Portland Air National Guard Base
Encyclopedia
Portland Air National Guard Base is a United States Air Force
base, located at Portland International Airport
, Oregon. It is located 5.5 miles (8.9 km) northeast of Portland, Oregon
.
, Oregon Air National Guard
. The 142d FW participates around the globe supporting drug interdiction, USAFE air defense, as well as contingency operations such as Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. To complete these missions, four groups are assigned to the 142nd Fighter Wing: 142nd Maintenance Group, 142nd Operations Group, 142nd Mission Support Group and the 142nd Medical Group.
In addition, the Portland, Oregon Air National Guard Base is host to several tenant units.
On 1 July 1940 the GHQ Air Force Northwest Air District established a small depot to provide service for military aircraft using the airport. The 57th Service Squadron moved to the airport from Hamilton Field
, California on 31 March 1941, the Air Corps facilities being designated Portland Army Air Base. Due to tensions between the United States and the Japanese Empire, the Oregon National Guard, sent its 123d Observation Squadron with North American O-47
s to conduct patrols over the Columbia River
approaches and the Oregon Pacific Ocean
coastline.
The initial Air Corps use of the base was when Northwest Air District moved the 55th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) to the new base in late May 1941 from Hamilton Field. Three squadrons of P-43 Lancer
s (the predecessor to the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt) operated from the base. Portland AAB was also used as a transport field, with the 64th Transport Group at March Field, California stationing its 16th Transport Squadron at the base in July 1941 with C-47s. Later, during World War II, the base was a very active air transport center handling about 47 military transport landings a day.
sent the B-25 Mitchell
-equipped 34th Bombardment Squadron (as part of the Sierra Bombardment Group
) to conduct antisubmarine and coastal patrols along the Pacific Coast. The P-43s from the 55th PG also flew reconnaissance missions until February 1942 when they were moved to Paine Field
, Washington (although two of the squadrons had been dispersed to various fields in the Pacific Northwest right after the attack).
The 42d Bombardment Group used Portland for a B-25 Mitchell
training base early in the war. Its 75th Bombardment Squadron
moved to the field in January 1942, and until March trained B-25 combat crews. The squadron itself was deployed to New Caledonia
in April and entered combat in June of that year.
The 28th Composite Group at Elmendorf Field, Alaska Territory
stationed its 406th Bombardment Squadron at Portland during the summer and fall of 1942 as a B-25 OTU. Pilots and crews were then deployed to the Aleutian Campaign. The squadron moved to Alaska in November to engage the Japanese in combat, after the end of the campaign in October 1943, it returned briefly to Portland in October 1943 for re-equipping with new B-25s from North American before again deploying to RAF Alconbury
, England. The 47th Bombardment Squadron (41st Bombardment Group) also received B-25s at Portland prior to its deployment to the Pacific Theater at Tarawa.
In late 1943, IV Fighter Command
established a third-phase fighter training program at Portland, to finish training of squadrons after their initial formation. The 354th Fighter Group moved to field in October 1943, and flew P-39 Aircobras for about a month before deploying to England
. The 354th, however was the only combat unit to train at Portland, with Fourth Air Force
converting the field to a replacement training field. The 372d Fighter Group
was assigned to Portland in November 1943, and performed the RTU mission with three squadrons of P-39s until March 1944. It was reassigned to Third Air Force
in Louisiana in April 1944.
With the departure of the fighter RTU in April 1944, Portland Army Air Base returned to its transport mission for the remainder of the war, being operated jointly with the civilian airport. It was inactivated in 1946.
(TAC) re-established a United States Air Force
presence at Portland Airport, Portland Air Force Base being activated as a joint military/civil facility.
The Air Force Reserve 349th Troop Carrier Group at Hamilton AFB, California began deploying C-46 Commando
transports of several troop carrier squadrons to the airport under the TAC Twelfth Reserve Area. In 1949, the USAFR 403d Troop Carrier Wing, Medium, was stationed at the airport. In 1952, the 406th deployed to Far East Air Forces in Japan
for Korean War
duty. It returned to Portland in 1953 and remained until 1947, flying C-119 Flying Boxcar
s until being moved to Selfridge AFB, Michigan.
In March 1948, Air Defense Command (ADC) activated the an AN/TPS-1B radar at Portland Airport. It was installed and activated on a 24-hour-a-day basis in March 1948 as an 'Interim' site to protect the air approaches to Hanford, Washington
. In August 1950, the site was incorporated into the 'Lashup' system, given designation "L-33". In 1951 the AN/TPS-1B search radar was joined by an AN/CPS-5 search radar. Operations ceased in February 1952 with the activation of site "P-12" at North Bend AFS in southern Oregon.
In 1952 jurisdiction of Portland AFB was transferred from TAC to Air Defense Command. ADC activated the 503d Air Defense Group
on 1 February 1952. The 503d ADG controlled the F-94 Starfire 497th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and the F-86D Sabre 357th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron from the base. In 1955, the group was re-designated as the 357th Fighter Group. The 357th remained at Portland, controlling several interceptor squadrons until 30 March 1966 when ADC inactivated the base.
371st Fighter Group
.
After Air Defense Command closed its facilities in 1966, Portland AFB was inactivated and the military facilities were reduced in size. The 142nd Fighter Interceptor Group became the host unit of the military facilities at Portland International Airport. Around 1990, the Air Force facilities were designated as Portland Air National Guard Base, being a secure facility on the south side of the main airport runway and remaining a very active presence at the airport. BRAC 2005 brought the F-15C/D to the unit, replacing its early 1970s A/B model Eagles. In addition, the commission retained the wing's Expeditionary Combat Support elements, along with the 244th and 272d Combat Communications Squadrons (ANG), and the 304th Rescue Squadron (AFR) at the base.
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...
base, located at Portland International Airport
Portland International Airport
Portland International Airport is a joint civil-military airport and the largest airport in the U.S. state of Oregon, accounting for 90% of passenger travel and more than 95% of air cargo of the state. It is located within Portland's city limits just south of the Columbia River in Multnomah...
, Oregon. It is located 5.5 miles (8.9 km) northeast of Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
.
Overview
The base is the home of the 142d Fighter Wing142d Fighter Wing
The United States Air Force's 142d Fighter Wing is a unit located in Oregon.-Mission:To serve the nation, State, and community by providing mission-ready units, personnel and equipment for:* Air defense of the Pacific Northwest....
, Oregon Air National Guard
Oregon Air National Guard
The Oregon Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is, along with the Oregon Army National Guard, an element of the Oregon National Guard...
. The 142d FW participates around the globe supporting drug interdiction, USAFE air defense, as well as contingency operations such as Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. To complete these missions, four groups are assigned to the 142nd Fighter Wing: 142nd Maintenance Group, 142nd Operations Group, 142nd Mission Support Group and the 142nd Medical Group.
In addition, the Portland, Oregon Air National Guard Base is host to several tenant units.
- 125th Special Tactics Sq.
- 366th OL-A Communications Sq.
- 123rd Weather Flight
- Air Force Reserve 304th Rescue Squadron.
History
The base's history begins in 1936 when Works Progress Administration (WPA) funding allowed the City of Portland to purchase 700 acres of land along the Columbia River and bordering the Columbia Slough for a "Super Airport.", to replace an earlier faculty established in 1926.On 1 July 1940 the GHQ Air Force Northwest Air District established a small depot to provide service for military aircraft using the airport. The 57th Service Squadron moved to the airport from Hamilton Field
Hamilton Field
Hamilton Field may refer to:* Hamilton Air Force Base, a former U.S. Air Force Base located on San Francisco Bay, California, United States.* Hamilton Field , an airport located in Derby, Kansas, United States....
, California on 31 March 1941, the Air Corps facilities being designated Portland Army Air Base. Due to tensions between the United States and the Japanese Empire, the Oregon National Guard, sent its 123d Observation Squadron with North American O-47
North American O-47
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Eden, Paul and Soph Moeng. The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. London: Amber Books Ltd., 2002. ISBN 0-7607-3432-1.* Fahey, James C. U.S. Army Aircraft 1908-1946. New York: Ships and Aircraft, 1946....
s to conduct patrols over the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
approaches and the Oregon Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
coastline.
The initial Air Corps use of the base was when Northwest Air District moved the 55th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) to the new base in late May 1941 from Hamilton Field. Three squadrons of P-43 Lancer
P-43 Lancer
The Republic P-43 Lancer was a single-engine, all-metal, low-wing monoplane fighter aircraft built by Republic, first delivered to the United States Army Air Corps in 1940. A proposed development was the P-44 Rocket. While no world-beater as a fighter, the P-43A had a very good high-altitude...
s (the predecessor to the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt) operated from the base. Portland AAB was also used as a transport field, with the 64th Transport Group at March Field, California stationing its 16th Transport Squadron at the base in July 1941 with C-47s. Later, during World War II, the base was a very active air transport center handling about 47 military transport landings a day.
World War II
After the Pearl Harbor Attack, the 17th Bombardment Group at Pendleton AirportPendleton Airport
Pendleton Airport, , is located northwest of Pendleton, Ontario, Canada, east of Ottawa. The airfield is currently operated by the Gatineau Gliding Club.-History:...
sent the B-25 Mitchell
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
-equipped 34th Bombardment Squadron (as part of the Sierra Bombardment Group
Sierra Bombardment Group
The Sierra Bombardment Group was a provisional United States Army Air Corps organization. It was established on 8 December 1941 at Minter Field, California. It consisted of air crews and ten B-17E Flying Fortresses formerly assigned to the 7th Bombardment Group 32d Bombardment Squadron and 427th...
) to conduct antisubmarine and coastal patrols along the Pacific Coast. The P-43s from the 55th PG also flew reconnaissance missions until February 1942 when they were moved to Paine Field
Paine Field
Paine Field, also known as Snohomish County Airport is a public airport located in unincorporated Snohomish County, between Mukilteo and Everett, Washington...
, Washington (although two of the squadrons had been dispersed to various fields in the Pacific Northwest right after the attack).
The 42d Bombardment Group used Portland for a B-25 Mitchell
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
training base early in the war. Its 75th Bombardment Squadron
75th Bombardment Squadron
The 75th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 4039th Strategic Wing, stationed at Griffiss Air Force Base, New York. It was inactivated on 1 February 1963.-History:...
moved to the field in January 1942, and until March trained B-25 combat crews. The squadron itself was deployed to New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
in April and entered combat in June of that year.
The 28th Composite Group at Elmendorf Field, Alaska Territory
Alaska Territory
The Territory of Alaska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 24, 1912, until January 3, 1959, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Alaska...
stationed its 406th Bombardment Squadron at Portland during the summer and fall of 1942 as a B-25 OTU. Pilots and crews were then deployed to the Aleutian Campaign. The squadron moved to Alaska in November to engage the Japanese in combat, after the end of the campaign in October 1943, it returned briefly to Portland in October 1943 for re-equipping with new B-25s from North American before again deploying to RAF Alconbury
RAF Alconbury
RAF Alconbury is an active Royal Air Force station in Cambridgeshire, England. The airfield is adjacent to the Stukeleys [Great and Little] and located about northwest of Huntingdon; about north of London....
, England. The 47th Bombardment Squadron (41st Bombardment Group) also received B-25s at Portland prior to its deployment to the Pacific Theater at Tarawa.
In late 1943, IV Fighter Command
IV Fighter Command
The IV Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Fourth Air Force, based at Oakland Airport, California...
established a third-phase fighter training program at Portland, to finish training of squadrons after their initial formation. The 354th Fighter Group moved to field in October 1943, and flew P-39 Aircobras for about a month before deploying to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The 354th, however was the only combat unit to train at Portland, with Fourth Air Force
Fourth Air Force
The Fourth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve . It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California....
converting the field to a replacement training field. The 372d Fighter Group
372d Fighter Group
The 372d Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Third Air Force, stationed at Alexandria Army Air Base, Louisiana. It was inactivated on 7 November 1945....
was assigned to Portland in November 1943, and performed the RTU mission with three squadrons of P-39s until March 1944. It was reassigned to Third Air Force
Third Air Force
The Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
in Louisiana in April 1944.
With the departure of the fighter RTU in April 1944, Portland Army Air Base returned to its transport mission for the remainder of the war, being operated jointly with the civilian airport. It was inactivated in 1946.
Cold War
In 1947, the Tactical Air CommandTactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
(TAC) re-established 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...
presence at Portland Airport, Portland Air Force Base being activated as a joint military/civil facility.
The Air Force Reserve 349th Troop Carrier Group at Hamilton AFB, California began deploying C-46 Commando
C-46 Commando
The Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft originally derived from a commercial high-altitude airliner design. It was instead used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C...
transports of several troop carrier squadrons to the airport under the TAC Twelfth Reserve Area. In 1949, the USAFR 403d Troop Carrier Wing, Medium, was stationed at the airport. In 1952, the 406th deployed to Far East Air Forces in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
for Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
duty. It returned to Portland in 1953 and remained until 1947, flying C-119 Flying Boxcar
C-119 Flying Boxcar
The Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechanized equipment, and to drop cargo and troops by parachute...
s until being moved to Selfridge AFB, Michigan.
In March 1948, Air Defense Command (ADC) activated the an AN/TPS-1B radar at Portland Airport. It was installed and activated on a 24-hour-a-day basis in March 1948 as an 'Interim' site to protect the air approaches to Hanford, Washington
Hanford, Washington
Hanford was a small agricultural community in Benton County, Washington, United States. It was evacuated in 1943 along with the town of White Bluffs in order to make room for the nuclear production facility known as the Hanford Site...
. In August 1950, the site was incorporated into the 'Lashup' system, given designation "L-33". In 1951 the AN/TPS-1B search radar was joined by an AN/CPS-5 search radar. Operations ceased in February 1952 with the activation of site "P-12" at North Bend AFS in southern Oregon.
In 1952 jurisdiction of Portland AFB was transferred from TAC to Air Defense Command. ADC activated the 503d Air Defense Group
503d Air Defense Group
The 503d Air Defense Group is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 25th Air Division, being stationed at Portland International Airport, Oregon...
on 1 February 1952. The 503d ADG controlled the F-94 Starfire 497th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and the F-86D Sabre 357th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron from the base. In 1955, the group was re-designated as the 357th Fighter Group. The 357th remained at Portland, controlling several interceptor squadrons until 30 March 1966 when ADC inactivated the base.
Oregon Air National Guard
The 142d Fighter Group was activated at Portland on 1 March 1951. The Group being allocated to the Oregon ANG on 24 May 1946, being re-designated from the World War IIWorld 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...
371st Fighter Group
371st Fighter Group
The 371st Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Army Service Forces stationed at Camp Shanks , New Jersey...
.
After Air Defense Command closed its facilities in 1966, Portland AFB was inactivated and the military facilities were reduced in size. The 142nd Fighter Interceptor Group became the host unit of the military facilities at Portland International Airport. Around 1990, the Air Force facilities were designated as Portland Air National Guard Base, being a secure facility on the south side of the main airport runway and remaining a very active presence at the airport. BRAC 2005 brought the F-15C/D to the unit, replacing its early 1970s A/B model Eagles. In addition, the commission retained the wing's Expeditionary Combat Support elements, along with the 244th and 272d Combat Communications Squadrons (ANG), and the 304th Rescue Squadron (AFR) at the base.
Major units assigned
- 55th Pursuit Group, 21 May 1941-10 February 1942
- 354th Fighter Group, 2 June–5 October 1943
- 372d Fighter Group372d Fighter GroupThe 372d Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Third Air Force, stationed at Alexandria Army Air Base, Louisiana. It was inactivated on 7 November 1945....
, 7 December 1943-29 March 1944 - 337th Fighter Group337th Fighter GroupThe 337th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, Portland Air Defense Sector, stationed at Portland Airport, Oregon. It was inactivated on 30 March 1966.-History:...
, 18 August 1955-30 March 1966 - 403d Troop Carrier Wing, 27 June 1949-29 March 1952; 1 January 1953-16 November 1957
- 454th Bombardment Wing454th Bombardment WingThe 454th Bombardment Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Strategic Air Command 42d Air Division, stationed at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. It was inactivated on 25 July 1968....
, 13 June 1952–1 January 1953 - 503d Air Defense Group503d Air Defense GroupThe 503d Air Defense Group is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 25th Air Division, being stationed at Portland International Airport, Oregon...
, 16 February 1953
- Re-designated: 337th Fighter Group337th Fighter GroupThe 337th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, Portland Air Defense Sector, stationed at Portland Airport, Oregon. It was inactivated on 30 March 1966.-History:...
(Air Defense), 18 August 1955-25 March 1966- 460th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 18 May 1955-30 March 1966
- 136th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron (Federalized TX ANG) 1 February 1952-1 October 1953
- 123d Fighter Interceptor Squadron (Federalized OR ANG), 10 February 1951
- 460th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 18 May 1955-30 March 1966
- Replaced by: 357th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1 November 1952-25 May 1953
- 497th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 18 February 1953-18 August 1955
- 689th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, 1 October 1953-1 July 1956
See also
- List of USAF Aerospace Defense Command General Surveillance Radar Stations
- Aerospace Defense Command Fighter SquadronsAerospace Defense Command Fighter SquadronsThe second iteration of Aerospace Defense Command was established on 21 March 1946 as a component of the United States Army Air Forces, with the mission of planning for and executing the air defense of the United States...