CALIFORNIA MILITARY BASES

MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE

March Field was established in 1918, and the City of Riverside threw a parade announcing that an army flying field was coming to the neighborhood. Community leaders such as Frank Miller, the owner of the Mission Inn in Riverside, pushed for approval from the War Department to construct an airfield on what was then Alessandro Flying Training Field.

In 1996, March Air Force Base was realigned to become March Air Reserve Base. The facility includes the March Field Museum, military family housing, the U.S. Customs Service, and expansion of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Riverside Cemetery, which is three times larger than Arlington National Cemetery. Personnel from March ARB have supplemented security at California airports in the days after September 11th, and have been deployed as far away as Turkey in support of Operation Northern Watch.

In July 2002, Senator Boxer had the pleasure of touring "The American Spirit", a C-17 Globemaster III, at March ARB. Produced at the Boeing plant in Long Beach, California, it is capable of performing airlift and airdrop missions, and delivering combat forces to potential battle areas rapidly and effectively.

The base remains very active, conducting approximately 60,000 flight operations per year from the longest runway in the state (13,300 feet). Community events, from the Annual Military Appreciation Day Picnic to March Field's Fire Department assisting local firefighters during last year's Blue Cut Blaze in the Cajon Pass, underscore the strong ties between local citizens and the men and women who serve in the Air Force Reserve Command.

For more information, please visit http://www.afrc.af.mil/march/.

452nd Air Mobility Wing

Commanded by Brigadier General James T. Rubeor, the 452nd is the Air Force Reserve's only unit-equipped air mobility wing with eighteen C-141C "Starlifters," 10 KC-135R "Stratotankers," and more than 4,000 reservists.

Established in 1944 as a unit of the 8th Air Force, they flew B-17s out of England during WWII. The wing was made up of the 728th, 729th, 730th and 731st Bombardment Squadrons. Their designation has changed throughout its long history; they were the 452nd Bomber wing during the Korean conflict, the 452nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing (1952), the 452nd Tactical Bombardment Wing (1955), the 452nd Troop Carrier Wing (1957), the 452nd Military Airlift Wing (1966), the 452nd Tactical Airlift Wing, and the 452nd Air Refueling Wing (1976).

After 1993's round of military base realignments and closures, the 445th MAW and 452nd ARW were deactivated, and their personnel and equipment joined under the 452nd Air Mobile Wing on April 1, 1994.

163rd Air Refueling Wing, California Air National Guard

On November 9, 1946, the unit was first designated as the 196th Fighter Squadron out of Norton Air Force Base. In 1950, the squadron was called to active duty as part of the United Nations Forces during the Korean War. Stationed in Northern Japan, they provided air defense for the area flying the F-84E "Thunderjets" alongside regular active duty Air Force units.

In 1990, their mission and designation changed to the 163rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group. Their primary mission was to provide tactical reconnaissance to all friendly forces. In the next ten years, they were deployed across both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, accumulating over 30,000 hours of flying time.

Under the command of Colonel Albert K. Aimar, over 1,000 personnel maintain air refueling operations capabilities in support of Command objectives in all parts of the world. They also provide assistance to the State of California by responding to state emergencies upon the Governor's request.

In the days following September 11, 2001, members of the 163rd augmented Ontario International Airport's existing security force, and performed airlifts and air refueling operations in the Middle East. By the end of the year, aircraft were deployed and hundreds of personnel were committed to Operation Northern Watch in Turkey.

Computer Donation Program

For the past five years, the 163rd Air Refueling Wing has donated 20% of their computers each year to local schools as part of the Air National Guard computer donation program. Since 1997, almost 400 of their computers have been distributed to seven different school districts in the Riverside area.

The Air Marine Interdiction Coordination Center (AMICC)

The Air Marine Interdiction Coordination Center (AMICC), which is part of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, officially opened at March ARB on October, 1988. The most modern air surveillance system in the United States, their mission is to stem the flow of illicit drugs coming into the U.S. by aircraft, and to assist other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

From the Radar Operations Center (pictured left), Customs conducts 24-hour surveillance throughout the entire U.S. airspace, as well as Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean. Using comprehensive ground-based and airborne radar capabilities, they can detect aircraft and deploy personnel from a sophisticated armada of sensor equipped interceptor planes and apprehension helicopters.

Since 9/11, AMICC has assumed the new role of keeping vigilant watch over U.S. airspace from further terrorist assaults. They have proven to be a vital part of homeland security by providing 24-hour surveillance of high priority targets, and performing airspace security missions.

March Field Air Museum

In 1980, the March Field Museum Foundation was formed by a group of retired Air Force personnel and members of the Riverside community. Its mission is to preserve and restore historic aircraft and artifacts from the 20th century's major conflicts. Displayed in their main building and along its flightline are over 50 historic aircraft, including the SR-71 Blackbird, the world's fastest plane.

Exhibits include uniforms, posters, and personal items from the men and women who served in World War I and II, Korea, Vietnam, and Desert Storm. Their newest exhibit is a multimedia tour of the Cold War, which includes historic photos from the National Archives.

To learn more, please visit http://www.marchfield.org.

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