Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth
Military airbase near Fort Worth, TX, US.
History
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth (abbreviated NAS JRB Fort Worth) (IATA: FWH, ICAO: KNFW, FAA LID: NFW) includes Carswell Field, a military airbase located 5 nautical miles (9 km; 6 mi) west of the central business district of Fort Worth, in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. This military airfield is operated by the United States Navy Reserve. It is located in the cities of Fort Worth, Westworth Village, and White Settlement in the western part of the Fort Worth urban area.
NAS Fort Worth JRB is the successor to the former Naval Air Station Dallas and incorporates other Reserve commands and activities, primarily those of the Air Force Reserve, that were present on site when the installation was known as Carswell Air Force Base, a former Strategic Air Command (SAC) facility later transferred to the Air Combat Command (ACC).
Several United States Navy headquarters and operational units are based at NAS Fort Worth JRB, including Naval Air Reserve air wings and aviation squadrons, intelligence commands and Seabees.
The Air Force Reserve Command's Tenth Air Force (10 AF) headquarters and the 301st Fighter Wing and its flying squadron the 457th Fighter Squadron continue to be based at the installation. The Wing is currently (2024) converting to the F-35 Lightning II after operating the F-16 for 32 years. The 136th Airlift Wing of the Texas Air National Guard and its flying component, the 181st Airlift Squadron, fly new stretch versions of the C-130J airlifter. MAG-41, a Marine Aircraft Group, with VMFA-112 (F-18C), VMGR-234 (KC-130J), VMR-1 (C-40A), and various ground units are also located at NAS Fort Worth JRB. VR-59 flies the C-40A personnel and cargo transport.
Text from Wikipedia: Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, CC BY-SA 4.0, lightly trimmed.
Key dates
- 1944Major Carswell was returning from an attack on Japanese shipping in the South China Sea on 26 October 1944 when he attempted to save a crewmember whose parachute had been destroyed by flak.
- 1946The Air Force had decided to keep Fort Worth as a permanent airfield, and, in 1946, constructed an 8,200 ft north–south extra heavy-duty runway for future use.
- 1948On 1 January 1948, Fort Worth Airfield was renamed Griffiss Air Force Base as a memorial to Lt.
- 1955On 13 June 1955, the Strategic Air Command realigned its three numbered air forces resulting in Headquarters, 8 AF moving from Carswell to Westover AFB, Massachusetts.
- 1958On 19 February 1958, the 4123d Strategic Wing took possession of the first Boeing B-52 Stratofortress on Carswell.
- 1960On 1 August 1960, the USAF finally formally assumed B-58 operations responsibility and began testing. 59–2436, the first fully operational Hustler equipped with all tactical systems, was delivered to the 43rd.
- 1972Beginning in 1972, the 301st Fighter Wing (under various designations) has trained at Carswell as an Air Force Reserve (AFRES) and Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) unit, training for tactical air missions, including counter-air, interdiction, and close air support.
- 1993Under various designations, the 7th Bombardment Wing flew a wide variety of aircraft at the base until its inactivation in 1993.
- 1993In 1993, Congress directed the establishment of the nation's first joint reserve base under BRAC authority.
Dates and events quoted from the same Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Records that place someone at this base
A base history doesn't name everyone who served. These records do:
- Navy muster rolls, 1939–1949 (National Archives guide)
- Deck logs: how to get them (Naval History and Heritage Command)
- Crew lists research guide (NHHC)
- Search the National Archives Catalog for “Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth”
More history
- Air Force Historical Research Agency
- National Archives
- Wikipedia: Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth