone Auxiliary Field was closed in August 1945 and lease ended on 30 November 1945. The site is now farmland and no trace of the airfield remains. Potter Auxiliary Field No. 5 was in El Nido, Merced County, California at 37°08′17″N 120°31′59″W  /  37.13806°N 120.53306°W  / 37.13806; -120.53306 . Potter Auxiliary Field

4428-425: The late stages of the war, the department took charge of refugees and freedmen (freed slaves) in the American South through the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands . During the Reconstruction era , this bureau played a major role in supporting the new Republican governments in the southern states. When military Reconstruction ended in 1877, the U.S. Army removed the last troops from military occupation of

4510-407: The location. The County is expecting more growth at Castle in the future. In order to make more room at the site and improve Castle’s versatility and safety, Merced County demolished old dormitory buildings in 2022 that were uninhabitable and unusable, paving the way for future development while eliminating blight and hazards to public safety. Tesla, Inc. was spotted testing their Cybertruck at

4592-479: The main base, in Atwater, California . United States Army Air Corps leased the land from the City of Merced on 16 June 1941. Building the airbase school started on 8 July 1941 and opened on 20 September 1941 as a sub-base of Army Air Forces Western Flying Training Command at Moffett Field . First called Air Corps Basic Flying School, Merced . The US Army moved part of the: 98th Bombardment Group, 539th School Squadrons, 540th School Squadrons, 541st School Squadrons,

4674-423: The major decisions. In 1911, Secretary Henry L. Stimson and Major General Leonard Wood , his chief of staff, revived the Root reforms. The general staff assisted them in their efforts to rationalize the organization of the army along modern lines and in supervising the bureaus. The Congress reversed these changes in support of the bureaus and in the National Defense Act of 1916 reduced the size and functions of

4756-413: The new Stratojet was curtailed on 29 June 1955 when the wing received the first production line Boeing B-52B Stratofortress , making it the first SAC bomb wing to receive the new aircraft. The wing became SAC's primary B-52 aircrew training organization, incorporating KC-135 aircrew training for the air refueling mission in mid-1956. For this purpose, it set up the 4017th Combat Crew Training Squadron which

4838-432: The newly founded Department of the Interior . The U.S. Soldiers' Home was created in 1851. During the American Civil War, the War Department responsibilities expanded. It handled the recruiting, training, supply, medical care, transportation and pay of two million soldiers, comprising both the regular army and the much larger temporary volunteer army. A separate command structure took charge of military operations. In

4920-495: The procedures for turning Cuba over to the Cubans, wrote the charter of government for the Philippines, and eliminated tariffs on goods imported to the United States from Puerto Rico. Root's successor as Secretary of War, William Howard Taft , returned to the traditional secretary-bureau chief alliance, subordinating the chief of staff to the adjutant general, a powerful office since its creation in 1775. Indeed, Secretary Taft exercised little power; President Theodore Roosevelt made

5002-429: The proposed California High-Speed Rail system. The University of California, Merced maintains a research site on the former base, which was its first facility before construction of the main campus in Merced . United States Penitentiary, Atwater stands on a portion of the grounds of the former Air Force Base. In 2011, Google leased 60 acres (24 ha) in order to test the development of their new project,

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5084-468: The site in October 2021. Note: Base directed to revert to "minimum operations on caretaker status;' 1 Oct 1946; base under administrative control of Colorado Springs Army Air Base, Colorado, 1 Nov 1946 – 1 Jul 1947. Reactivated from caretaker status, 1 May 1947" [REDACTED]  This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency United States Department of War The Secretary of War ,

5166-442: The supply system of the army and practically wiped out the bureaus as quasi-independent agencies. General March reorganized the general staff along similar lines and gave it direct authority over departmental operations. After the war, the Congress again granted the bureaus their former independence. The Commission on Training Camp Activities addressed moral standards of the troops. In the 1920s, General John J. Pershing realigned

5248-430: The war on 23 August 1945 the Merced Municipal Airport Auxiliary Field No. 1 was returned to the City of Merced. With the completion of the New Merced Regional Airport , the Merced Auxiliary Field was closed. The current site of the Merced Auxiliary Field now farmland and housing. Ballico Auxiliary Field No. 2 was a 621.76-acre sub base of the Merced Army Flying School at the Merced Army Air Field. Ballico Auxiliary Field

5330-410: The war the airfield became the current Mariposa-Yosemite Airport . The War Department leased the 1937 Mariposa County Airport on 60.442 acres of valley land from the County of Mariposa in 1942. To enlarge the base 0.364 acres were leased from John Marre and an additional 1.388 leased from Richard Morrissey. The Army built a radio beacon nearby on Mount Bullion owned by the Bureau of Land Management in

5412-425: The war, including Women's Air Service Pilots (WASPs). Auxiliary air fields used by Merced Army Air Field (as the site was known at the time) during the war were: With the end of the war 444th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) arrived on 15 November 1945 from West Field, Tinian with four squadrons (344th, 676th, 677th, and 678th) of wartime B-29s. The 444th operated from Merced for about six months with

5494-422: The west known as the Annex and became very important during the Civil War with President Abraham Lincoln visiting the War Office's telegraph room for constant updates and reports and walking back and forth to the "Residence". The original 1820 structures for War and Navy on the west side of the now famous White House was replaced in 1888 by construction of a new building of French Empire design with mansard roofs,

5576-544: The years following. One of the original Army runways was extended to 5,904 feet for jet travel and the other runway was closed in 1967. Mariposa Auxiliary Field was an 62.194 acre auxiliary airfield of the Merced Army Air Field used for World War 2 pilot training. Mariposa Auxiliary Field was located four miles northwest of the city of Mariposa , in Mariposa County , California at 37°30′40″N 120°02′21″W  /  37.51111°N 120.03917°W  / 37.51111; -120.03917 at an elevation of 2,254 feet. After

5658-446: Was 18 miles southwest of the city of Merced, California. The US Army leased 640 acres of land in 1943 to build the Potter Auxiliary Field for flight training for cadets from Merced Army Air Field. The Army built a 3,000 by 3,000-foot landing mat, a stagehouse, crash truck shelter and latrines at the site. In late 1944 the surrounding land of 400 acres was sub leased for farmland. The Army ended its lease on all land on 31 May 1947. The land

5740-433: Was a decision point to close the base.(citation needed) On 1 June 1992 the 93d was relieved from assignment to SAC and was reassigned to the newly formed Air Combat Command (ACC). It was then redesignated as the 93d Bomb Wing, its B-52G aircraft given the ACC tail code of "CA" and the marking of blue tail stripes. The 322d Bomb Squadron was inactivated 3 May 1994 and the wing was placed on non-operational status. However,

5822-470: Was a grain farm field in Turlock, California . With the outbreak of World War 2, in October 1942 the US Army built the Ballico Auxiliary Field for landing and off-site training, also as emergency landing field, for the Basic Flying School at Merced Army Air Field. The land was leased from Charles C. Newport, for 5 years. The Army built a 3,000-foot by 2,800-foot paved runways is a rectangle shape. Some support buildings were built: stagehouse, crash truck shelter,

5904-451: Was authorized to appoint two inspectors to oversee the troops. Congress created several additional offices over the course of the 1790s, including the major general , brigadier general , quartermaster general , chaplain , surgeon general , adjutant general , superintendent of military stores, paymaster general , judge advocate , inspector general , physician general, apothecary general, purveyor, and accountant. Forming and organizing

5986-678: Was closed in 1995, pursuant to a Base Realignment and Closure Commission decision after the end of the Cold War and the disestablishment of Strategic Air Command (SAC). It is now known as the Castle Airport Aviation and Development Center . The airfield was opened on 20 September 1941 as the Army Air Force Basic Flying School , one of the fields used by the 30,000 Pilot Training Program. It provided basic air training for beginning pilots and crewmen. Many pilots and crews were trained here during

6068-848: Was ended and land returned to it owners. The airfield has also been called the Mount Bullion Airport , the Mariposa County Airport and it current name Mariposa Yosemite Airport. [REDACTED]  This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency Merced Army Air Field Castle Air Force Base ( Castle AFB , 1941–1995) is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base in California , northeast of Atwater , northwest of Merced , and about 115 miles (185 km) south of Sacramento . The Central Valley base in unincorporated Merced County

6150-468: Was expanded to accommodate the large air tankers then programmed to come into service. After the war ended, Merced was home to several air tanker squadrons and remained a training center for pilots and air crews. Merced Army Air Field became Castle Field on 17 January 1946, named for Brigadier General Frederick Castle . On Christmas Eve 1944, Castle remained at the controls of his burning B-17 Flying Fortress over Europe while his crew bailed out, then

6232-867: Was given to the City of Turlock on 19 November 1946 to open a municipal airport. The city took over operation on 31 July 1947 and named the base the Turlock Municipal Airport . Parts of the vast base were sold off or leased to: Oliver Chance for agricultural, Golden By-Products for drying almond hulls, and the Ballico Resource Conservation District. Howard Auxiliary Field No. 3 was located in Stevinson, California at 37°19′33″N 120°48′07″W  /  37.32583°N 120.80194°W  / 37.32583; -120.80194 . The War Department leased 480-acre of land from two owners in 1941. For training pilots

6314-555: Was killed when the aircraft exploded; he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor . The 93d Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) was activated at Merced on 21 June 1946, starting a nearly 50-year relationship with the airfield. The 93rd was a former Eighth Air Force B-24 Liberator group which was assigned to Merced for Boeing B-29 Superfortress training. The 93rd was one of SAC's first ten bomb groups. There were three initial operational squadrons (328th, 329th, and 330th) which absorbed

6396-551: Was located off California State Route 99 near the Santa Fe Railroad tracks, three miles northwest of the city of Merced, California . The city airport was dedicated on 3 April 1932 and operated by George Voight until 1936 when the city took over operation. Works Project Administration improved the site in the later 1930s. After the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, the US War Department leased

6478-654: Was one of the few wings in SAC to concurrently operate both the B-47 and B-52. In November 1956, the wing made non-stop B-52 flights of some 16,000 nautical miles (29,600 km) around North America and to the North Pole. Although most of the wing's components were used for B-52 and KC-135 aircrew training between 1956 and 1995, one or more of its units sometimes participated in tactical operations, including tactical bombardment and aerial refueling. From April 1968 to April 1974,

6560-557: Was reactivated. On 1 May 1947, Castle Field was reactivated under Strategic Air Command . On 28 July 1947, the 93rd Bombardment Wing, (Very Heavy) was established and took over responsibility from the group. During 1947–1948, it flew Boeing B-29 Superfortresses , but soon received the upgraded version of the B-29, the Boeing B-50 Superfortress . In 1948, the entire wing deployed to Kadena AB , Okinawa , becoming

6642-518: Was returned to farmland and ranching, no trace of the airfield remains. Merced New Municipal Airport Auxiliary Field No. 6 is now the Merced Regional Airport at 37°17′12″N 120°30′58″W  /  37.28667°N 120.51611°W  / 37.28667; -120.51611 at Grogan Road and West Avenue in the city of Merced. The land for the airport was acquired by City of Merced in 1940 from delinquent taxes. The city received

6724-467: Was supposed to handle all B-52 crew training for the next few years. When the mission of B-52 training became too great a task for just one squadron, the Wing's other three squadrons took over the flight training role and the 4017th assumed responsibility for ground instruction in 1956. The 93d was SAC's primary B-52 training organization and retained some of its B-47s until 1956 for crew training purposes. It

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