Mather Air Force Base
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Mather Air Force Base was an United States Air Force Base located in Rancho Cordova, California. It was closed in 1993 and reopened in 1995 as Mather Field.
[edit] History
The U.S. Air Force built Mather Air Force Base in 1918 to serve as a flight training base. After World War II, Mather became the sole aerial navigation school for the U.S. Air Force and its allies after Harlingen, Ellington and Connally Air Force Bases were closed in the 1960's. The 3535th Navigator Training Wing, Air Training Command (ATC), was responsible for all Undergraduate Navigator Training (UNT), Electronic Warfare Officer (EWO) and Weapon Systems Officer (WSO) training from 1965 until the Wing was redesignated the 323rd Flying Training Wing and later moved to Randolph AFB in 1993.
In 1958, the Strategic Air Command's 441st Bombardment Squadron was assigned to Mather, a position it kept until 1989. The 441 BS flew the B-52.
In 1993 it was decommissioned as an active air base under the Base Realignment and Closure Act. At the time of closure, the base encompassed 5,845 acres (24 km²), including 129 acres (522,000 m²) of easements. Most of the base was ruled surplus to the needs of the federal government and has been transferred or leased to various entities, primarily the County of Sacramento.
In 1995, the airport was officially reopened as a Mather Field, a 2,675 acre (11 km²) cargo airport. Another 1,432 (5.8 km²) acres became the Mather Regional Park. Other areas of the former Air Force Base have been developed for housing, a business park, the Veterans Administration Medical Center, and the Federal Aviation Administration’s Northern California TRACON facility.
The area in and around Mather is contaminated with toxic and hazardous materials, including petroleum and solvents. An environmental investigation was begun in 1982 and the cleanup effort continues.
[edit] 3535th Navigator Training Wing
The 3535th Navigator Training Wing was composed of the following squadrons:
- 3535th Navigator Training Squadron (NTS)
- 3536th Navigator Training Squadron (NTS)
- 3537th Navigator Training Squadron (NTS)
- 3538th Navigator Training Squadron (NTS)
- 3539th Navigator Training Squadron (NTS)
- 3540th Navigator Training Squadron (NTS)
- 3541st Navigator Training Squadron (NTS)
