![Tucson05 AMARCNoseToNose](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Tucson05_AMARCNoseToNose.jpg)
The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (309th AMARG),
[Official 309th AMRG Renaming Ceremony](_blank)
. often called The
Boneyard
Boneyard may refer to:
* Cemetery or graveyard
Comics
* A character in the Malibu/Marvel Comics publication ''Mantra''
* ''Boneyard'' (comics), a horror-themed comic book series by Richard Moore
Film and television
* ''Boneyard'' (TV series ...
, is a
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
aircraft and missile storage and
maintenance
Maintenance may refer to:
Biological science
* Maintenance of an organism
* Maintenance respiration
Non-technical maintenance
* Alimony, also called ''maintenance'' in British English
* Champerty and maintenance, two related legal doct ...
facility in
Tucson
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
, Arizona, located on
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base (DM AFB) is a United States Air Force base southeast of downtown Tucson, Arizona. It was established in 1925 as Davis–Monthan Landing Field. The host unit for Davis–Monthan AFB is the 355th Wing (355 WG) assi ...
. The 309th AMARG was previously Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center, and the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center, and its predecessor was established after World War II as the 3040th Aircraft Storage Group.
The 309th AMARG takes care of nearly 4,000 aircraft, which makes it the largest aircraft storage and preservation facility in the world. An
Air Force Materiel Command unit, the group is under the command of the
Ogden Air Logistics Complex at
Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The 309th AMARG was originally meant to store
excess Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to:
Current departments of defence
* Department of Defence (Australia)
* Department of National Defence (Canada)
* Department of Defence (Ireland)
* Department of National Defense (Philipp ...
and
Coast Guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...
aircraft, but has in recent years been designated the sole repository of out-of-service aircraft from all branches of the US government. The facility has also received US-made foreign military aircraft such as the
Boeing CC-137
The Boeing CC-137 was a transport and tanker aircraft which served with the Canadian Forces from 1970 to 1997. The Boeing 707-347C aircraft provided long range passenger transport for the military, VIP transport for government and air-to-air r ...
(from
RCAF
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
for use in the
E-8 JSTARS program) and the
Lockheed CP-140A Arcturus
The Lockheed CP-140 Aurora is a maritime patrol aircraft operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force. The aircraft is based on the Lockheed P-3 Orion airframe, but mounts the electronics suite of the Lockheed S-3 Viking. "Aurora" refers to the R ...
(2 from RCAF). The arid climate of the region makes the 309th AMARG an ideal location for storing aircraft, as there is very little humidity in the air that would corrode metal.
Furthermore, the surface is hard so that the aircraft do not sink into the ground.
History
The first predecessor of the 309th AMARG was established in 1946 as the 4105th Army Air Forces Base Unit (Aircraft Storage) to house
Boeing B-29 Superfortress and
Douglas C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained ...
aircraft.
Davis–Monthan Field was chosen because of
Tucson
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
's low humidity, infrequent rainfall, alkaline soil, and high altitude of , reducing rust and corrosion. The hard soil makes it possible to move aircraft around without having to pave the storage areas.
In 1948, after the Air Force's creation as a separate service, the unit was renamed the 3040th Aircraft Storage Depot. In 1965, the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center was organized and tasked with processing aircraft for all the
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...
, not just the Air Force. The
Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...
had operated its own boneyard at
Naval Air Station Litchfield Park at
Goodyear, Arizona, for Navy,
Marine Corps
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refl ...
and
Coast Guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...
aircraft. In February 1965, some 500 aircraft were moved from Litchfield Park to Davis–Monthan. NAS Litchfield Park was finally closed in 1968.
In the 1980s, the center began processing
intercontinental ballistic missiles for dismantling or reuse in satellite launches, and was renamed the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center (AMARC) to reflect the expanded focus on all aerospace assets.
In the 1990s, in accordance with the
START I treaty, the center was tasked with eliminating 365
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers. The progress of this task was to be verified by Russia via
satellite
A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioi ...
and first-person inspection at the facility. Initially, the B-52s were chopped into pieces with a 13,000 pound
guillotine
A guillotine is an apparatus designed for efficiently carrying out executions by beheading. The device consists of a tall, upright frame with a weighted and angled blade suspended at the top. The condemned person is secured with stocks at t ...
winched by a steel cable supported by a crane. Later on, the tool of choice became K-12 rescue saws. This more precise technique afforded AMARC with salvageable
spare parts.
In May 2007, the AMARC was transferred to the
309th Maintenance Wing, and the center was renamed the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG).
Lineage
* Constituted on 7 October 1964 as The Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center
** Activated on 1 February 1965
** Redesignated Aerospace Maintenance & Regeneration Center on 1 October 1985
** Redesignated 309th Aerospace Maintenance & Regeneration Group on 2 May 2007
[
]
Predecessors
; 3040th Aircraft Storage Squadron
* Designated as the 4105th Army Air Forces Base Unit (Aircraft Storage) and organized on 15 November 1945
** Redesignated 4105th Air Force Base Unit (Aircraft Storage) on 26 September 1947
** Redesignated 3040th Aircraft Storage Depot on 28 August 1948
** Redesignated 3040th Aircraft Storage Squadron
** Discontinued on 1 June 1956[''See'' Mueller, p. 103 (listing units at Davis–Monthan AFB)]
; Arizona Aircraft Storage Squadron
* Designated as the Arizona Aircraft Storage Squadron and organized on 1 June 1956
** Discontinued on 1 August 1959
; 2704th Air Force Aircraft Storage and Disposition Group
* Designated as the 2704th Air Force Aircraft Storage and Disposition Group and organized on 1 August 1959
** Discontinued on 1 February 1965[
]
Assignments
* Air Force Logistics Command, 7 October 1964
* Air Force Materiel Command, 1 July 1992
* 309th Maintenance Wing, 2 May 2007 (attached to Ogden Air Logistics Complex after 12 July 2012)
* Ogden Air Logistics Complex, 1 October 2012 – present[
]
Storage procedures
There are four categories of storage for aircraft at AMARG:
* Long Term (Type 1000) – Aircraft are kept intact in “inviolate” storage for future use. No parts are removed without the express permission of appropriate program office.
* Parts Reclamation (Type 2000) – Aircraft are kept, picked apart and used for spare parts
* Flying Hold (Type 3000) – Aircraft are kept intact with regular running of their engines, towing to lubricate their bearings and servicing of fluids.
* Excess of DoD needs (Type 4000) – Aircraft are sold off whole or in parts
AMARG employs approximately 500 DoD civil servants and 200 contractors.[309 AMARG Public Affairs] The facility is adjacent to the base. On average, AMARG annually returns approximately $500 million worth of spare parts to military, government, and allied customers. Congressional oversight determines what equipment may be sold to which customer.
An aircraft going into storage undergoes the following treatments:
* Ejection seat charges and classified hardware are removed.
* All aircraft are carefully washed with fresh water to remove environment residue and then allowed to dry.
* The fuel system is protected by draining it, refilling it with lightweight oil, running engines to coat fuel system plumbing and engines, and then draining it again. This leaves a protective oil film.
* The aircraft is sealed from dust, sunlight, and high temperatures. This is done using a variety of materials, including a high tech vinyl plastic compound that is sprayed on the aircraft. This compound is called ''Spraylat'' after its producer the Spraylat Corporation, and is applied in two coats, a black coat that seals the aircraft and a white coat that reflects the sun and helps to keep internal temperatures low. The plane is then towed by a tug to its designated "storage" position.
On average the Group annually receives 300 aircraft for storage and processes out about the same number (with 50 to 100 of those returning to flying service). Aircraft that fly again either return to the US military, U.S. government agencies such as the U.S. Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mul ...
, U.S. Forest Service, and NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil List of government space agencies, space program ...
, or are sold to allied governments under the Foreign Military Sales
The United States Department of Defense's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program facilitates sales of U.S. arms, defense equipment, defense services, and military training to foreign governments. The purchaser does not deal directly with the defens ...
program.
Accessibility
AMARG is a controlled-access site, and is off-limits to anyone not employed there without the proper clearance. A bus tour conducted by the nearby Pima Air & Space Museum
The Pima Air & Space Museum, located in Tucson, Arizona, is one of the world's largest non-government funded aerospace museums. The museum features a display of nearly 300 aircraft spread out over 80 acres (320,000 m²) on a campus oc ...
has been discontinued indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. Bus tours were conducted Monday through Friday. From April 2013 onwards the base had hosted an annual 10K/5K run/walk which was open to the general public.
Use in film and TV production
AMARG has been used as a filming location in several films and television productions, despite security. The most recent and notable of these is '' Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen''. The exterior scenes of the Smithsonian set were actually filmed in the Boneyard.
AMARG was featured in an episode of TNT
Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...
's '' The Great Escape''.
See also
* Pinal Airpark
Pinal Airpark , also known as Pinal County Airpark, is a non-towered, county-owned, public-use airport located northwest of the central business district of Marana, in Pinal County, Arizona, United States. Silverbell Army Heliport is co-loc ...
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
Further reading
* ''Boneyard Almanac: The History and Current State of America's Largest Aircraft Collection''
* ''Ladies in Waiting: A Pictorial Review of Davis–Monthan AFB''
External links
AMARG at Davis–Monthan AFB
Official Site
AMARC Experience – An unofficial history and information site
The Boneyard: world's 'biggest' plane cemetery up close
Satellite views
{{DEFAULTSORT:309th Aerospace Maintenance And Regeneration Group
Groups of the United States Air Force
Military units and formations in Arizona
Organizations based in Tucson, Arizona