Iraklion Air Station was a United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

  facility located 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) east of the city of Iraklion in the village of Gournes, in the north central section of the Greek island of Crete

Crete

Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...

.

Major commands to which assigned

• United States Air Forces in Europe, 1954–1979
• U.S. Air Force Electronic Security Command, 1979–1991
• Air Force Intelligence Command, 1991–1993

Major units assigned

• Det 1, 1603d Air Transport Wing (MATS), 1 Oct 1954-Jan 1966
• 6938th Radio Squadron Mobile (RSM), Apr 1955
• 7222d Air Base Squadron, 1 Aug 1955-1 Jan 1958
• Det 1, 7206th Spt Group, 1 Jan 1958
• 6930th Radio Group, Mobile (RGM) (6931st Scty Gp), 1 Apr 1958-1 Jul 1963

Redesignated: 6931st Security Group (SG) 1 Jul 1963-1 Oct 1978

• 6931st Security Squadron (SS), 1 Jul 1974-1 Oct 1979

Redesignated: 6931st Electronic Security Squadron (ESS), 1 Oct 1979-30 Sep 1993

• 7276th Air Base Group, 1 Oct 1978—30 Sep 1993
• 2115th Communications Squadron, 2 Mar 1979-30 Sep 1993

USAF Hosptial Iraklion 1985-1987

Operational history

A non-flying facility, Iraklion Air Station (Iraklion AS) began operations in support of activities of the 1603rd Air Transport Wing and other USAFE liaison operations in Crete beginning on the 5th of October, 1954. The base also supported units of USAFE and NATO as directed. The base provided administrative and logistical support to the 6931st Electronic Security Squadron, as well as policy guidance in administrative, logistical and support matters for all regular and other tenant organizations at Iraklion AS, and as well as other dispersed U.S. Department of Defense units located on the island of Crete from October 1st, 1978, until the closure of the base in 1993. Iraklion AS also provided liaison and base support services for the United States Embassy located in Athens

Athens

Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...

, Greece.

Since the station's closure in 1993, the facility has been abandoned and appears to have been looted and vandalized. It is in an unkempt state being taken over by weeds. Currently, an aquarium known as the Cretaquarium

Cretaquarium

Cretaquarium or Thalassocosmos is a public aquarium located near the town of Gournes in Crete, Greece, 15 km east of the city of Heraklion....

and an exhibition center are housed at the site.