Naval Air Station Dallas
Encyclopedia
Naval Air Station Dallas (also Hensley Field) was a United States Navy
Naval Air Station
located on Mountain Creek Lake
in southwest Dallas. The installation was originally established as an Army Aviation center, and eventually became home to aviation assets from all the military services. The facility was decommissioned in December 1998. The base was later recommissioned as it is today, with the half that housed the aircraft-related facilities (such as the runway, hangars, etc.) going to the Texas Air National Guard
, and the half with the bulk of non-aircraft related facilities going to the Army Reserves and small area to Marine Forces Reserve. Vought Aircraft Industries operates a government-owned, contractor-operated (GOCO) plant adjacent to NAS Dallas.
The City of Dallas established Hensley Field in August 1929 as a training field for reserve pilots. The facility was named for Major William N. Hensley, a flying instructor located near Dallas in the 1920s and one of the few on board the first trans-Atlantic
dirigible crossing in 1919.
The city leased the site to the United States Army
for a dollar a year. The field became the Air Corps Reserve Base in the Eighth Corps Area. At the beginning of World War II
, the Army extended their lease to 40 years. In March 1941, the Navy began maintaining operations at the base and shortly afterward established a naval reserve training base on 160 acres (0.7 km2) adjacent to Hensley Field.
In December 1941 Hensley Field became headquarters of the Midwest Area of the Air Corps Ferrying Command, after Maj. Thomas D. Ferguson, commander of the field, was made control officer for the Middle West Area of the United States.
The installation was closed in 1998 as part of the 1993 Base Realignment and Closure
conducted by the Department of Defense, but partially reopened in the early 21st-century to accommodate military training requirements.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Naval Air Station
Naval Air Station
A Naval Air Station is a military airbase, and consists of a permanent land-based operations locations for the military aviation division of the relevant branch of their Navy...
located on Mountain Creek Lake
Mountain Creek Lake
Mountain Creek Lake is a reservoir located southwest of downtown Dallas, Texas in the Mountain Creek area of the city. It is located south of SH 180, west of Spur 408, north of I-20, and east of FM 1382. The defunct Naval Air Station Dallas is located on the northwestern shore of the lake...
in southwest Dallas. The installation was originally established as an Army Aviation center, and eventually became home to aviation assets from all the military services. The facility was decommissioned in December 1998. The base was later recommissioned as it is today, with the half that housed the aircraft-related facilities (such as the runway, hangars, etc.) going to the Texas Air National Guard
Texas Air National Guard
The Texas Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Texas and a component of the Texas Military Forces...
, and the half with the bulk of non-aircraft related facilities going to the Army Reserves and small area to Marine Forces Reserve. Vought Aircraft Industries operates a government-owned, contractor-operated (GOCO) plant adjacent to NAS Dallas.
History
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
dirigible crossing in 1919.
The city leased the site to the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
for a dollar a year. The field became the Air Corps Reserve Base in the Eighth Corps Area. At the beginning of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Army extended their lease to 40 years. In March 1941, the Navy began maintaining operations at the base and shortly afterward established a naval reserve training base on 160 acres (0.7 km2) adjacent to Hensley Field.
In December 1941 Hensley Field became headquarters of the Midwest Area of the Air Corps Ferrying Command, after Maj. Thomas D. Ferguson, commander of the field, was made control officer for the Middle West Area of the United States.
The installation was closed in 1998 as part of the 1993 Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
conducted by the Department of Defense, but partially reopened in the early 21st-century to accommodate military training requirements.
Tenant units
- Texas Army National GuardTexas Army National GuardThe Texas Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army, the United States National Guard and the Texas Military Forces . Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support...
- HHC 2-149 AV
- Texas Air National GuardTexas Air National GuardThe Texas Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Texas and a component of the Texas Military Forces...
- 254th Combat Communications Group
- 221st Combat Communications Squadron
- Marine Forces Reserve
- 2nd Battalion 14th Marines2nd Battalion 14th Marines2nd Battalion, 14th Marines is a reserve artillery battalion comprising three firing batteries and a headquarters battery. The battalion is based in Grand Prairie, Texas and as of early 2006 has become the first fully operational HIMARS battery in the Marine Corps-Mission:Augment and reinforce...
- Marine Aircraft Group 41Marine Aircraft Group 41Marine Aircraft Group 41 is a United States Marine Corps reserve aviation unit based at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas that is currently composed of one F/A-18A+ squadron, one KC-130T squadron, a Maintenance and Logistics squadron, as well as detachments from Engineer and...
- Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 41Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 41Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 41 is a reserve aviation logistics support unit of the United States Marine Corps. They fall under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 41 and 4th Marine Aircraft Wing and are currently based at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth...
- Marine Wing Support Squadron 471Marine Wing Support Squadron 471Marine Wing Support Squadron 471 is a United States Marine Corps Reserve aviation ground support unit. Headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota with outlying detachments in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and Mount Clemens, Michigan...
- Marine Fighting Squadron 111VMF-111Marine Fighting Squadron 111 was a reserve fighter squadron in the United States Marine Corps. Nicknamed the “Devil Dogs”, the squadron was one of the first aviation squadrons in the Marine Corps and gained national attention in the 1930s as the Marine Corps show unit...
- Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 112VMFA-112Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 112 is a reserve United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadron. The squadron is based at NASJRB Fort Worth, Texas and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 41 , 4th Marine Aircraft Wing...
- Marine Fighting Squadron 413VMF-413Marine Fighting Squadron 413 was a fighter squadron of the Marine Forces Reserve during the Cold War. It descended from bombing squadron VMB-413, which was the Marine Corps' first medium bomber squadron and had fought during World War II...
- Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 762
- Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 772, Detachment 'B'HMH-772Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 772 is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of CH-53E Super Stallion transport helicopters...
- Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 777
- Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 41
- 2nd Battalion 14th Marines
- United States Army Reserves
See also
- Texas World War II Army AirfieldsTexas World War II Army AirfieldsIn today's United States Air Force, many personnel have spent some of their military service being trained in Texas during World War II. Be it basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, technical training, officer training, or flight training at other facilities across the state...