Fort Wayne Air National Guard Base is a
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air 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 of the United States Army Signal ...
base, located at
Fort Wayne International Airport
Fort Wayne International Airport is eight miles southwest of Fort Wayne, in Allen County, Indiana, United States. It is owned by the Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority.
The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 ...
, Indiana. It is located south-southwest of
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...
.
Initially established in 1941 as a training airfield for the
Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
, during
World War II
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 ...
, Baer Field became a major training and aircraft processing base for
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (Royal Air Force, RAF, Royal Australian Air Force, RAAF, Royal Canadian Air Force, RCAF, Royal New Zealand Air Force, RNZAF, and South African Air Force, SAAF designation) is a airlift, military transport ai ...
and
C-46 Commando
The Curtiss C-46 Commando is a twin-engine transport aircraft derived from the Curtiss CW-20 pressurised high-altitude airliner design. Early press reports used the name "Condor III" but the Commando name was in use by early 1942 in company pub ...
transport aircraft, equipping many Troop Carrier squadrons with aircraft and training their aircrews in their operation. Largely turned over to civil control after the war, the Air Force has maintained control over a small section of the civil airport for reserve training and
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...
use. Since 1952 it has been the home station of the
Indiana Air National Guard
The Indiana Air National Guard (IN ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Indiana, United States of America. It is, along with the Indiana Army National Guard, an element of the Indiana National Guard.
As state militia units, the units in ...
122d Fighter Wing.
History
Paul Baer
Originally named Baer Army Air Base (or more colloquially, Baer Field), the base was named after
Paul Baer, a Fort Wayne native, born in 1894. Baer, a sixteen victory
Flying ace
A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...
, flew with the
Lafayette Escadrille
The La Fayette Escadrille (french: Escadrille de La Fayette) was the name of the French Air Force unit escadrille N 124 during the First World War (1914–1918). This escadrille of the ''Aéronautique Militaire'' was composed largely of Ameri ...
and the
103d Aero Squadron American Expeditionary Force Air Service during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. Bear was awarded the
Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries.
*Distinguished Service Cross (Australia)
The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...
, the
Legion of Honor
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
, and the
French Croix de Guerre
The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first aw ...
. Baer continued to fly after the war, opening air mail routes in South America, and participating in many aviation experiments. Baer was killed on 9 December 1930 in a
Loening C-2
The Loening C-2 Air Yacht was an amphibious airliner produced in the United States at the end of the 1920s, developed from the Loening OL, OL observation aircraft the firm was producing for the US military."The Loening Cabin Amphibian", 415
De ...
-H amphibian while flying mail and passengers for Chinese Airway Federal, Inc. The craft crashed on takeoff from
Shanghai, China
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...
. Baer is buried in Fort Wayne.
[Preparing C-47s for War (Baer Field)](_blank)
Origins
![Baer Army Air Base - IN - 24 November 1943](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Baer_Army_Air_Base_-_IN_-_24_November_1943.jpg)
Baer Field was unique in that its establishment at
Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...
was at the request of the city. The location for many airbases was often a decision by the
War Department War Department may refer to:
* War Department (United Kingdom)
* United States Department of War (1789–1947)
See also
* War Office, a former department of the British Government
* Ministry of defence
* Ministry of War
* Ministry of Defence
* D ...
with little input by the people affected. The citizens of Fort Wayne wanted the base, and the city took options to buy 700 acres for that purpose should the War Department decide to build a field there. The decision to build at Fort Wayne came quicker than expected. Early in January 1941 the War Department told the town it would locate a base there if possession of the land could be had by February 1. That was less than 30 days away. It was simply not possible to handle the real estate and financial matters that quickly. However the situation was saved by 30 businessmen, who signed notes totaling the $125,000 needed. Then four of the local banks advanced the city that amount to buy the land. Land owners were told to be ready to vacate in 15 days. The federal government signed a $1 annual lease, and now the construction could begin.
[AFHRA Search Baer Field](_blank)
/ref>
The land was cleared and the site prepared for construction. There were eight homes, seven barns, and some other buildings to be razed. The airfield consisted of three concrete runways with bituminous shoulders, 6230x148 (NE/SW), 6300x148 (NW/SE), 6000x175 (N/S) including three large parking ramps, several hangars, a control tower and other auxiliary support aircraft buildings. The ground station, located to the north of the airfield, consisted of more than one hundred buildings, all intended to be temporary. Station buildings and streets were also constructed, the buildings consisting primarily of wood, tar paper, and non-masonry siding. The use of concrete and steel was limited because of the critical need elsewhere. Most buildings were hot and dusty in the summer and very cold in the winter. Water, sewer and electrical services were also constructed. Initially there was no paving to the streets, compressed earth served immediate needs.
The major part of the original building project was finished by July 1941, about 150 days after the lease for the land was signed by the War Department. and the United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
took possession of the field on 31 October.
World War II
Operational training base
The Army Air Forces assigned jurisdiction of Baer Field initially to I Fighter Command
I Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces intermediate command responsible for command and control of the fighter operations within the First Air Force during World War II. It was initially established in June 1941 as the 1st Inte ...
, First Air Force. The major responsibility of the First Air Force was the organization and training of bomber, fighter and other units and crews for assignment overseas.
The 31st Pursuit Group, the first to be equipped with the P-39 Airacobra
The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a fighter produced by Bell Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the United States entered combat. The P-39 was used by the ...
, was assigned to Baer Field on 6 December 1941. It consisted of the 39th, 40th and 41st Pursuit Squadrons. However Japan attacked Pearl Harbor the next day. Training was accelerated when Nazi Germany declared War on the United States on 11 December. Part of the group left four days later and by February the within weeks the entire group was gone. By June they had deployed to England as part of VIII Fighter Command
The VIII Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces unit of command above the wings and below the numbered air force. Its primary mission was command of fighter operations within the Eighth Air Force. In the World War II European Thea ...
where they would be equipped with Supermarine Spitfires They entered combat in August 1942.[Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. .][Maurer, Maurer (1982). Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Office of Air Force history (1982). ]
The 78th Fighter Group
The 78th Fighter Group (78 FG) is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 78th Fighter Wing, at Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 1 February 1961.
During World War II the group was an Eigh ...
was activated at Baer Field on 9 February 1942. It consisted of the 82d, 83d and 84th Fighter Squadron
Area codes 084 and 086 are Nigerian telephone area codes serving the cities of Port Harcourt and Ahoada in Rivers State. They fall under the Southeast Zone in the National Numbering Plan (NNP) restructured in 2003.
When in Port Harcourt or Ahoad ...
s. The 78th was equipped with the P-38E Lightning, the first major production version of the aircraft and its planned mission was bomber escort for B-17 Flying Fortress
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...
flying from England against targets in Occupied Europe
German-occupied Europe refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly occupied and civil-occupied (including puppet governments) by the military forces and the government of Nazi Germany at various times between 1939 an ...
. The group trained at Baer Field until April when it moved out to California to train in the desert air of the Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert ( ; mov, Hayikwiir Mat'aar; es, Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Southwestern United States. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily in ...
at Muroc Army Airfield
Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation in California. Most of the base sits in Kern County, but its eastern end is in San Bernardino County and a southern arm is in Los Angeles County. The hub of the base is Ed ...
. The group deployed to England in December 1942 and later transferred to the Twelfth Air Force
The Twelfth Air Force (12 AF; Air Forces Southern, (AFSOUTH)) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.
The command is the air component to U ...
in North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
.
The mission of First Air Force was changed in early 1942 to the defense of the Atlantic Seaboard
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast, and the Atlantic Seaboard, is the coastline along which the Eastern United States meets the North Atlantic Ocean. The eastern seaboard contains the coa ...
, and jurisdiction of Baer Field was transferred to III Bomber Command
The III Bomber Command is a disbanded United States Air Force headquarters. It was established in September 1941, shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor to command bomber units assigned to 3rd Air Force. Following the entry of the United St ...
, Third Air Force
The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U.S. air forces in E ...
in March 1942. In May 1942 elements of the 38th Bombardment Group, equipped with B-26 Marauder
The Martin B-26 Marauder is an American twin-engined medium bomber that saw extensive service during World War II. The B-26 was built at two locations: Baltimore, Maryland, and Omaha, Nebraska, by the Glenn L. Martin Company.
First used in t ...
s stopped for servicing while on their way to the West Coast. This group would later participate in the Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II that took place on 4–7 June 1942, six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea. The U.S. Navy under Adm ...
.
The airfield was closed for additional construction in June 1942. The runways were strengthened to accommodate the increasing weight of the B-26 Marauder
The Martin B-26 Marauder is an American twin-engined medium bomber that saw extensive service during World War II. The B-26 was built at two locations: Baltimore, Maryland, and Omaha, Nebraska, by the Glenn L. Martin Company.
First used in t ...
bombers, C-46 Commando
The Curtiss C-46 Commando is a twin-engine transport aircraft derived from the Curtiss CW-20 pressurised high-altitude airliner design. Early press reports used the name "Condor III" but the Commando name was in use by early 1942 in company pub ...
s, and C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (Royal Air Force, RAF, Royal Australian Air Force, RAAF, Royal Canadian Air Force, RCAF, Royal New Zealand Air Force, RNZAF, and South African Air Force, SAAF designation) is a airlift, military transport ai ...
transports. Additional hangars were also constructed to accommodate the maintenance of large numbers of aircraft. In addition, the ground station streets were paved.
Aircraft/crew processing center
By September 1942 the runways were again open, and III Bomber Command
The III Bomber Command is a disbanded United States Air Force headquarters. It was established in September 1941, shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor to command bomber units assigned to 3rd Air Force. Following the entry of the United St ...
used Baer Field as a Martin B-26 Marauder
The Martin B-26 Marauder is an American twin-engined medium bomber that saw extensive service during World War II. The B-26 was built at two locations: Baltimore, Maryland, and Omaha, Nebraska, by the Glenn L. Martin Company.
First used in t ...
medium bombardment group staging and processing facility. The newly manufactured B-26s were ferried from the Martin manufacturing plant near Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
and assigned to the 1st Concentration Command (1st CC) at Baer. The 1st CC was responsible for completing the organization and equipment of bombardment groups prior to their deployment overseas. The sub-depot facilities at Baer made modifications to the B-26 aircraft, updated them to current requirements. In doing so the sub-depot augmented the ground support echelons of the bombardment groups.
In March 1943, jurisdiction of the base was again reassigned from Third Air Force
The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U.S. air forces in E ...
to I Troop Carrier Command (I TCC), part of First Air Force. The mission of I TCC was to train Curtiss C-46 Commando
The Curtiss C-46 Commando is a twin-engine transport aircraft derived from the Curtiss CW-20 pressurised high-altitude airliner design. Early press reports used the name "Condor III" but the Commando name was in use by early 1942 in company pub ...
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 in ...
troop carrier groups in preparation for overseas deployment. Baer's responsibility was the processing of Troop Carrier Command units for I TCC, by providing the groups with aircraft and providing the necessary training for their maintenance and support. Large numbers of aircraft and crews were joined at Baer and from there were deployed overseas The processing of the transport aircraft was performed in a similar manner as was done previously with the B-26 medium bombers. After the plane's manufacture, primarily at the Douglas C-47 plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
, or the Curtiss-Wright C-46 plants in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...
or Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
, the aircraft was flown to an Air Technical Service Command
The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...
modification center.
At the modification center, the plane was updated according to the latest modification orders and received the necessary equipment and changes to suit it for its final destination. From the various modification centers the aircraft were flown to Baer Field. Aircraft were parked everywhere including two of the three runways. The hardstands were also packed with new aircraft awaiting processing.
Baer's responsibility was to inspect the aircraft and make any appropriate final changes; i.e., install long-range fuel tanks, remove unnecessary equipment, and give it a final flight safety test. Baer's inspection of the aircraft was very detailed and involved considerable maintenance, repair and modification. There were two stages. The first was an assembly-line type of operation in the largest hangar where everything was checked. Examples of some of the problems found were leakage of hydraulic fittings, generators not working, loose electrical fittings, instruments inoperative, low fluid levels and missing parts, especially clocks. One C-46 arrived with a block of wood in a carburetor air filter.
The second stage was the last inspection. Here the plane was flight tested and then turned over to its crew. The engines were run up, the plane taxied and then flown by military crews to check instruments, radios and single engine operation. The planes were flown north from Baer to Kendallville, Indiana
Kendallville is a city in Wayne Township, Noble County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 9,862 at the 2010 census.
History
Kendallville was laid out in 1849. The city was named for Amos Kendall, 8th United States Postmaster Gen ...
, and back to Baer. This was about 80 miles round trip. Around Kendallville one engine was shut down to see how the aircraft handled. The military flew the planes during the test flight, but often the pilot would be accompanied by a civilian test pilot. When the flight turned up additional problems they were corrected by the Flight Test section. There were Pratt and Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is an American aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies. Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation (especially airlines) and military av ...
technical representatives on the field for the engines, as well as other factory representatives from Douglas and Curtiss-Wright for the airframes.
Once completed, the aircraft was delivered to its squadron aircrew. Long range fuel tanks were installed in the fuselage for its overseas movement. If the plane was going to England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
over the North Atlantic Route
The North Atlantic air ferry route was a series of Air Routes over the North Atlantic Ocean on which aircraft were ferried from the United States and Canada to Great Britain during World War II to support combat operations in the European Theate ...
it received two 100 gallon tanks; to Africa over the South Atlantic Route required four 100 gallon tanks, and the very long-distances of the South Pacific Route, then eight 100 gallon tanks were installed due to the vast distances between island airfields. Extra oil was also required and this was put into a 50-gallon drum with a hose to each engine through the wing. When the oil level got low more would be hand pumped from the drum to the engines oil tank.
While the planes were being serviced and made ready for overseas movement, personnel for these planes were also being processed. Pilots, co-pilots and crew chiefs being assigned as a crew for each aircraft. In some cases a Navigator was assigned, depending upon the ships destination. The process typically took 2–3 weeks. Paperwork was handled, equipment was issued and some training accomplished. Baer would process between 10–40 crews per day.
Early in the war, a lot of training was very brief or non-existent. This was particularly true where men and machines were rushed into combat to meet an enemy that had been preparing and fighting for years. This low level of training was also true for crew chiefs. This would change. Training films were first used at Baer in June 1942 and by August 1943 there were 165 training films; later on this would grow to 485 films and numerous other training aids.
New groups which were processed through Baer Field prior to their deployments overseas were:
* 436th Troop Carrier Group
* 375th Troop Carrier Group
* 403d Troop Carrier Group
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures.
In mathematics
Four is the smallest c ...
* 433d Troop Carrier Group
* 434th Troop Carrier Group
* 435th Troop Carrier Group 435th may refer to:
*435th Air Ground Operations Wing, the first USAFE wing solely dedicated to supporting battlefield Airmen
*435th Bombardment Squadron, an inactive United States Air Force unit
* 435th Fighter Training Squadron (435 FTS), part of ...
* 437th Troop Carrier Group
* 438th Troop Carrier Group
* 439th Troop Carrier Group
* 440th Troop Carrier Group 44 may refer to:
* 44 (number)
* one of the years 44 BC, AD 44, 1944, 2044
Military
*44M Tas, a Hungarian medium/heavy tank design of World War II
*44M Tas Rohamlöveg, a Hungarian tank destroyer design of World War II, derived from the 44M Tas t ...
* 441st Troop Carrier Group
* 442d Troop Carrier Group
Beginning in 1944, Baer repaired and refurbished "war weary" aircraft which were returned from their combat assignments and were overhauled and inspected. After April 1944, new aircrew training was suspended and replacement aircraft for overseas units were processed through Baer, with WASP and ATC Ferrying Command pilots moving checked out aircraft to their worldwide destinations. In addition Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (), was a policy under which the United States supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and other Allied nations with food, oil, ...
C-47s bound for Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
and Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
were processed through Baer Field, then turned over to Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command (ATC) was a United States Air Force unit that was created during World War II as the strategic airlift component of the United States Army Air Forces.
It had two main missions, the first being the delivery of supplies and ...
ferrying crews for subsequent ferrying overseas.
Postwar use
Baer continued as a staging base for the I Troop Carrier Command until early May 1945, when its mission changed. With the end of the European War, the base now became an assembly station for redeployment of personnel from Europe to the Pacific Theater
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
. Aircraft staging activities were no longer conducted at the base, however it remained under the jurisdiction of I Troop Carrier Command.
Throughout the summer of 1945 many Troop Carrier Groups, which had been equipped and trained at Baer returned to the base from their overseas assignments where they were demobilized and the aircraft were ferried to storage depots in the southwest. This new assignment was short lived, and on 31 December 1945 Baer Field was placed on inactive status. Baer's last assignment was an Army Air Forces separation base. The 333d Army Air Force Base Unit was assigned to the base with the mission to formulate procedures for the transfer of military equipment to other Air Force bases.
On 10 March 1946 the facility was turned over to the City of Fort Wayne for use as a civil airport for one dollar, renamed as "Fort Wayne Municipal Airport". The military airfield was made up of more than 100 buildings, and over the years many of the military buildings were razed and the airfield re-engineered with longer runways to accommodate jet aircraft and as a civil airport.
On 1 February 1947 Baer Army Air Base was declared surplus and title to most facilities were transferred to the City of Fort Wayne except for specific areas to be retained for Air Force Reserve and Indiana Air National Guard activities. The AAF maintained a small cadre of personnel at the facility. On 15 December 1946 the 439th Army Air Forces Base Unit (Reserve Training) was activated, replacing the 333d AAFBU, by which consisted of three officers and no enlisted men. The 439th AAFBU's activities consisted of screening, packing and shipping records to appropriate archive depots and furnishing information and assistance to auditors.
On 1 July 1948, the 2467th Air Force Reserve Training Center opened at the base, placed under the jurisdiction of Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.
During the Korean War, ConAC provided the necessary au ...
, Tenth Air Force
The Tenth Air Force (10 AF) is a unit of the U.S. Air Force, specifically a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). 10 AF is headquartered at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base/Carswell Field (formerly Carswell AF ...
. It was inactivated due to budget constraints on 27 June 1949.
Air National Guard use
The World War II Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint De ...
358th Fighter Group was inactivated after the war on 7 November 1945. The organization was turned over to Continental Air Forces, and was re-designated as the 122d Fighter Group
The 122nd Fighter Wing (122 FW sometimes 122nd) is a unit of the Indiana Air National Guard, stationed at Fort Wayne Air National Guard Station, Fort Wayne, Indiana. If activated to federal service, the wing is gained by the United States Air F ...
and allocated to the State of Indiana on 24 May 1946 for use in the newly constituted Air National Guard
The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...
. The unit was extended federal recognition on 9 December 1946. On 10 November 1947, federal recognition was granted to the 163d Fighter Squadron at Baer Field.
The 122d Fighter Group was inactive until 1 February 1951 the unit was activated and federalized due to 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 ...
, and assigned to Air Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was est ...
. Two squadrons, the 113th and 163d were assigned and the organization was re designated as the 122d Fighter Interceptor Group, being stationed at Stout Field, Indiana. The 122d FIG initially was equipped with F-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter aircraft, fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team ...
s, later being equipped with F-84 Thunderjet
The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 first flew in 1946. Although it entered service in 1947, the Thu ...
s. The unit was reassigned to Baer Field on 10 March 1951 and remained under Air Defense Command as an interceptor unit until being released to state control on 17 February 1952. The ADC 4612th Air Base Squadron was activated as a provisional station administrative unit to process active-duty personnel from Baer Field to other units. The last active-duty USAF personnel departed the field on 1 June 1952.[122d Fighter Wing Website](_blank)
/ref>
On 1 November 1952 the unit was reorganized and transferred to Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...
control, being re designated as the 122d Fighter-Bomber Group and equipped with the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star
The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. Designed and built by Lockheed in 1943 and delivered just 143 days from the start of design, prod ...
in September 1954. The jet era continued with the conversion to the F-86 Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing So ...
eighteen months later, and in January 1958, the Republic F-84 Thunderstreak
The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American swept-wing turbojet fighter-bomber. While an evolutionary development of the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet, the F-84F was a new design. The RF-84F Thunderflash was a photo reconnaissance version. ...
gave the 122 TFW a new dimension for the next thirteen years.
Until 2010, the 122 FW flew the F-16C/D Fighting Falcon
A large number of variants of the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon have been produced by General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, and various licensed manufacturers. The details of the F-16 variants, along with major modification programs and der ...
in a multirole fighter mission. As a result of BRAC 2005, the unit converted to the A-10 Thunderbolt II
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twin-turbofan, straight-wing, subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Republic for the United States Air Force (USAF). In service since 1976, it is named for the Republic ...
aircraft and a close air support (CAS) mission, said conversion having been completed in 2010. The installation was subsequently redesignated as Fort Wayne Air National Guard Base.
Role and operations
Nicknamed the "Blacksnakes," the 122d Fighter Wing today is operationally gained by the Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the primary provider of air combat forces for the Air Force, and i ...
(ACC). The 122 FW operates from Fort Wayne Air National Guard Base, which is located on the east side of the airport in a secure area away from the publicly accessible facilities.
A unit of the United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air 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 of the United States Army Signal ...
, in a national emergency, the 122d FW may be ordered to active duty by the President of the United States. The primary federal mission of the 122d FW is to achieve and maintain the level of operational readiness that will provide trained and equipped combat-ready tactical units, capable of global deployment, ready for immediate integration into the active Air Force to assure air offense, air defense, or joint action with ground forces.
The 122d FW is available on orders from the Governor of Indiana to assist local authorities in the event of a disaster, disturbance or other emergency. The units of the 122d FW are capable of supporting rescue and relief operations, aiding in recovery from natural disaster, along with protecting the citizens of Indiana and their property.
Based units
Flying and notable non-flying units based at Fort Wayne Air National Guard Base.
United States Air Force
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...
* Indiana Air National Guard
The Indiana Air National Guard (IN ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Indiana, United States of America. It is, along with the Indiana Army National Guard, an element of the Indiana National Guard.
As state militia units, the units in ...
** 122nd Fighter Wing
*** 122nd Operations Group
**** 163nd Fighter Squadron – A-10C Thunderbolt II
**** 122d Operations Support Squadron
*** 122nd Maintenance Group
**** 122nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
**** 122nd Maintenance Operations Flight
**** 122nd Maintenance Squadron
*** 122nd Mission Support Group
**** 122nd Civil Engineering Squadron
**** 122nd Communications Flight
**** 122nd Mission Support Flight
**** 122nd Logistics Readiness Squadron
**** 122nd Security Forces Squadron
**** 122nd Services Flight
*** 122nd Medical Group
See also
* Indiana World War II Army Airfields
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Indiana for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.
Most of these airfields were under the command of the First Air Force or the ...
* I Troop Carrier Command
References
{{Fort Wayne, Indiana
Installations of the United States Air Force in Indiana
Military installations in Indiana
Buildings and structures in Allen County, Indiana
Installations of the United States Air National Guard