Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base is the home base of the Oregon Air National Guard's

173rd Fighter Wing The 173rd Fighter Wing (173 FW) is a unit of the Oregon Air National Guard, stationed at Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base, Klamath Falls, Oregon. If activated to federal service, the wing is gained by the Air Education and Training Command ...

(173 FW).173d Fighter Wing website
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History

In 1928, the citizens of Klamath Falls approved the sale of $50,000 worth of bonds to construct an airport. The airport was known as the Klamath Falls Municipal Airport and consisted of gravel runways and one fixed-base operator. In 1942, the airport was selected as a site for a Naval Air Station. Known as NAS Klamath Falls during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the airport was transferred from the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

back to civilian use in late 1945. In 1954, the airport was selected as a site for

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...

base and the airfield returned to military control. The former naval air station was then placed under the jurisdiction of the Air Defense Command (ADC). The

408th Fighter Group 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. In mathematics Four is the smallest c ...

(Air Defense) was activated at Klamath Falls Municipal Airport on 8 April 1956, being assigned to the 28th Air Division. In 1957, the airport was dedicated as Kingsley Field in honor of Lieutenant

David Kingsley David Richard Kingsley (June 27, 1918 – June 23, 1944) was a United States Army Air Forces officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II. Biography A firefig ...

, who earned the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

during

. The 827th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron (later 827th Radar Squadron) was activated at Kingsley Field in 1957. While the administrative and support sections of the squadron were located on the airfield, the squadrons operational element and radars were located nearby at what was named Keno Air Force Station in February 1959. ADC reassigned Kingsley Field to the

25th Air Division The 25th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force intermediate echelon command and control organization. It was last assigned to First Air Force, Tactical Air Command (ADTAC). It was inactivated on 30 September 1990 at McChord A ...

on 1 March 1959; transferred to

Portland Air Defense Sector The Portland Air Defense Sector (PADS) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 25th Air Division, being stationed at Adair Air Force Station, Oregon. It was inactivated on 1 July 1969. History P ...

on 15 April 1960; transferred to 26th Air Division on 1 April 1966; reassigned to 25th Air Division on 15 September 1969. The 408th Fighter Group was inactivated on 1 October 1970. Operational ADC fighter-interceptor squadrons which operated from Kingsley Field were: * 518th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 8 June 1956 – 1 July 1959 (non-operational) *

322d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The 322d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 408th Fighter Group at Kingsley Field, Oregon, where it was inactivated on 1 July 1968. The squadron was first activated durin ...

, 1 April 1959 – 30 September 1968 (

F-101B Voodoo The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo is a supersonic jet fighter which served the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Initially designed by McDonnell Aircraft Corporation as a long-range bomber escort (known as a '' ...

) *

59th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The 59th Quartermaster Company is a bulk petroleum company designed to provide semi-portable storage for of fuel and to provide distribution of fuel to military units within a specified geographic area while deployed overseas. Its secondary missi ...

, 30 September 1968 – 17 December 1969 (F-101B/F Voodoo]) *

460th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The 460th Fighter-Interceptor Training Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command's 325th Fighter Weapons Wing at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, where it was inactivated on 15 Octob ...

, 1 December 1969 – 16 April 1971 ( F-106A/B Delta Dart) The

827th Radar Squadron 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...

operated Ground Control-Intercept (GCI) radar from nearby Keno Air Force Station, receiving host station services and support from Kingsley Field, 1 September 1957 – 1 October 1979. In 1978, the Department of Defense chose to close Kingsley Field as an active duty Air Force installation as part of the inactivation of

Aerospace Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was established in 1946, briefly ina ...

and the transfer of its personnel and assets to Tactical Air Command. The installation was transferred to Air National Guard control for fighter operations, and it has been operated by the Oregon Air National Guard ever since.

Future

In August 2020, it was announced that Kingsley Field will host the Air Force's first F-15EX formal training unit from 2022. The F-15EX is intended to replace the aging F-15C/D Eagle, which is expected to run out of service life by the mid-2020s.

References

{{authority control Installations of the United States Air National Guard Installations of the United States Air Force in Oregon Buildings and structures in Klamath Falls, Oregon Airports established in 1928 Airports in Klamath County, Oregon World War II airfields in the United States 1928 establishments in Oregon