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Marine Corps Air Station Yuma
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Marine Corps Air Station Yuma | |
|---|---|
| Yuma, Arizona | |
 MCAS Yuma logo |
|
| Type | Military base |
| Built | 1928 |
| In use | 1959- present |
| Controlled by | USMC |
| Garrison | 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing |
Marine Corps Air Station Yuma (MCAS Yuma) is a United States Marine Corps air station which is the home to the AV-8B Harrier II's of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and also Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1.
The station is located 2 miles (3 km) from the city of Yuma, Arizona, at . Its ICAO airport code is KNYL. It occupies approximately 3,000 acres (12 km²), most of which is flat desert wilderness.
Contents |
- Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron
- Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1
- Marine Air Control Squadron 1
- Combat Logistics Company 16
- Marine Wing Support Squadron 371
- VMFT-401
- Marine Aircraft Group 13
In 1928, the federal government purchased 640 acres (2.6 km²) near Yuma at the recommendation of Colonel Benjamin F. Fly. Temporary dirt runways were installed for usage by military and civilian planes. It was called Fly Field.
The outbreak of World War II transformed the air field into the Yuma Army Air Base. It was primarily a training facility for pilots.
After the war, the base was downgraded to inactivity and claimed as a headquarters for the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Reclamation.
In the early 1950s the base was re-activated by the United States Air Force, once again becoming a training facility, as Vincent Air Force Base. This was named for General Clinton "Casey" Vincent who was one of Chennault's Flying Tigers in the China-Burma Theater and was the youngest General in Air Force history, he received his star at the age of 29. Vincent was the subject of a TIME magazine article titled "Up Youth", which covered the meteoric promotions of the Army and Air Force. Vincent was also the inspiration for the comic strip, "Terry and the Pirates".
In 1959, control of the base was passed over to the United States Navy and then, nine days later, to the United States Marine Corps. The base was retitled Marine Corps Air Station Yuma on July 20, 1962.
Use of the base continues up to the present day. It is the busiest air station in the Marine Corps. The site offers excellent year-round flying conditions and thousand of acres of open terrain.
