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86-480: Military bases within the United States are considered federal property and are subject to federal law . Civilians (such as family members of military officers ) living on military bases are generally subject to the civil and criminal laws of the states where the bases are located. Military bases can range from small outposts to military cities containing up to 100,000 people. A military base may belong to

172-404: A Logistics Base (Log base) and a Fire Base (FB). A military base may also contain large concentrations of military supplies in order to support military logistics . Most military bases are restricted to the public and usually only authorized personnel may enter them (be it military personnel or their relatives and authorized civilian personnel). In addition to the main military facilities on

258-596: A hospital or clinic (dental or health clinics, as well as veterinarian clinics), lodging , movie theaters, and, in some countries, retail stores (usually a supermarket such as Commissary and a Department Store , such as AAFES ). On American military installations, Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation (FMWR) provides facilities such as fitness centers, libraries, golf courses, travel centers, community service centers, campgrounds, child development centers, youth centers, automotive workshops, hobby/arts and crafts centers, bowling centers, and community centers. Bases used by

344-531: A 33-year chapter in the history of Selfridge came to an end. The 94th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron prepared to move to Wurtsmith Air Force Base near Oscoda, Michigan, and elements of the 1st Combat Support Group were re-designated the 4708th Air Base Group on 1 January 1970. The Michigan Air National Guard's 127th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing moved its entire operation from Detroit Metropolitan Airport near Romulus to Selfridge in December, 1970. The 127th became

430-504: A black driver. Following the incident, accusations of several other improper occurrences at the base including misappropriation of government property, procurement of unlawful transfers and exchange of goods for transfers. Colman was found guilty of careless use of firearms after a court martial and demoted to captain. However, he was acquitted of 23 other charges that included authorizing illegal transfers, accepting bribes and theft of government property. The 477th Bombardment Group (Medium)

516-476: A category of public lands under federal management that were obtained by the federal government through purchase, condemnation , gift, or exchange. In the United States, federal lands are often used for environmental conservation . The administration of Joe Biden turned into protected areas 12.5 million acres in 2023 alone. Selfridge ANGB Selfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB ( IATA : MTC , ICAO : KMTC , FAA LID : MTC )

602-413: A certain installation, military bases usually (but not always) have various different facilities for military personnel. These facilities vary from country to country. Military bases can provide housing for military personnel, a post office and dining facilities ( restaurants ). They may also provide support facilities such as fast food restaurants, gas stations, chapels, schools , banks , thrift stores ,

688-420: A different nation or state than the territory surrounding it. The name used generally refers to the type of military activity that takes place at the base, as well as the traditional nomenclature used by a branch of service. A military base may go by any of a number of names, such as the following: Depending on the context, the term "military base" may refer to any establishment (usually permanent) that houses

774-436: A few ANG-operated bases, such as Selfridge ANGB , Michigan. Support facilities on Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve installations tend to not be as extensive as active bases (i.e., they usually do not have on-base lodging (though Kingsley Field ANGB , Oregon, is an exception), clinics (except for drill days), or retail stores (although some have small convenience stores)). In Russian usage "military base" or "naval base"

860-418: A nation's armed forces , or even organized paramilitary forces such as the police , constabulary , militia , or national guards . Alternatively, the term may refer solely to an establishment which is used only by an army (or possibly other land fighting related forces, such as marines ) to the exclusion of a base used by either an air force or a navy . This is consistent with the different meanings of

946-426: A state's area. Supporters of the movement wanted more state and local control over the lands, if not outright transfer of them to state and local authorities and/or privatization. From 1990 to 2018, the overall acreage held by the federal government decreased by 4.9% (i.e., from 646.9 million acres (2.618 million km ) to 615.3 million acres (2.490 million km )). Over that time period,

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1032-697: Is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan , near Mount Clemens . Selfridge Field was one of thirty-two Air Service training camps established after the United States entry into World War I in April 1917. The host organization is the 127th Wing (127 WG) of the Michigan Air National Guard , but a variety of Air Force Reserve , Navy Reserve , Marine Corps Reserve , Army Reserve , Army National Guard , and active duty Coast Guard units use

1118-775: Is controlled by other federal agencies, including the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation , the United States Postal Service , the National Aeronautics and Space Administration , and the U.S. Department of Energy . Federal land is concentrated in the Western United States . Nationwide, the federal government owns 27.4% of all land area. There are significant variations regionally;

1204-661: Is managed by the United States Department of Defense (DOD). The majority of federal lands are located in Alaska and the Western states. The United States Supreme Court has upheld the broad powers of the federal government to deal with federal lands, for example having unanimously held in Kleppe v. New Mexico that "the complete power that Congress has over federal lands under this clause necessarily includes

1290-507: Is not limited to denoting a specific fence described facility and usually encompasses a broad territory within which a number of discrete facilities may be located. As examples, 1) the Russian Sevastopol Naval Base comprises individual facilities located within the city of Sevastopol proper (waterfront moorings, weapons stores, a headquarters compound, and a naval infantry base) as well as an airfield at Kacha north of

1376-603: The 8th and 9th Aero Squadrons , and Captain Byron Q. Jones was the first commander at Selfridge. Actual pilot training began on 16 July 1917, three months after war was declared. Some of these students, a few of them from Mount Clemens area, were given a few flights and then, within two weeks, whisked overseas for advanced training and to meet the enemy. During the summer of 1917, 72 men won aviator ratings and, combined, logged over 3,700 flying hours. From that time on, hundreds of young men passed through Selfridge Air Pilot School for

1462-546: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), National Park Service (NPS), or United States Forest Service (USFS). BLM, FWS, and NPS are part of the United States Department of the Interior , while the Forest Service is part of the United States Department of Agriculture . An additional 11.4 million acres (46 thousand km ) of land (about 2% of all federal land)

1548-609: The CH-47 Chinook . The on-base Selfridge Military Air Museum is operated by the Michigan Air Guard Historical Association, exhibits photos and artifacts of military aerospace history, and has an outdoor Air Park of over 30 aircraft. Selfridge Air National Guard Base is named after 1st Lieutenant Thomas E. Selfridge . He was detailed for aeronautical duty in April 1908 after being an assistant to Professor Alexander Graham Bell , who

1634-562: The Homestead Act of 1862 and the Desert Lands Entry Act of 1877. Several different types of patents existed. These include cash entry, credit, homestead, Indian, military warrants, mineral certificates, private land claims, railroads, state selections, swamps, town sites, and town lots. A system of local land offices spread throughout the territories, patenting land that was surveyed via the corresponding Office of

1720-594: The Michigan Air National Guard is a combined Air Combat Command (ACC) and Air Mobility Command (AMC) gained organization that was established at Selfridge ANG Base on 1 April 1996, by consolidating the former 127th Fighter Wing and the 191st Airlift Group . The flying units which previously flew the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the C-130 Hercules , converted their flying missions per 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) action. Today,

1806-737: The Property Clause of the United States Constitution ( Article 4 , section 3, clause 2), Congress has the power to retain, buy, sell, and regulate federal lands, such as by limiting cattle grazing on them. These powers have been recognized in a long series of United States Supreme Court decisions. In Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 the United States Constitution empowers the federal government with exclusive legislative authority like that exercised for Washington D.C. over "Places purchased by

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1892-643: The Selfridge Field was renamed Selfridge Air Force Base . The base grew steadily and soundly, acquiring impressive buildings and long concrete strips. In 1950, Headquarters for the Tenth Air Force , which was in charge of all Air Reserve records for a 13-state area in the Midwest, moved to Selfridge. It recalled and trained Air Reservists, and as an administrative group, the Tenth was the largest of

1978-566: The United States Air Force Reserve tend to be active USAF bases. However, there are a few Air Reserve Bases , such as Dobbins ARB , Georgia, and Grissom ARB , Indiana, both of which are former active-duty USAF bases. Facilities of the Air National Guard are often located on civil airports in a secure cantonment area not accessible to the general public, though some units are based on USAF bases, and

2064-599: The VIII Interceptor Command on 19 January 1942 (transferred to Charleston AAF on 13 February, arrived RAF High Wycombe on 12 May). On 29 March 1943, the 332d Fighter Group of the Tuskegee Airmen completed its move to Selfridge. The commander of the Tuskegee's European and Mediterranean operations was Colonel Benjamin O. Davis Jr. , the first black officer to graduate from West Point in

2150-493: The (Specialist Teams Royal Engineers (STRE)) were formed to plan and execute Works projects worldwide. Some British and Commonwealth naval bases are traditionally named, commissioned, and administered as though they were naval ships. For this reason they are sometimes called stone frigates . Federal lands Federal lands are lands in the United States owned and managed by the federal government . Pursuant to

2236-483: The 11 contiguous states of the West (a 3% decrease in federal land, or 10.7 million acres (0.043 million km )). The four primary federal land holders are: The fifth largest federal landowner is the United States Department of Defense , which owns, leases, or possessed 26.1 million acres (0.106 million km ) worldwide, of which 8.8 million acres (0.036 million km ) are located in

2322-554: The 176th Selfridge Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), the auxiliary civilian arm of the US Air Force, as well as the headquarters of CAP's Michigan Wing . Selfridge is home to Headquarters and Service Company, 1st Battalion, 24th Marines and Marine Wing Support Group 47 (MWSG-47). The base is also home to Detachment 1, Company B, 3-238th General Support Aviation Battalion , which currently flies

2408-659: The 1840s through the 1860s barracks were constructed under supervision of the Royal Engineers in: The Cardwell Reforms (1872) ushered in another period of intensive Barrack building at Aldershot , Portsmouth , Plymouth , London , Woking , Woolwich , Dublin , Belfast , Malta , Gibraltar and the Cape of Good Hope . In 1959 the Corps' Work Services was transferred to the civilian War Department Works Organization (later renamed Property Services Agency (PSA)) and by 1965

2494-416: The 1st Pursuit Group to be moved to Kelly Field , Texas, shortly after its return. On 28 August 1919, following an order from Washington, all but 40 men left for Texas airfields. Finally reduced to a staff of only 14 civilians, Selfridge Field for all practical purposes ceased to exist for government officials. Until 1921, the government leased Selfridge Field from Henry B. Joy. That year, Joy offered to sell

2580-426: The 20th century, and later the first black Air Force general . Scandal hit Selfridge on 5 May 1943, when Colonel William Truman Colman, commandant of the base, was charged with shooting Private William MacRae, a black chauffeur who was assigned to drive him. Early reports stated that the incident occurred because Colman's regular driver was off-duty and a dispatcher was unaware of his standing order that he not have

2666-730: The 927 ARW has become an Air Force Reserve "Associate" wing to MacDill's 6th Air Mobility Wing , with both organizations flying the KC-135R PACER CRAG variant of the Stratotanker. NAF Detroit was established as a tenant activity at Selfridge ANGB in 1969 following the disestablishment of Naval Air Station Grosse Ile , Michigan. NAF Detroit remained operational until 1994, when it was closed and realigned due to BRAC action. An Echelon IV command of Naval Air Force Reserve, NAF Detroit hosted numerous Naval Reserve augmentation units supporting fleet commands and shore activities in

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2752-960: The ACC-gained 107th Fighter Squadron flies the A-10C Thunderbolt II , also known as the A-10 "Warthog." The AMC-gained 127th Airlift Group was renamed the 127th Air Refueling Group and its 171st Air Refueling Squadron now flies the KC-135T Stratotanker . The 127th Wing was also home to the Air National Guard's now defunct 107th Weather Flight, which is operationally gained by the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). These specially trained Airmen collect weather data, develop forecasting products and direct forecasts to

2838-714: The Air National Guard's 127th Wing at Selfridge ANGB in 1991 and the Department of Defense became an official supporter of the STARBASE program in 1993. The United States Border Patrol Detroit Sector headquarters is located at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. Detroit Sector area of responsibility includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. In March 2011, the United States Customs and Border Protection "formally opened its new Operational Integration Center on Selfridge". The first Air Show at Selfridge

2924-774: The Atlantic and Pacific Fleets, as well as three operational Reserve Force Aviation Squadrons (RESFORONs): Fleet Composite Squadron Twelve (VC-12) flying the A-4F Skyhawk II , Patrol Squadron 93 (VP-93) flying the P-3B Orion , and Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 62 (VR-62) flying the C-9B Skytrain II . NAF Detroit also hosted Marine Wing Support Group 47 (MWSG-47) of the Marine Air Reserve 's 4th Marine Aircraft Wing . On 15 July 2012, MWSG-47

3010-683: The Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the same shall be, for the erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, Dock-yards, and other needful Buildings." The federal government manages about 640 million acres (2.6 million km ) of land in the United States, which is about 28% of the total land area of 2.27 billion acres (9.2 million km ). The majority of federal lands (610.1 million acres (2.469 million km ) or 95 percent area in 2015) are administered by

3096-787: The Selfridge facility, plans were announced for the activation of the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station, Detroit, at Selfridge. A new Wing Commander, Col. Kenneth E. Rosebush, also arrived in August from Headquarters, Pacific Command. In July, 1966, the Coast Guard moved to Selfridge Air Force Base as a tenant. From 1950 to 1974, the Selfridge AFB radar station , including a Missile Master Army Air Defense Command Post after 1960, provided ground-controlled interception coverage for interceptor aircraft and surface-to-air missiles . Selfridge

3182-483: The Selfridge's 13th Fighter-Intercepter Squadron of the 4708th Air Defense Wing won the Eastern Air Defense Force rocket gunnery championship; and on 10 May 1956, a Selfridge F-86D accidentally fired 22 Mighty Mouse rockets while on the ground. In November 1957, Air Defense Command (ADC) assumed control of Selfridge AFB. The inactivation of Tenth Air Force began in the fall of 1959, and it

3268-692: The Surveyor General of a particular territory. This pattern gradually spread across the entire United States. Homestead entries peaked in 1910, when they amounted to 18.3 million acres (0.074 million km ), and sharply declined after 1935 and were eliminated in 1986. The laws that spurred mass federal land transfers, with the exception of the General Mining Law of 1872 and the Desert Land Act of 1877, have since been repealed or superseded. Between 1781 and 2018,

3354-541: The United States (this figure excluded United States Army Corps of Engineers land). DoD thus administers approximately 1% of federal land. DOD land is mostly military bases and reservations. The largest single DOD-owned, all-land tract is the 2.3-million-acre White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico . Together, the BLM, FWS, NPS, Forest Service, and DOD manage about 96% of federal land. The remaining 4% of federal land

3440-696: The United States from Spain , France , Native American Nations and other countries, the United States Congress directed that they be explored, surveyed, and made available for settlement. During the Revolutionary War, military bounty land was promised to soldiers who fought for the colonies. After the war, the Treaty of Paris of 1783 , signed by the United States, the Kingdom of Great Britain , France , and Spain , ceded territory to

3526-478: The United States. In the 1780s, other states relinquished their own claims to land in modern-day Ohio . By this time, the United States needed revenue to function. Land was sold so that the government would have money to survive. In order to sell the land, surveys needed to be conducted. The Land Ordinance of 1785 instructed a geographer to oversee this work as undertaken by a group of surveyors. The first years of surveying were completed by trial and error; once

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3612-581: The city; 2) the Leningrad Naval Base comprises all naval facilities in the greater St. Petersburg area including training schools, commissioning institutes, the naval academy, and the Kronshtadt base on Kotlin island. An overseas military base is a military base that is geographically located outside of the territory of the country whose armed forces are the principal occupants of the base. Such bases may be established by treaties between

3698-596: The closure of NAF Detroit and its realignment as Naval Air Reserve Center Detroit (NAVAIRESCEN Detroit) with no operational flying units or activities. VR-62 was transferred in April 1994 to the former NAS South Weymouth , Massachusetts, until that base's closure in September 1996 due to BRAC 1995 action. Concurrent with that move, the squadron also transitioned from the C-9B to the C-130T Hercules . Transferring to

3784-554: The duration of the war were being discharged, and no new students were being trained. Beginning 27 June 1919, Selfridge became the home of the 1st Pursuit Group , currently the oldest combat group in the Air Force. The group was organized in France during World War I and like many others, was demobilized after the war then re-created in 1919. It remained based at Selfridge for approximately 20 years. Many notable names are included in

3870-407: The end of World War I, the young base had 1,028 enlisted men and 200 officers. It had trained 72 pilots and 700 mechanics, and 1,002 men had attended gunnery school. The 1918 Armistice with Germany ended World War I. The end of the war, however, produced some major changes. From a training field producing mechanics and gunners, Selfridge became a pursuit (fighter) field, but men who had enlisted for

3956-520: The facility as well. In 1971, Selfridge ANGB became the largest and most complex joint Reserves Forces base in the United States, a position it held until surpassed by NAS JRB Fort Worth (former Carswell AFB ) in the late 1990s. U.S. Army Garrison-Selfridge serves the Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) supporting tank construction in the Detroit area. The airport is home to

4042-565: The federal acreage held by the Bureau of Land Management and Department of Defense decreased by 10.2% and 56.8%, respectively, and the federal acreage held by the Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service increased by 0.8%, 2.7%, and 5.0%, respectively. Over the 1990–2018 time period, the largest decline in federal acreage was in Alaska (a decrease of 9.4%, or 23.0 million acres (0.093 million km )) and in

4128-404: The federal government divested itself of estimated 1.29 billion acres (5.2 million km ) of public domain land. The vast majority (97%) of transfers of federal land to private ownership occurred before 1940. Beginning in the early 20th century, U.S. government policy shifted from disposing of public land to retaining and managing it. Congress took additional steps toward recognizing

4214-466: The federal government for individual Natives. Although the United States holds legal title to these lands, the tribe or individual holds beneficial title (the right to use and benefit from the property). As a result, Indian Country is "quasi-private, not public, land." Nevertheless, "because the United States is a legal title holder, the federal government is a necessary part in all leases and dispositions of resources including trust land. For example,

4300-429: The federal government owns 61.3% of the land area in Alaska, 46.4% of the land area in the 11 contiguous Western states; and 4.2% of the land area of other states. The state with the highest percentage of land held by the federal government is Nevada (80.1%); the states with the lowest percentage of land held by the federal government are Connecticut and Iowa (0.3%). In the United States, acquired lands refer to

4386-565: The former NAS Brunswick , Maine, subsequent BRAC action in 2008 direct NAS Brunswick's closure in May 2011, resulting in VR-62 being transferred again in 2010 to its current home station of NAS Jacksonville , Florida. NAF Detroit became NAVAIRESCEN Detroit on 1 October 1994 and remained as a tenant command at Selfridge ANGB. It was renamed Navy Operational Support Center Detroit (NOSC Detroit) in 2006 and downgraded to an Echelon V command. CGAS Detroit

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4472-514: The four weeks of training which qualified them for a commission. Then they were on their way as instructors to the front or to the other flying schools. being established throughout the country. Training units assigned to Selfridge Field were: Flying was considered impractical in Michigan during the winter months, so student pilots were sent to Gerstner Field at Lake Charles , Louisiana as well as to Chapman Field at Miami, Florida. Selfridge

4558-414: The governing power in the host country and another country which needs to establish the military base in the host country for various reasons, usually strategic and logistic. Furthermore, overseas military bases often serve as the source of the military brat subculture due to the children of the bases' occupant military being born or raised in the host country but raised with a remote parental knowledge of

4644-420: The group's roster including George H. Brett , James "Jimmy" Doolittle , Carl A. Spaatz , Curtis LeMay , Frank O. Hunter , Emmett "Rosie" O'Donnell , Earle E. Partridge , Paul Wurtsmith and over 100 men who rose to the rank of Air Force general ("Home of Generals"). (Lieutenant LeMay was fined $ 50 for flying a biplane through Selfridge Hangar #6.) The uncertain future of Selfridge Field, however, caused

4730-429: The largest flying unit on the base, and Air National Guard jets dominated the Selfridge skies. On 1 July 1971, Selfridge Air Force Base was transferred to the Michigan Air National Guard , becoming the first major active Air Force base to come under control of the Air National Guard . At Selfridge Air National Guard Base, the 127th Wing (127 WG) is the host wing to more than 30 tenant units representing every branch of

4816-475: The local area. The base was quick to render aid to its distressed neighbors, providing emergency medical care, sending vehicles to help clear away the debris and furnishing emergency shelters for those made homeless by the storm. In 1965, the Strategic Air Command announced that the 4045th Air Refueling Wing was to be discontinued beginning in 1966. In the continually changing pattern of uses of

4902-497: The military – active duty (to include the Coast Guard), Reserve and National Guard. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations Northern Region and Great Lakes Air and Marine Branch are also based at Selfridge as well as CBP's U.S. Border Patrol Detroit Sector. Collectively, these organizations compose what is known "Team Selfridge," one community with synergistic goals and missions. The 127th Wing (127 WG) of

4988-445: The necessary road and rail access to the site. Within a month, the newspaper was reporting that 1,000 men were at work at the field constructing hangars, barracks, supply depots, machine shops and a school building. On 9 July, the first training aircraft, a Curtiss JN-4D , arrived at the new airfield, and the base was gearing up to train men in flying, bombing, radio, and photography for the war effort. The first pilots were members of

5074-577: The next 20 years. In 1922, Selfridge was declared a permanent installation under command of Maj. Carl "Tooey" Spaatz, who later became Chief of Staff for the Air Force. Air races at Selfridge from 1922 through the 1930s included the first John Mitchell Trophy Race (named for John L. Mitchell and last held in 1936 at Selfridge ), the Pulitzer Trophy Race , and the Curtiss Trophy Race and Boeing Trophy. Charles A. Lindbergh

5160-736: The occupant military's home country. In the 18th and 19th centuries the Royal Engineers were largely responsible for erecting military bases in the British Isles and the British Empire. In 1792 the Chief Engineer was instructed to prepare the Barrack Construction estimates for Parliament and at the same time the Department of the Barrackmaster-General was established. During the period from

5246-532: The opening of a new gunnery school at the airport. Instructors were borrowed from the French, British, and Canadian flying corps. By July 1918, Selfridge had reached its peak performance in gunnery training. Over 250 students were enrolled at one time, and on one occasion 52 planes were in the air over the field simultaneously. Classes were so filled that 150 Lewis air guns, 60 Lewis ground guns, 80 Marlin air guns, 90 camera guns and 10 aerial cameras were in use daily. By

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5332-421: The power to regulate and protect wildlife living there, state law notwithstanding." Lands held by the United States in trust for Native American tribes are generally not considered public lands. There are some 55 million acres (0.22 million km ) of land held in trust by the federal government for Indian tribes and almost 11 million acres (45 thousand km ) of land held in trust by

5418-442: The property for $ 190,000, a price government appraisers felt was too high. But when the National Aeronautics Advisory Committee pointed out the field's proximity to the mechanical and industrial centers of Detroit, the price was paid. The field sprang back to life on 1 July 1922, when the 1st Pursuit Group, which had gone from Kelly Field to Ellington Field outside Houston, Texas, in 1921, returned to make Selfridge its home for almost

5504-530: The public rangelands by establishment of advisory boards that set grazing fees. The Oregon and California Revested Lands Sustained Yield Management Act of 1937, commonly referred as the O&C Act, required sustained yield management of the timberlands in western Oregon. The Sagebrush Rebellion movement in the Western United States in the 1970s and the 1980s sought major changes to federal land control, use, and disposal policy in 13 western states in which federal land holdings include between 20% and 85% of

5590-430: The secretary of the interior must approve any contract for payment or grant by an Indian tribe for services for the tribe 'relative to their lands' (25 U.S.C. § 81)." The Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 provided for the survey and settlement of the lands that the original Thirteen Colonies ceded to the federal government after the American Revolution . As additional lands were acquired by

5676-482: The site pointed out the advantages of the field's proximity to the auto capital of the nation and the availability of the lake for practice bombing. In May 1917, it was announced that Joy Aviation Field would be included as a training Camp as part of the expansion of the Air Service, becoming one of only nine military airfields in the country at the time. The United States Army leased the 640 acres (260 ha) of land, and construction commenced immediately to provide

5762-674: The tenant units at Selfridge. From 1947 to 1970, the base hosted three successive Cold War aircraft units: the 56th Fighter Wing (28 July 1947 – 1952), which conducted the first west-to-east jet fighter transatlantic crossing (US to Scotland via Greenland, 1948); the 4708th Defense (later Air Defense) Wing from 1952 to 1956; the 439th Fighter-Bomber Wing (1952–7); and the 1st Fighter Wing (Air Defense) from 1956 to 1970. The units' Selfridge aircraft were F-51 Mustangs (439th, 1953–4), Lockheed P-80 Shooting Stars (439th 1953–6, 56th), F-84 Thunderstreaks (439th), North American F-86D Sabres (1st), and F-102 Delta Daggers (1st). In April 1954,

5848-468: The territory of Ohio had been surveyed, a modern public land survey system had been developed. In 1812, Congress established the United States General Land Office as part of the Department of the Treasury to oversee the disposition of these federal lands. By the early 1800s, promised bounty land claims were finally fulfilled. In the 19th century, other bounty land and homestead laws were enacted to dispose of federal land. These included, among others,

5934-560: The test a success and proclaimed that similarly planes could be used to in Arctic regions. During the 1930s and 1940s, squadrons "from Selfridge [frequently] performed maneuvers over Detroit, [causing delight to] local citizens." In 1935, Selfridge became part of the top-level General Headquarters (GHO), Air Force, along with five other strategically located installations: Mitchel Field in New York, Langley Field in Virginia, Barksdale Field in Louisiana, March Field in California and Hamilton Field in California. A large expansion program

6020-437: The urging of Packard president Henry B. Joy , who took a great interest in aviation and led the company to begin developing aircraft engines for use in aircraft engaged in World War I combat in Europe. In the spring of 1917, lobbying began in Washington to locate a military airfield at the site of the Joy Aviation Field on Lake St. Clair . The United States had just officially entered World War I on April 7. Proponents of

6106-399: The value of the assets on public lands and directed the Executive Branch to manage activities on the remaining public lands. The Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 allowed leasing, exploration, and production of selected commodities, such as coal , oil , gas , and sodium to take place on public lands. The Taylor Grazing Act of 1934 established the United States Grazing Service to manage

6192-678: The warfighters on the ground, sometimes going ahead of a main operation to prepare soldiers with weather data for the success of the mission. Pursuant to Base Realignment and Closure, 2005 , the Air Force Reserve Command 's 927th Air Refueling Wing (927 ARW) that was previously based at Selfridge was directed to transfer its 4x KC-135T Stratotanker aircraft to the Michigan Air National Guard and relocate to MacDill AFB , Florida in August 2007 as verified by Selfridge's Public Affairs Office. At MacDill,

6278-747: The word ' military '. Some examples of permanent military bases used by the navies and air forces of the world are the HMNB Portsmouth in Portsmouth, UK, the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island , Washington State, US, or Ramstein Air Base , Germany (the last two are each designated as a Main Operating Base ). Other examples of non- or semi-permanent military bases include a Forward Operating Base (FOB),

6364-573: Was assigned to Selfridge in 1927, returned in July 1927 (his transatlantic aircraft, Spirit of St. Louis , was escorted by 22 1st Pursuit Group planes)m and returned again 10 November 1927 to become a member of the 1st Pursuit Group and complete his reserve training. In 1925, planes equipped with ice skids left Selfridge for Camp Skeel in Oscoda, Michigan to determine the usefulness of airplanes in harsh winter. Squadron commander Thomas Lamphier declared

6450-518: Was at 42°35′55″N 82°49′9″W  /  42.59861°N 82.81917°W  / 42.59861; -82.81917 . The 3d Battalion, 517th Artillery manned the Nike facilities. On 29 October 1969, the Secretary of Defense announced Project 703, a program calling for a reduction of military forces as a result of budgetary cuts. As a result, the 1st Fighter Wing was inactivated on 31 December, and

6536-404: Was completed by July 1960. At that time, the 5th Air Force Reserve Region was established at Selfridge. Also added as a tenant in July was the 4045th Air Refueling Wing , Strategic Air Command (SAC). On 8 May 1964, disaster struck the area north of the base. A tornado cut a wide swath along the shores of Lake St. Clair, causing some damage to the base and bringing injury, death and destruction to

6622-556: Was conducting aeronautical experiments in Nova Scotia. Selfridge was killed on 17 September 1908 while flying as a passenger with Orville Wright at Fort Myer , Virginia. He was the first person to be killed in a crash of a powered aircraft. The origins of Selfridge Air National Guard Base date to 1916, when a large tract of land on Lake St. Clair , Michigan was acquired by the Packard Motor Car Company at

6708-617: Was deactivated from service. VC-12 was transferred to NAS Oceana , Virginia, in 1975 and was redesignated as Fighter Composite Squadron 12 (VFC-12) in 1988, where it currently flies the F/A-18 Hornet as a Reserve adversary squadron. VP-93 was disestablished on 30 September 1994 due to (1) retirement of the P-3B from the U.S. Navy inventory and a transition to an all P-3C force, (2) a reduction in active and Reserve VP squadrons as part of post-Cold War drawdown, and (3) BRAC action directing

6794-885: Was established in 1966 as a tenant command at Selfridge ANGB, operating the HH-52A Sea Guard helicopter in the Great Lakes region. Air Station Detroit transitioned to the HH-65A Dolphin in 1988 and continues to operate the MH-65D version of this aircraft in search and rescue, maritime safety, and other homeland security/homeland defense missions. Other activities located at Selfridge include STARBASE , an Air National Guard initiative that engages in activity-based science and math lessons. The program uses an aviation theme to allow local children to excel, regardless of their economic situation. STARBASE traces its roots to

6880-482: Was launched in 1939 to train four new pursuit groups at Selfridge for eventual assignment to other GHQ fields. Many of the temporary frame buildings still in use today were built at that time, when a $ 13.5 million construction program was started at Selfridge. The outbreak of war in Europe in 1939 again brought many changes to Selfridge Field. The 17th Pursuit Squadron , a member of the 1st Pursuit Group since June 1918,

6966-425: Was not considered official because the race judges were not yet in place. Four days later, on 18 October, Army Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell flew the same aircraft at 224.05 miles per hour, officially setting the new air speed record. Maughan's day was not in vain, however, as he would later go on to set new air speed records several times throughout the 1920s. Mitchell Air Races were also held at Selfridge in 1927 and for

7052-572: Was reactivated as the 477th Bombardment Group (M) (Colored) at Selfridge on 15 January 1944 to train Tuskegee Airmen with Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighters and North American B-25 Mitchell bombers. Following a reprimand of base commander Colonel William Boyd for segregating blacks, the Group relocated "without any prior warning or notification to its personnel to Godman Field , Kentucky, on 5 May 1944. After World War II , Selfridge expanded to its present size of 3,600 acres (1,500 ha), and in 1947

7138-595: Was reassigned to the Philippines. More Selfridge pilots left for the Pacific in a surprise move early in 1940, when 40 pilots and mechanics volunteered to serve with Gen. Claire Chennault and his Flying Tigers . They left for Rangoon early in the summer. Selfridge was a World War II army airfield of the First Air Force and the location where Colonel Lawrence P. Hickey headed a cadre that organized

7224-412: Was the 1922 Mitchell Air Races. During that event, both official and unofficial air speed records were set. Prior to the races officially starting – the pilots flew a measured course over Lake St. Clair and back to the base – Army Lt. Russell L. Maughan flew a Curtiss R-6 aircraft 248.5 miles per hours, more than 25 mph more than the fastest speed ever recorded to that point. However, Maughan's flight

7310-670: Was the 1950 location of the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery (HHB) 28th Air Defense Artillery Group for the Army's Detroit Defense Area, part of Army Air Defense Command . Beginning in 1955, the base also had Project Nike radars for dual launch sites on Selfridge AFB at 42°35′46″N 82°49′4″W  /  42.59611°N 82.81778°W  / 42.59611; -82.81778 with battery D-14 in service until February 1963 and co-located battery D-16 continuing until June 1971. The "shared" Selfridge integrated fire control (IFC) area

7396-598: Was transformed into a mechanics school for the winter months. 700 qualified mechanics were graduated from this school, which lasted until March 1918. Six squadrons from Kelly Field , Texas were sent to Selfridge for study in the shops. The training center suffered an early setback in March 1918, as the Clinton River flooded the entire site, and all personnel were evacuated to schools and churches in nearby Mount Clemens . On April 1, 1918, preparations got underway for

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