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{{Short description|Former US Air Force base in
{{For|the civil use of this facility and airport information|Castle Airport}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
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| coordinates = {{Coord|37|22|50|N|120|34|05|W|type:airport|display=inline,title}}
| type = [[Air Force Base]]
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| ownership =
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| condition =
| built = 1941
| builder =
| used = 1941–1995
| materials =
| demolished =
| battles =
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[[File:Mercedaaf-1142.JPG|thumb|Merced Army Airfield, November 1942]]
'''Castle Air Force Base''' ('''Castle AFB''', 1941–1995) is a former [[United States Air Force]] [[Strategic Air Command]] base in [[California]],
The [[Central Valley (California)|Central Valley]] base in [[Unincorporated area|unincorporated]] [[Merced County, California|Merced County]] was closed in 1995, pursuant to a [[1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission|Base Realignment and Closure Commission]] decision
==History==
The airfield was opened on 20 September 1941 as the '''Army Air Force Basic Flying School''', one of the fields
[[Merced Army Airfield auxiliary fields|Auxiliary air fields]] used by '''Merced Army Air Field''' (as the site was known at the time) during the war were:
* [[Merced Municipal Airport Auxiliary Field No. 1]] {{Coord|37|20|01|N|120|30|30|W}}
* [[Turlock Municipal Airport|Ballico Auxiliary Field No. 2]] {{Coord|37|29|02|N|120|41|50|W}}
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=== 93d Bombardment Wing ===
[[File:B-52-castleafb-1957.jpg|thumb|Three B-52Bs of the 93d Bomb Wing prepare to depart [[March AFB]] for Castle AFB, after their record-setting round-the-world flight in 1957.]]
Merced Army Air Field became '''Castle Field''' on 17 January 1946, named for [[Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier General]] [[Frederick Walker Castle|Frederick Castle]]. On Christmas Eve 1944, Castle remained at the controls of his burning [[Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress|B-17 Flying Fortress]] over [[European theatre of World War II|Europe]] while his crew bailed out, then was killed when the aircraft exploded; he was posthumously awarded the [[Medal of Honor]].
The [[93d Bombardment Group]] (Very Heavy) was activated at Merced on 21 June 1946, starting a nearly 50-year relationship with the airfield. The 93rd was a former [[Eighth Air Force]] [[B-24 Liberator]] group which was assigned to Merced for [[Boeing B-29 Superfortress]] training. The 93rd was one of SAC's first ten bomb groups. There were three initial operational squadrons (328th, 329th, and 330th) which absorbed the equipment and aircraft of the inactivated 444th BG.
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On 1 October 1946, the base was put on "minimal operations on caretaker status," with control of the facility under the Colorado Springs AAF. The 93rd Bomb Group, however remained active. It, along with the [[509th Operations Group|509th Composite Group]] at [[Walker Air Force Base|Roswell Army Air Field]], [[New Mexico]], was all there was of [[Strategic Air Command]] at that time. The base remained in this status until 1 May 1947 when it was reactivated.
On 1 May 1947, Castle Field was reactivated under [[Strategic Air Command]]. On 28 July 1947, the '''93rd Bombardment Wing, (Very Heavy)''' was established and took over responsibility from the group. During 1947–1948, it flew [[B-29|Boeing B-29 Superfortresses]], but soon received the upgraded version of the B-29, the [[Boeing B-50 Superfortress]]. In 1948, the entire wing deployed to [[Kadena AB]], [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]], becoming the first [[Strategic Air Command]] bomb group to deploy in full strength to the Far East.
Castle Field was renamed Castle Air Force Base on 13 January 1948, this following the establishment of the USAF as a separate military service in September 1947.
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The 93d Bombardment Wing (Medium) received its first [[Boeing B-47]]s in May 1954, but its involvement with the new Stratojet was curtailed on 29 June 1955 when the wing received the first production line [[B-52|Boeing B-52B Stratofortress]], making it the first SAC bomb wing to receive the new aircraft. The wing became SAC's primary B-52 aircrew training organization, incorporating KC-135 aircrew training for the air refueling mission in mid-1956. For this purpose, it set up the 4017th Combat Crew Training Squadron which was supposed to handle all B-52 crew training for the next few years. When the mission of B-52 training became too great a task for just one squadron, the Wing's other three squadrons took over the flight training role and the 4017th assumed responsibility for ground instruction in 1956. The 93d was SAC's primary B-52 training organization and retained some of its B-47s until 1956 for crew training purposes. It was one of the few wings in SAC to concurrently operate both the B-47 and B-52.
In November 1956, the wing made non-stop B-52 flights of some {{convert|16000|nmi|km|-2}} around North America and to the North Pole.
Although most of the wing's components were used for B-52 and KC-135 aircrew training between 1956 and 1995, one or more of its units sometimes participated in tactical operations, including tactical bombardment and aerial refueling.
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===Closure===
The end of the [[Cold War]] brought many changes to the Air Force, and Castle AFB was selected for closure under the [[Base Realignment and Closure|Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of
On 1 June 1992 the 93d was relieved from assignment to SAC and was reassigned to the newly formed [[Air Combat Command]] (ACC). It was then redesignated as the 93d Bomb Wing, its B-52G aircraft given the ACC tail code of "CA" and the marking of blue tail stripes. The
However, the
==Civilian use==
As of 2008, local government plans to convert the dormant facility to civilian commercial use has become an active political issue. {{Citation needed|date=September 2008}} It has been identified as the preferred location for the central maintenance facility of the proposed [[California High-Speed Rail]] system.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mercedsunstar.com/181/v-print/story/898438.html |title=Our View: Don't change high-speed rail deal now |author=Merced Sun-Star newspaper website |access-date=2009-06-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090814182209/http://www.mercedsunstar.com/181/v-print/story/898438.html |archive-date=14 August 2009 }}</ref><ref>
The [[University of California, Merced]] maintains a research site on the former base, which was its first facility before construction of the main campus in [[Merced, California|Merced]].
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[[United States Penitentiary, Atwater]] stands on a portion of the grounds of the former Air Force Base.
In 2011, [[Google]] leased 60 acres (24 ha) in order to test the development of their new project, the [[autonomous car|self-driving car]],<ref name="Google">{{cite news|last1=Patton|first1=Victor|title=Google set to lease Castle site for self-driving car program|url=http://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/local/article3284530.html|access-date=14 December 2014|work=Merced Sun-Star|date=24 January 2014}}</ref> which has become [[Waymo]]. Google
In 2021, Merced County completed a $2.1 million expansion project of the automotive research and testing complex located at Castle (pictured). Known as TRC—California, the site includes a 2.2-mile oval test track, a one-mile city course and two large vehicle dynamics areas. The 225-acre site is already attracting a significant amount of business interest from major car companies. The County expects expansion to continue in the coming years as testing demand at the site increases.
In addition to vehicle technology, Castle has also become a focal point for goods movement. In February 2022, the Board of Supervisors approved an agreement with Patriot Rail to establish a rail district at Castle Commerce Center. That district became operational in May 2022 and is located near the southeastern corner of Castle. The rail district will enhance the ability of agricultural producers, manufacturers and other enterprises from throughout the San Joaquin Valley to quickly and efficiently ship and receive products via the BNSF railroad mainline, which runs adjacent to the site. A rail spur from the BNSF lines currently connects to Castle, and Patriot Rail will soon develop additional infrastructure to facilitate enhanced rail freight service from the location.
The County is expecting more growth at Castle in the future. In order to make more room at the site and improve Castle’s versatility and safety, Merced County demolished old dormitory buildings in 2022 that were uninhabitable and unusable, paving the way for future development while eliminating blight and hazards to public safety.
[[Tesla, Inc.]] was spotted testing their [[Cybertruck]] at the site in October 2021.
==Previous names==
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* [[Air Combat Command]], 1 June 1992 – 30 September 1995
Note: Base directed to revert to "minimum operations on caretaker status;' 1 Oct 1946; base under administrative control of Colorado Springs Army Air Base, Colorado, 1 Nov 1946
==Major units assigned==
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* 89th Air Base Group, 3 November 1941 – 15 December 1942
* 90th Base HQ and Air Base Sq, 13 June 1942
* [[35th Flying Training Wing (World War II)|35th Flying Training Wing]], 8 June
* 3026th AAF Base Unit, 1 May 1944 – 30 June 1945
* 446th AAF Base Unit, 1–18 July 1945
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==Notable people==
* [[Ray Allen]], a [[Military brat (U.S. subculture)|military child]], was born at the base on 20 July 1975.
* [[Our Gang]] (
▲[[Our Gang]] (A.k.a. The Little Rascals) member, [[Bobby Hutchins|Bobby "Weezer" Hutchins]] was killed in a mid-air collision on 17 May 1945, while attending flight school during [[WWII]].
==See also==
{{Portal|
* [[California World War II Army Airfields]]
* [[35th Flying Training Wing (World War II)]]
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* ''[[Bombers B-52]]'' Starring Natalie Wood and Karl Malden. Parts of the movie were filmed at Castle.
==References and
{{Commons category|Castle Air Force Base}} ▼
{{Air Force Historical Research Agency}}
{{Reflist}}
* Endicott, Judy G. (1999) ''Active Air Force wings as of 1 October 1995; USAF active flying, space, and missile squadrons as of 1 October 1995''. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. CD-ROM.
* Yawger, Doane. "Former Air Force One Lands in Atwater." Merced Sun-Star 16 Oct. 2013:n.pag. Merced Sun-Star. Web. 5 Mary 2014.▼
* Manning, Thomas A. (2005), ''History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002''. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas
*Patton, Victor. "Google Set to Lease Castle Site for Self-Driving Car." Merced Sun-Star [Merced] 24 Jan. 2014: n. pag. Print.▼
*
*
▲* Patton, Victor. "Google Set to Lease Castle Site for Self-Driving Car." ''Merced Sun-Star'' [Merced] 24 Jan. 2014: n. pag. Print.
* Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). ''Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977''. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. {{ISBN|0-912799-12-9}}.
* Rogers, Brian (2005). ''United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978''. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications. {{ISBN|1-85780-197-0}}.
* Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), ''Locating Air Force Base Sites,
▲* Yawger, Doane. "Former Air Force One Lands in Atwater." ''Merced Sun-Star'' 16 Oct. 2013: n.pag.
▲* Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas ASIN: B000NYX3PC
==External links==
* [
* [http://www.strategic-air-command.com/bases/Castle_AFB.htm Castle AFB at Strategic-Air-Command.com]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140714231313/http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2013/10/16/3280244/former-air-force-one-lands-in.html Atwater: Former Air Force One lands at Castle in Atwater | Local News | Merced Sun-Star]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140523225719/http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2014/01/24/3458766/google-set-to-lease-castle-site.html Google set to lease Castle site for self-driving car program | Local News | Merced Sun-Star]
{{Atwater, California}}
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[[Category:Buildings and structures in Merced County, California]]
[[Category:Formerly Used Defense Sites in California]]
[[Category:Installations of Strategic Air Command
[[Category:Initial United States Air Force installations]]
[[Category:Military installations closed in 1995]]
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