![Mercedaaf-1142](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Mercedaaf-1142.JPG)
Castle Air Force Base (Castle AFB, 1941–1995) is a former
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 ...
Strategic Air Command base in
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, located northeast of
Atwater, northwest of
Merced
Merced (; Spanish for "Mercy") is a city in, and the county seat of, Merced County, California, United States, in the San Joaquin Valley. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 86,333, up from 78,958 in 2010. Incorporated on April 1 ...
, and about south of
Sacramento
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
.
The
Central Valley base in
unincorporated Unincorporated may refer to:
* Unincorporated area, land not governed by a local municipality
* Unincorporated entity, a type of organization
* Unincorporated territories of the United States, territories under U.S. jurisdiction, to which Congress ...
Merced County
Merced County ( ), is a county located in the northern San Joaquin Valley section of the Central Valley, in the U.S. state of California.
As of the 2020 census, the population was 281,202. The county seat is Merced. The county is named after ...
was closed in 1995, pursuant to a
Base Realignment and Closure Commission decision following 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.
History
The airfield was opened on 20 September 1941 as the Army Air Force Basic Flying School, one of the fields utilized to meet the needs of the 30,000 Pilot Training Program. It provided basic air training for beginning pilots and crewmen. Many pilots and crews were trained here during the war including a number of
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:
*
Merced Municipal Airport Auxiliary Field No. 1
*
Ballico Auxiliary Field No. 2
*
Howard Auxiliary Field
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 built near Merced, California a 30,000 per year basic pilot training base. The former city of Cuba, Merced ...
No. 3
*
Athlone Auxiliary Field
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 built near Merced, California a 30,000 per year basic pilot training base. The former city of Cuba, Merced ...
No. 4
*
Potter Auxiliary Field
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 built near Merced, California a 30,000 per year basic pilot training base. The former city of Cuba, Merced ...
No. 5
*
Merced New Municipal Airport Auxiliary Field No. 6
*
Mariposa Auxiliary Field
Postwar years
![AtwaterAFBentrance](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/AtwaterAFBentrance.jpg)
With the end of the war
444th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) arrived on 15 November 1945 from West Field,
Tinian
Tinian ( or ; old Japanese name: 天仁安島, ''Tenian-shima'') is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Together with uninhabited neighboring Aguiguan, it forms Tinian Municipality, one of the ...
with four squadrons (344th, 676th, 677th, and 678th) of wartime B-29s. The 444th operated from Merced for about six months with 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
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
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 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.
93d Bombardment Wing
![B-52-castleafb-1957](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/B-52-castleafb-1957.jpg)
Merced Army Air Field became Castle Field on 17 January 1946, named for
Brigadier General
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
Frederick Castle
Frederick Walker Castle (October 14, 1908–December 24, 1944) was a general officer in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. He was killed in action leading the bombing mission for which he w ...
. On Christmas Eve 1944, Castle remained at the controls of his burning
B-17 Flying Fortress over
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
while his crew bailed out, then was killed when the aircraft exploded; he was posthumously awarded the
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...
.
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 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
The 509th Composite Group (509 CG) was a unit of the United States Army Air Forces created during World War II and tasked with the operational deployment of nuclear weapons. It conducted the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in ...
at
Roswell Army Air Field
Roswell may refer to:
* Roswell incident
Places in the United States
* Roswell, Colorado, a former settlement now part of Colorado Springs
* Roswell, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta
* Roswell, Idaho
* Roswell, New Mexico, known for the purported ...
,
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...
, was all there was of
Strategic Air Command at that time. The base remained in this status until 1 May 1947 when it 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
(IATA: DNA, ICAO: RODN) is a highly strategic United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is often referred to as the "Keystone of the Pacific" because of its highl ...
,
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
, becoming 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 the group was activated and the aircraft and personnel sent to
Far East Air Forces
Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PACAF is headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (fo ...
as replacements for combat losses during the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
. With the unit's departure, the 447th was inactivated.
The
Convair B-36 Peacemaker
The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" is a strategic bomber that was built by Convair and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1949 to 1959. The B-36 is the largest mass-produced Reciprocating engine, piston-engined aircraft ever built. It ...
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 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
The 31st Fighter Wing (31 FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe major command and the Third Air Force. It is stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) base ...
from the United States to Japan, the first jet fighter crossing of the Pacific Ocean, during the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
. 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-47
The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long- range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft ...
s in May 1954, but its involvement with 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 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 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 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, 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
U-Tapao–Rayong–Pattaya International Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานอู่ตะเภา ระยอง–พัทยา; ) also spelled ''Utapao'' and ''U-Taphao'', is a joint civil–military public airport serving ...
, Thailand where they flew combat missions over Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos during the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
.
The wing won the SAC Bombing and Navigation Competition and the Fairchild Trophy in 1949, 1952, and 1970, and 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
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
, January–February 1991.
On 1 September 1991, 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), 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, 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
Robins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force installation located in Houston County, Georgia, United States. The base is located just east of the city of Warner Robins, south-southeast of Macon and approximately south-southeast ...
, Georgia on 29 January 1996.
Notable operations
*
Operation Power Flite
Operation Power Flite was a United States Air Force mission in which three Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses became the first jet aircraft to circle the world nonstop, when they made the journey in January 1957 in 45 hours and 19 minutes, using in- ...
: First jet aircraft nonstop flight around the world (January 1957).
* Nonstop, unrefueled KC-135 flight from
Yokota AB Yokota ( ja, 横田, 與古田, etc.) may refer to:
* 6656 Yokota, an asteroid
* Yokota Shōkai, a Japanese film company
Places
* Yokota Air Base, a US Air Force Base located in Tokyo, Japan
* Harima-Yokota Station
* Iyo-Yokota Station
* Yoko ...
, Japan, to
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
(April 1958).
Closure
The end of the
Cold War brought many changes to the Air Force, and Castle AFB was selected for closure under 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 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, 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
Castle Air Museum is a military aviation museum located in Atwater, California, United States adjacent to Castle Airport, a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base which was closed in 1995, after the end of the Cold War. It ...
remains at the site.
Civilian use
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 the proposed
California High-Speed Rail
California High-Speed Rail (also known as CAHSR or CHSR) is a publicly funded high-speed rail system currently under construction in California in the United States. Planning for the project began in 1996, when the California Legislature and Gover ...
system.
oea.osd.mil Converting Military Airfields to Civil Airports
/ref>
The University of California, Merced
The University of California, Merced (UC Merced) is a public land-grant research university and Hispanic-serving institution located in Merced, California, and is the tenth and newest of the University of California (UC) campuses. Establish ...
maintains a research site on the former base, which was its first facility before construction of the main campus in Merced
Merced (; Spanish for "Mercy") is a city in, and the county seat of, Merced County, California, United States, in the San Joaquin Valley. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 86,333, up from 78,958 in 2010. Incorporated on April 1 ...
.
United States Penitentiary, Atwater
The United States Penitentiary, Atwater (USP Atwater) is a high-security United States federal prison for male inmates in unincorporated Merced County, California. The institution also includes a minimum-security satellite camp. It is operated by ...
stands on a portion of the grounds of the former Air Force Base.
In 2011, Google
Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...
leased 60 acres (24 ha) in order to test the development of their new project, the self-driving car
A self-driving car, also known as an autonomous car, driver-less car, or robotic car (robo-car), is a car that is capable of traveling without human input.Xie, S.; Hu, J.; Bhowmick, P.; Ding, Z.; Arvin, F.,Distributed Motion Planning for S ...
, which has become Waymo
Waymo LLC, formerly known as the Google self-driving car project, is an American autonomous driving technology company headquartered in Mountain View, California. It is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc, the parent company of Google.
Waymo oper ...
. Google also leased a hangar at the former Air Force base in order to continue testing a new project, Project Loon
Loon LLC was an Alphabet Inc. subsidiary working on providing Internet access to rural and remote areas. The company used high-altitude balloons in the stratosphere at an altitude of to to create an aerial wireless network with up to 1 Mbi ...
. 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 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 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 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 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.
Tesla, Inc. ( or ) is an American multinational automotive and clean energy company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Tesla designs and manufactures electric vehicles (electric cars and trucks), battery energy storage from home to grid- ...
was spotted testing their Cybertruck
The Tesla Cybertruck is an upcoming battery electric light-duty truck announced by Tesla, Inc. in 2019. Three models have been announced, with EPA range estimates of and an estimated time of 2.9–6.5 seconds, depending on the model.
Th ...
at the site in October 2021.
Previous names
* Army Air Force Basic Flying School, Merced, CA, 20 September 1941 – 7 April 1942
* Merced Army Flying School, 7 April 1942 – 8 May 1943
* Merced Army Airfield, 8 May 1943 – 17 January 1946
* Castle Field, 17 January 1946 – 13 January 1948
Major Commands to which assigned
* West Coast Air Force Training Center, 20 September 1941
: Re-designated: West Coast AAF Training Center
: Re-designated: AAF West Coast Training Center, 1 May 1942
: Re-designated: AAF Western Flying Training Command
Flying Division, Air Training Command, was a training formation of the United States Air Force. The unit was established in 1926 as the Air Corps Training Center to be the primary pilot training center for the Air Corps. It was reorganized int ...
, 31 July 1943
* Continental Air Forces, 1 July 1945
: Re-designated: Strategic Air Command, 21 March 1946 – 1 June 1992
* Air Combat Command, 1 June 1992 – 30 September 1995
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"
Major units assigned
* Air Corps Basic Flying School
: Re-designated: AAF Basic Flying School
: Re-designated: AAF Pilot School, Basic, 20 September 1941 – 30 June 1945
* 89th Air Base Group, 3 November 1941 – 15 December 1942
* 90th Base HQ and Air Base Sq, 13 June 1942
* 35th Flying Training Wing, 8 June – 11 September 1943
* 3026th AAF Base Unit, 1 May 1944 – 30 June 1945
* 446th AAF Base Unit, 1–18 July 1945
* 482nd AAF Base Unit, 19 July 1945 – 15 August 1947
* HQ I Staging Command, 7 October 1945 – 3 April 1946
* 444th Bombardment Group, 15 November 1945 – 6 May 1946
* 93rd Bombardment Group
The 93d Air Ground Operations Wing (93d AGOW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command, Ninth Air Force. It is stationed as a tenant unit at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.
The wing directs the 3d Air Support Operations ...
, 21 June 1946 – 16 June 1952
: Later: 93rd Operations Group
The 93d Operations Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 93d Air Control Wing, stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. The unit was inactivated on 1 October 2002.
During World War II, the grou ...
, 1 September 1991 – 30 June 1995
* 93rd Bombardment Wing
The 93d Air Ground Operations Wing (93d AGOW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command, Ninth Air Force. It is stationed as a tenant unit at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.
The wing directs the 3d Air Support Operations ...
, 15 August 1947 – 30 September 1995
* 93d Air Refueling Squadron, 1 March 1949 – 31 March 1995
* 447th Bombardment Group, 26 June 1949 – 16 June 1951
* 2nd Strategic Support Squadron, 16 May 1951 – 1 September 1956
* 340th Air Refueling Squadron
The 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Operations Group at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. It has supported combat operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and ...
, 20 October 1952 – 18 January 1954
* 90th Air Refueling Squadron
The 90th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit. Until March 2013, it was assigned to the 385th Air Expeditionary Group at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. It then departed for an undisclosed location in ...
, 18 January 1954 – 5 August 1955
* 341st Air Refueling Squadron
The 641st Bombardment Squadron was an inactive United States Air Force unit. After training with Douglas A-20 Havocs in the United States the squadron deployed to the European Theater of World War II, where it engaged in combat until the Surre ...
, 11 June 1954 – 15 August 1955
* 456th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
The 456th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Command San Francisco Air Defense Sector stationed at Oxnard Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 18 J ...
, 18 October 1955 – 18 July 1968
* 47th Air Division
The 47th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. It was inactivated on 27 February 1987.
The unit's origins begin with its predecessor, ...
, 11 July 1959 – 30 June 1971
* 924th Air Refueling Squadron
The 924th Air Refueling Squadron is an active United States Air Force associate unit. It is assigned to the 931st Operations Group at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. The squadron is the first Air Force Reserve Command unit dedicated to flyin ...
, 1 July 1959 – 1 October 1994
* 84th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1 September 1973 – 27 February 1987
Notable people
* Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen Jr. (born July 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in ...
, a military child, was born at the base on 20 July 1975.
* Our Gang (a.k.a., The Little Rascals) member, Bobby "Weezer" Hutchins was killed in a mid-air collision on 17 May 1945, while attending flight school during WWII
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
See also
* California World War II Army Airfields
* 35th Flying Training Wing (World War II)
The 35th Flying Training Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Western Flying Training Command, and was disbanded on 16 June 1946 at the Minter Field, California.
There is no lineage between the United St ...
* Western Air Defense Force
The Western Air Defense Force (WADF) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on July 1, 1960.
History
WADF ...
(Air Defense Command)
* ''Bombers B-52
''Bombers B-52'' (released in the UK as ''No Sleep till Dawn''Leverence 1974, pp. 233–234.) is a 1957 Warner Bros. CinemaScope film in WarnerColor, produced by Richard Whorf and directed by Gordon Douglas. The film stars Natalie Wood and Karl ...
'' Starring Natalie Wood and Karl Malden. Parts of the movie were filmed at Castle.
References and notes
* Endicott, Judy G. (1999) ''Active Air Force wings as of 1 October 1995; USAF active flying, space, and missile squadrons as of 1 October 1995''. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. CD-ROM.
* Manning, Thomas A. (2005), ''History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002''. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas
* Maurer, Maurer (1983). ''Air Force Combat Units of World War II''. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. .
* Mueller, Robert (1989). Volume 1: ''Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982''. USAF Reference Series, Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force, Washington, D.C.
* Patton, Victor. "Google Set to Lease Castle Site for Self-Driving Car." ''Merced Sun-Star'' erced24 Jan. 2014: n. pag. Print.
* Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). ''Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977''. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. .
* Rogers, Brian (2005). ''United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978''. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications. .
* Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), ''Locating Air Force Base Sites, History’s Legacy'', Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC.
* Yawger, Doane. "Former Air Force One Lands in Atwater." ''Merced Sun-Star'' 16 Oct. 2013: n.pag. Web. 5 Mary 2014.
External links
Lt Col Harold W. Moll memorial webpage
Colonel Moll was assigned to Castle Army Airfield (10 February – 28 May 1946) as part of the 444th BG.
* Local News , Merced Sun-Star
{{Authority control
Installations of the United States Air Force in California
Airports established in 1941
Buildings and structures in Merced County, California
Formerly Used Defense Sites in California
Installations of Strategic Air Command
Initial United States Air Force installations
Military installations closed in 1995
Military Superfund sites
History of Merced County, California
Superfund sites in California
1941 establishments in California
1995 disestablishments in California
Transportation buildings and structures in Merced County, California