Riverside California Military Base - March Air Reserve Base (IATA: RIV, ICAO: KRIV, FAA LID: RIV) (March ARB), formerly known as March Air Force Base (March AFB), is located in Riverside County, California, between the cities of Riverside, Moro Valley, and Perris . It is home to the Air Force Reserve Command's Fourth Air Force (4 AF) headquarters and hosts the 452d Air Mobility Wing (452 ​​AMW), the largest air mobility wing of the Fourth Air Force.

In addition to several Air Force Reserve Command units supporting Air Mobility Command, Air Combat Command, and Pacific Air Forces, March ARB is also home to units from the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, California Air National Guard, and California Air National Guard. Army National Guard. For nearly 50 years, March AFB served as a strategic air command base during the Cold War. The facility covers 2,075 acres (840 ha) of land.

Riverside California Military Base

Riverside California Military Base

On 1 Jan 1994, the 722d Air Refueling Wing was activated at the AFB in March, replacing the 22d Air Refueling Wing, which was moving to McConnell AFB, KS, w/o/p/e.

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Today, the 452 AMW remains the host unit of the March, which in addition to its operational flight mission also provides host base support to many units. March JARB is also home to headquarters, the Air Force Reserve Command's 4th Air Force (4 AF) and several units of the California Air National Guard.

Since 1995, March ARB has hosted the contingency operations of the California Air National Guard's 144th Fighter Wing (144 FW), which is also operationally acquired by Air Combat Command. Prior to 2013, there were 144 FW F-16 Fighting Falcons on standby in March, originally consisting of F-16C/D Block 25 and F-16C/D Block 32. Following the wing's transition to the F-15 Eagle, 144 FW stations now contracted F- 16C Block 30 from South Dakota ANG (114th FW) to this operating location in support of USNORTHCOM and NORAD.

Civil Agcy air operations include the US Customs and Border Protection's permanent air unit as well as the California Department of Forestry's air unit, which uses the base intermittently.

Dragon Flight is the formation's civilian air demonstration team, established in March, sponsored by the March Field Aero Club. The team uses the T-34 Mtor and appears in the southwestern United States every year.

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The March Field Airfest, also known as Thunder Over the Empire, is a biennial air show held at the March ARB. It is one of the largest events in the Inland Empire and Riverside County. The show featured performers such as the USAF Thunderbirds, the F-22 Raptor and many other military and civilian displays. In 2010, the Patriots Jet Team became the flagship exhibition team. Attendance at the 2010 show was estimated at over 150,000.

March is one of the oldest airfields operated by the United States military, established as Alessandro Flying Training Field in February 1918. It was one of thirty-two Air Service training camps established following the United States' entry into World War I in April 1917. .

The airfield was picked up the following month for 2nd Lt. Peyton C. March, Jr., son of Army Chief of Staff Peyton C. March, who was killed in a plane crash in Texas just five days after he died. order.

Riverside California Military Base

The establishment of Mars Air Base began in the early 20th century, when the United States was rushing to build up its military forces in anticipation of the trial in World War I. In 1917, in response to reports from the front lines, Congressional appropriations attempted to support the plans of Geral George O. Squier, the Army's chief signal officer, "to plant Yankee strikes in the war by building up an army in the air."

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At the same time, the War Department announced its intention to build several new military facilities. The efforts of Frank Miller, owner of the Mission Inn in Riverside, California, Hiram Johnson, and others succeeded in obtaining approval from the War Department to build an airport at Alessandro Field near Riverside, an airfield used by Rockwell Field Airmen for flyovers. Earth. flights from San Diego.

The military quickly set about establishing a new airport. Sergeant Charles E. Garlick, who had landed at Alessandro Field in a Curtiss JN-4 "Jny" in November 1917, was selected to lead the four-meter advance contingent to the new base from Rockwell Field. On February 26, 1918, Garlick and his crew, along with a group of muleskinners from the nearby town of Colton, noted for their expertise in clearing land as well as their color syntax, began the task of digging the foundations of the building and 1 , 1918, Alessandro Flying It was opened training ground.

On March 20, 1918, Alessandro Flying Training Field became March Field, named for Second Lieutenant Peyton C. March, Jr., son of the Army Chief of Staff, who was killed when his Curtiss JN-4 "Jny" crashed in Fort Worth. , Texas the previous month. His accident occurred two weeks after he was commissioned into the regular air service of the US Army.

By the end of April 1918, sufficient progress had been made in the construction of the new field to allow the arrival of the first units. The commander of the 818th Aero Squadron, Captain William Carruthers, took over as the first field commander and for a time operated from an office in the Mission Inn. In a record time of 60 days, the grain plain in the Moro Valley was partially transformed into twelve hangars, six barracks equipped at 150 m each, dining rooms, machine room, switchboard, hospital, supply warehouse, aircraft repair building, quarters for individual officers and the commander's residence.

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Eventually, March Field saw the construction of about 50 buildings. It covered over 700 acres and could hold up to 1,000 people. Dozens of wooden buildings served as headquarters, maintenance and officers' quarters. party m had to bivouac in tts.

A Curtiss JN-4 "Jny" on a training flight during the First World War. This is the type of aircraft currently used at March Field for basic training of military pilots.

The first flying squadron was the 215th Aero Squadron, which was transferred from Rockwell Field, North Island, California. Later, the 68th and 289th were also relocated from Rockwell. Only a few US Army Air Service aircraft with squadrons arrived, most Curtiss JN-4 Jnys to be used for flight training were transported in wooden crates by rail car.

Riverside California Military Base

March Field served as a base for primary flight training with an eight-week course. It could hold a maximum of 300 stallions. In 1918, flight training took place in two phases: primary and extended. Primary training consisted of pilots learning basic flight skills through dual and solo instruction. After completing basic training at Mather, air cadets were transferred to another base for advanced training. The training units assigned to the march were:

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"According to the Associated Press in the Sun Riverside, Aug. 2 - William L. Ash, a flying cadet at March Field [sic], fell 1,000 feet in a corkscrew today and was seriously injured. He suffered a broken leg and arm. side tire. It is expected , that he would recover. Ash lived in Pittsburg, Kansas. This was the first serious accident at March Field. Ash was on his second solo flight when he went down.

With the outbreak of World War I on November 11, 1918, the future operational status of March Field was unknown. Many local officials speculated that the US government would keep the operation in the field because of the exceptional combat record achieved by the pilots trained in March in Europe. Locals also pointed out the optimal weather conditions in the Riverside area for flight training. Cadets in the flying formation were allowed to complete their training on 11 November 1918, but no new cadets were assigned to the base. In addition, the separate training squadrons were merged into a single section of the air school, as many of those affected were demobilized.

Boeing P-26A Peashooters of the 17th Pursuit Group, 18 February 1935. 33–102 is in the foreground. These aircraft were later incorporated into the 1st Fighter Squadron/Group of the Philippine Air Force in 1937.

JATO's first takeoff, an ERCO Ercoupe equipped with a GALCIT booster, in 1941, made at March Field

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The signing of the armistice in November 1918 did not interrupt training at March Field. Initially, the March was used by several Air Service squadrons returning from France:

On December 13, 1919, the United States House of Representatives passed a bill appropriating $9.6 million for the purchase of additional land in military camps "to be part of a permanent military establishment." March Field received $64,000 of that amount.

However, in 1921 it was decided to phase out all base activities in line with greatly reduced military budgets. However, in the spring of 1923, March Field was deactivated as an active duty airfield and a small guard unit was assigned to the facility for administrative reasons. It was used by aviation forestry

Riverside California Military Base

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