March Joint Air Reserve Base
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| March Joint Air Reserve Base
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| IATA: RIV – ICAO: KRIV – FAA: RIV | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Military | ||
| Owner | United States Air Force | ||
| Location | Riverside and Moreno Valley, California | ||
| Commander | Colonel Jeffrey K. Barnson | ||
| Occupants | 452d Air Mobility Wing 163d Reconnaissance Wing |
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| Elevation AMSL | 1,535 ft / 468 m | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Website | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 14/32 | 13,300 | 4,054 | Concrete |
| 12/30 | 3,010 | 917 | Asphalt |
| Sources: official web site[1] and FAA[2] | |||
- For the history and uses of this facility prior to 1993, see March Air Force Base
March Joint Air Reserve Base (IATA: RIV, ICAO: KRIV, FAA LID: RIV) is located in Riverside County, California between the cities of Riverside and Moreno Valley. It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Command's largest air mobility wing of the 4th Air Force[3]. In addition to multiple units of the Air Force Reserve Command 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 and the California Air National Guard.
March is one of the oldest airfields operated by the United States military, being established as Alessandro Flying Training Field in February 1918, being renamed March Field the following month (for 2nd LtPeyton C. March, Jr., the recently deceased son of then-Army Chief of Staff Peyton C. March).
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[edit] Units
The host unit at March is the Air Force Reserve's 452d Air Mobility Wing (452 AMW), which in addition to its operatinal flying mission, also provides host base support for numerous tenant units. March ARB is also the home to Headquarters, 4th Air Force (4 AF) of the Air Force Reserve Command and multiple units of the California Air National Guard.
March is currently home to eight C-17 Globemaster IIIs, the first to belong strictly to the Air Force Reserve Command, as well as twelve KC-135R Stratotanker air refueling aircraft (these tankers were the first in the Air Force Reserve to convert to the Block 40 Pacer CRAG modernization upgrade). The base is also used by the California Air National Guard's 163d Reconnaissance Wing (163 RW) operating the RQ-1 Predator, F-16C alert site/detachment operations of the California Air National Guard's 144th Fighter Wing (144 FW) and a U.S. Customs Air Unit. The California Department of Forestry also uses the base on an intermittent basis.
While the host unit is the 452 AMW, tenant organizations include the Fourth Air Force (4 AF) under Maj Gen Robert E. Duignan, the 163d Reconnaissance Wing, the 701st Combat Operations Squadron (701 COS), the 4th Combat Camera Squadron (4 CCS), the 144th Fighter Wing Detachment, the American Forces Radio and Television Service, the 362nd Recruiting Squadron, U.S. Customs, the March Aero Club, the March Field Air Museum, the Air Force Audit Agency, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Selective Service System Detachment 3-3, the 653d Area Support Group of the U.S. Army, Navy Operational Support Center, Marine Corps Reserve Center, an Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) Base Exchange, and the March Commissary administered by the Defense Commissary Agency (DECA).
[edit] History
The story of March Field began at a time when the United States was rushing to build up its military forces in anticipation of an entry into World War I. News from the front in Europe to those at home had not been good as it explained the horror and boundless human misery associated with stalemated trench warfare. Several European news sources reported significant German efforts at this time to build a fleet of flying machines that could well alter the nature of modern warfare and possibly carry the war to the skies. In response, Congressional appropriations in early 1917 in the neighborhood of $640,000,000 attempted to back the plans of General George O. Squier, the Army's chief signal officer, to "put the Yankee punch into the war by building an army in the air." At the same time, the War Department announced its intentions to build several new military installations. Efforts by Mr. Frank Miller, then owner of the Mission Inn in Riverside, Hiram Johnson and other California notables, succeeded in gaining War Department approval to construct an airfield at Alessandro Field located near Riverside, an airstrip used by aviators from Rockwell Field on cross-country flights from San Diego. A parade in Riverside on February 9, 1918 gave notice than an army flying field would soon be coming to Riverside.
The Army wasted no time in establishing a new airfield. Sergeant Charles E. Garlick, who had landed at Alessandro Field in a JN-4 Jenny in November 1917, was selected to lead the advance contingent of four men to the new base from Rockwell Field. On February 26, 1918, Garlick and his crew and a group of muleskinners from nearby Colton, known to be experts in clearing land as well as for their colorful syntax, began the task of excavating the building foundations at Alessandro. On March 20, 1918, Alessandro Flying Training Field became March Field, named in honor of Second Lieutenant Peyton C. March, Jr., son of the Army Chief of Staff, who had been killed in a flying accident in Texas the previous month. By late April 1918, enough progress had been made in the construction of the new field to allow the arrival of the first troops. The commander of the 818th Aero Squadron detachment, Captain William Carruthers, took over as the field's first commander and for a time operated out of an office in the Mission Inn. Within a record 60 days, the grain stubble-covered plain of Moreno Valley had been partially transformed to include twelve hangars, six barracks equipped for 150 men each, mess halls, a machine shop, post exchange, hospital, a supply depot, an aero repair building, bachelor officer's quarters and a residence for the commanding officer. On May 15 when the first JN-4D "Jenny" took off, March Field seemed to have come into its own as a training installation. The signing of the armistice on November 11, 1918, did not halt training at March Field initially, but by 1921 the decision had been made to phase down all activities at the new base in accordance with sharply reduced military budgets. In April 1923, March Field closed its doors with one sergeant left in charge.
March Field remained quiet for only a short time. In July 1926, Congress created the Army Air Corps and approved the Army's five-year plan which called for an expansion in pilot training and the activation of tactical units. Accordingly, funds were appropriated for the reopening of March Field in March of 1927. Colonel William C. Gardenhire, assigned to direct the refurbishment of the base, had just directed his crews to replace underpinnings of many of the previous buildings when he received word the future construction would be in Spanish Mission architectural design. In time, March Field would receive permanent structures. The rehabilitation effort was nearly complete in August 1927, when Major Millard F. Harmon reported in to take over the job of base commander and commandant of the flying school. Classes began shortly after his arrival. In the months ahead, Air Force leaders such as Hoyt Vandenberg, Nathan Twining, Thomas Power and Curtis LeMay completed their initial flight training at March Field. The base, however, was about to enter a new era.
As March Field began to take on the appearance of a permanent military installation, the base's basic mission changed. When Randolph Field, Texas began to function as a training site in 1931, March Field became an operational base. Before the end of the year, the 7th Bomb Group, commanded by Major Carl A. Spaatz, brought its Condor B-2 and Keystone B-4 bombers to the picturesque field. The activation of the 17th Pursuit Group and several subordinate units along with the arrival of the 1st Bombardment Wing initiated a period where March Field became associated with the Air Corps' heaviest aircraft as well as an assortment of fighters. In the decade before World War II, March Field took on much of its current appearance. It also became more than a place hard to find on aerial maps of Southern California. Lieutenant Colonel Henry H. Arnold (later General of the Air Force "Hap" Arnold), base commander from 1931 to 1936, changed this. Through well-publicized maneuvers to Yosemite, Death Valley and other sites in California, a visit by Governor James Rolph in March 1932, numerous visits by Hollywood celebrities including Bebe Daniels, Wallace Beery, Rochelle Hudson and others, and visits by famous aviators including Amelia Earhart, March Field gained prominence. Articles in Los Angeles newspapers kept March Field in the news and brought to it considerable public attention. The completion of the first phase of permanent buildings in 1934 added to the scenic quality of the base. This was also a period of outstanding achievements in test flights and other contributions to the new science of aviation. Dusty March Field had come a long way in one decade.
The attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941 quickly brought March Field back into the business of training aircrews. Throughout the war, many soon-to-be-famous bombardment groups performed their final training at March before embarking for duty in the Pacific. During this period, the base doubled in area and at the zenith of the war effort supported approximately 75,000 troops. At the same time, the government procured a similar-sized tract west of the San Diego highway that bordered the base and established Camp Hahn as an anti-aircraft artillery training facility. It supported 85,000 troops at the height of its activity. For a time, March Field remained a bustling place indeed. In 1946, Camp Hahn became a part of March's real estate holding when operations at the base returned to a more normal setting.
After the war, March reverted to its operational role. With the establishment of a separate United States Air Force in 1947, March Field was renamed March Air Force Base and became a Tactical Air Command (TAC) installation. The main unit, the famed 1st Fighter Wing, brought the first jet aircraft, the F-80 Shooting Star, to the base. This deviation from the traditional bombardment training and operations functions did not endure for long. In 1949, March became a part of the relatively new Strategic Air Command (SAC). Headquarters, Fifteenth Air Force (15 AF) along with the 33d Communications Squadron moved to March from Colorado Springs in the same year. Also in 1949, the 22d Bombardment Wing moved from Smoky Hill Air Force Base, Kansas to March. Thereafter, these three units remained as dominant features of base activities.
From 1949 to 1953, B-29 Superfortresses dominated the flightline at March Air Force Base. For four months, July to October, the 22d saw action over Korea and in this brief period, contributed to the elimination of all strategic enemy targets. Involvement in the Korean Conflict had no sooner ended when the wing converted from the huge propeller-driven B-29s to the sleek B-47 Stratojet bomber and their supporting tankers, the KC-97 Stratotanker. The KC-97s belonging to the 17th and 22d Air Refueling Squadrons represented an amazing jump in technology. Planes and crews from March began breaking altitude and distance records. The new refueling planes introduced a significant advance in operational range. Overall operational capability could now be measured in global terms. This had been demonstrated earlier when General Archie Old, the Fifteenth Air Force commander, had led a flight of three B-52 Stratofortresses in a non-stop around-the-world flight termed "Power Flight" in just 45 hours and 19 minutes. Ceremonies upon their arrival at March on January 18, 1957, emphasized the global reach of the Strategic Air Command. In 1960, the first Air Force Reserve (AFRES) unit was assigned to March, flying the C-119 Flying Boxcar. The end of the 1960s saw March Air Force Base preparing to exchange its B-47s and KC-97s for updated bombers and tankers. Increasing international tensions in Europe and elsewhere by September 16, 1963, brought March its first B-52B bomber, "The City of Riverside." Soon 15 more of the giant bombers appeared on the flightline along with new KC-135 Stratotankers. March's first KC-135A, "The Mission Bell," arrived on October 4, 1963. For the next twenty years, this venerable team would dominate the skies over what had come to be called the Inland Empire as the 22d Bombardment Wing played a feature role in the Strategic Air Command's mission.
During this period, both tankers and bombers stood alert at March as part of America's nuclear deterrent force. The might of March's bombers and tankers, however, were soon to be used in quite another scenario. During the conflict in Southeast Asia, the 22d Bombardment Wing deployed its planes several times and March crews learned well the meaning behind such names as Young Tiger, Rolling Thunder, Arc Light and Linebacker II. In these troubled years, the base served as a logistical springboard for supplies and equipment en route to the Pacific. Near the end of the conflict, March operated as one of the reception centers for returning prisoners of war.
Following the end of hostilities in Southeast Asia, the 22d returned to its duties as an integral part of the Strategic Air Command. For the next eighteen years until 1982, March effectively supported America's defensive posture. This occurred through several post-Vietnam adjustments. One of these brought the retirement of the wing's last B-52D on November 9, 1982. This event signaled yet another era for March Air Force Base and for the 22d. The 22d Bombardment Wing, so long a key ingredient in March's long history, would become the 22d Air Refueling Wing with the new KC-10 Extender tanker. The new tankers, based on the DC-10 airliner and able to accomplish considerably more than the KC-135s, promised a new tomorrow for the Strategic Air Command. Within months after the first KC-10 arrived at the base on August 11, 1982, crews quickly realized the ability of the new aircraft to carry cargo and passengers as well as impressive fuel loads over long distances. Air refueling for March Air Force Base had entered a new age. The 163d Fighter Group of the California Air National Guard also arrived in 1982, bringing with them their F-4 Phantom IIs.
Beginning in the early 1980s, the KC-10A became the vehicle carrying March Air Force Base into a new technological epoch. The large KC-10s with their versatility and their dependability again gave the base a featured part in America's efforts to retain a strong and flexible military air arm. The utter importance of the KC-10s in conventional operations became particularly apparent during DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM where their outstanding service contributed measurably to the success of American forces in the defense of Saudi Arabia and the liberation of Kuwait.
In July 1990, the 163d Tactical Fighter Group changed missions and was redesignated the 163d Tactical Reconnaissance Group, equipped with RF-4C Phantom II aircraft.
In 1992, a major Air Force reorganization resulted in the disestablishment of Strategic Air Command and the transfer of its tanker aircraft to the newly-established Air Mobility Command (AMC). In 1993, March Air Force Base was selected for realignment. In August 1993, the 445th Military Airlift Wing transferred to March from the closing Norton AFB in nearby San Bernadino. On January 3, 1994, the 22d Air Refueling Wing was transferred without aircraft to McConnell AFB, Kansas, and the 722d Air Refueling Wing stood up at March. March's KC-10 aircraft assets would later be transferred to the 60th Airlift Wing, redesignated as the 60th Air Mobility Wing, at Travis AFB, California.
March's two Air Force Reserve units, the 445th Military Airlift Wing operating the C-141 Starlifter and the 452d Air Refueling Wing operating the KC-135 Stratotanker were deactivated and their personnel and equipment joined under the 452d Air Mobility Wing (452 AMW) on April 1, 1994. At approximately the same time, the 163d Tactical Reconnaissance Group also changed mission and became the 163d Air Refueling Wing, operating the KC-135
On April 1, 1996, March officially became March Air Reserve Base under the cognizance of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). From the dusty stubble that once was Alessandro Flying Strip to today, March, for more than 80 years, has been a key element in the advancement of aviation and in the growth of the modern Air Force. As the Air Force restructures and prepares for new challenges, March seems destined to remain as an important base for the air operations of tomorrow. [4] In 2007, the 163rd also saw a change in mission, transferring its KC-135R aircraft to other Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units, with the majority of its aircraft transferred to the 452 AMW at March. The unit was then redesignated as the 163d Reconnaissance Wing (163 RW), operating the MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial system.
The former March AFB land no longer needed as a result of the downsizing was given to the March Joint Powers Authority, a commission that represents the county and the base's adjoining cities. A prime example was the former SAC B-52 and KC-135 Alert Facility. This land, now called March GlobalPort, has been developed as an air cargo center and in 2004 it was announced that air freight giant DHL/ ABX Air was considering the base for its new Southern California hub. However, competition from nearby San Bernardino International Airport (formerly Norton AFB) and Ontario International Airport, as well as opposition from residents of fast-growing Riverside and Moreno Valley, reduced the viability of its bid. Despite this, on December 10, 2004, DHL / ABX Air announced that it had chosen March as its preferred site. The following Wednesday, DHL signed a 16-year joint-use agreement with the Joint Powers Authority. The company's operation is expected to employ about 250 workers and make 16 flights a day.
The March Joint Air Reserve Base may now be converted to a public use municipal airport.[1] As soon as the March Powers Auhority decides to sign the deal, [2] the airport will be a joint-use airport, sharing its facilities with DHL, the military, and the public. However, it is protested against by some people because of probable increase of noise pollution and interference with military operations. Someday, the airport may again be upgraded to an international airport. It already controls the first international shipping comapny in California, and has the longest runway in California, longer than LAX. Who will fund the airport, however, is a big question.
[edit] Geography
March JARB is located at (33.898848, -117.276285)[5]. According to the United States Census Bureau, the base has a total area of 6.2 square miles (16.2 km²), all of it land.
It is also a census-designated place (CDP) with a population of 370 as of the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 92518 and the area code 951.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 370 people, 115 households, and 93 families residing in the base. The population density was 59.4 people per square mile (22.9/km²). There were 152 housing units at an average density of 24.4/sq mi (9.4/km²). The racial makeup of the base was 64.59% White, 17.84% Black or African American, 0.54% Native American, 4.59% Asian, 1.89% Pacific Islander, 2.97% from other races, and 7.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.89% of the population.
There were 115 households out of which 50.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.1% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.3% were non-families. 13.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.21 and the average family size was 3.55.
In the base the population was spread out with 37.0% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 35.1% from 25 to 44, 14.9% from 45 to 64, and 4.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 111.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.8 males.
The median income for a household in the base was $31,364, and the median income for a family was $30,455. Males had a median income of $40,625 versus $17,321 for females. The per capita income for the base was $13,765. About 10.8% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.7% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Politics
In the state legislature March ARB is located in the 37th Senate District, represented by Republican Jim Battin, and in the 64th and 65th Assembly Districts, represented by Republicans John J. Benoit and Paul Cook respectively. Federally, March ARB is located in California's 44th and 45th congressional districts, which have Cook PVIs of R +6 and R +3 respectively[7] and are represented by Republicans Ken Calvert and Mary Bono Mack.
[edit] See also
The Museum is located off the grounds of the Base and displays in its aircraft collection examples bombers, fighters, cargo, refueling and reconnaissance aircraft, many of which served at March Field, March AFB and/or March ARB.
A military cemetery located west of the base and created from land formerly belonging to the base. It is home to one of the four U.S.-recognized Medal of Honor Memorial sites.
[edit] References
- ^ March Air Reserve Base, official web site
- ^ FAA Airport Master Record for RIV (Form 5010 PDF), effective 2007-12-20
- ^ US 4th Air Force (Official site)
- ^
[edit] Present day
In 2003, the Air Force Reserve Command changed the name of March Air Reserve Base to that of March Joint Air Reserve Base.
In 2005, the 452nd retired the venerable C-141 Starlifter and commenced transition to the C-17 Globemaster III as the first AFRC unit to operate the aircraft as an independent wing not associated with an active duty C-17 wing.<ref>[http://www.march.afrc.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3659 452nd Air Mobility Wing Fact Sheet.]</li> <li id="cite_note-GR1-4">'''[[#cite_ref-GR1_4-0|^]]''' {{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2008-01-31|date=[[2005-05-03]]|title=US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990}}</li> <li id="cite_note-GR2-5">'''[[#cite_ref-GR2_5-0|^]]''' {{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=American FactFinder}}</li> <li id="cite_note-6">'''[[#cite_ref-6|^]]''' {{cite web | title = Will Gerrymandered Districts Stem the Wave of Voter Unrest? | publisher = Campaign Legal Center Blog | url=http://www.clcblog.org/blog_item-85.html | accessdate = 2008-02-10}}</li></ol></ref>
- Santschi, Darrell R.; Vargo, Joe (19 December, 2004). March in Stride. The Press-Enterprise, p. A1.
- Trone, Kimberly (11 December, 2004). DHL Picks March. The Press-Enterprise, p. A1.
[edit] External links
- March Air Reserve Base, official site
- History of March Field
- Aviation: From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary
- Hybrid map and satellite image
- FAA Airport Diagram(PDF), effective 5 June 2008
- Resources for this U.S. military airport:
- AirNav airport information for KRIV
- ASN accident history for RIV
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KRIV
Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC)Air Forces 
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