Beale Air Force Base (AFB) (IATA: BAB, ICAO: KBAB, FAA LID: BAB) is a United States Air Force base located in Yuba County, California. It is near the city of Linda, about 10 miles (16 km) east of the towns of Marysville and Yuba City, and approximately 40 miles (64 km) north of Sacramento.

The main unit at Beale AFB is the 9th Reconnaissance Wing (9 RW), which is part of the Sixteenth Air Force, Air Combat Command. This unit gathers important information used by the president and Congress to make decisions about national defense. The Wing operates the USAF fleet of Lockheed U-2 "Dragon Ladies" and manages the ground equipment needed to support these planes. It also keeps its combat support and service teams prepared to deploy for military missions.

The 940th Air Refueling Wing (940 ARW) is a unit based at Beale AFB. It is part of the Air Force Reserve Command and operates the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, which is managed by Air Mobility Command (AMC).

Beale AFB was established in 1942 as Camp Beale and is named after Edward Fitzgerald Beale (1822–1893). He was a U.S. Navy lieutenant and a Brigadier General in the California Militia. Beale was known as an explorer and pioneer in California. Camp Beale became a United States Air Force installation on April 1, 1951, and was renamed Beale Air Force Base.

Role and operations

The 9th Reconnaissance Wing is made up of four groups at Beale Air Force Base and several locations around the world.

The 940th Air Refueling Wing includes three groups, a headquarters unit, and a squadron called the 940th Aerospace Medicine Squadron. The 713th Combat Operations Squadron was once part of the 940th Wing but was transferred to Pacific Air Forces. In April 2016, the 713th Combat Operations Squadron was reassigned from the 940th Wing to the newly formed 610th Air Operations Group. At the same time, two other squadrons, the 710th Combat Operations Squadron and the 701st Combat Operations Squadron, also moved to the 610th Air Operations Group. This change happened because the 940th Wing resumed its mission of operating KC-135 refueling aircraft.

Based units

Units based at Beale Air Force Base include both flying units and non-flying units. Geographically Separate Units (GSU) are located at Beale but are part of a parent unit located elsewhere. The following commands are associated with Beale Air Force Base:

Air Combat Command (ACC)
Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC)
Air National Guard (ANG)
Space Operations Command (SpOC)

History

Beale Air Force Base is named after Edward Fitzgerald Beale (1822–1893), an American Navy officer and a Brigadier General in the California Militia who explored and lived in California. The base covers nearly 23,000 acres of rolling hills in northern California. It is a large base with five gates that allow access from all sides. Visitors enter through a main gate that was built with $100,000 donated by local merchants, individuals, and the Beale Military Liaison Committee. About 4,000 military personnel live and work at the base.

The base has rich natural resources and a long history. Native Americans once lived on this land, and some of their carved mortar bowls remain in a shallow stream. During World War II, German prisoners of war (POWs) were held on the base. A block of prison cells still stands, and some of the POWs’ drawings remain on the walls. To protect these and other historic areas, the base maintains 38 Native American sites, 45 homestead sites, and 41 World War II sites.

In 1940, the area known as "Camp Beale" included grasslands, rolling hills, and the 19th-century mining town of Spenceville. Marysville city officials encouraged the U.S. government to build a military facility there. In 1942, the government purchased 87,000 acres to create a training post for the 13th Armored Division, the only unit of its kind trained entirely in California. Camp Beale also trained the 81st and 96th Infantry Divisions and had a 1,000-bed hospital. Materials from abandoned gold mines were used to build roads at the camp.

Camp Beale had many training areas, including tank maneuvers, mortar and rifle ranges, bombardier-navigator training, and chemical warfare classes. At its peak during World War II, the base had 60,000 personnel. It also housed a German POW camp and was the main camp for several satellite POW camps in northern California. These camps provided labor for local farms and base operations.

In 1948, Camp Beale became Beale Air Force Base (Beale AFB), with a mission to train bombardier navigators in radar techniques. The base established six bombing ranges and was also used by the U.S. Navy for training. From 1951 onward, Beale trained Aviation Engineers and ran an Air Base Defense School. These activities led to the construction of new facilities and training areas.

In 1952, Beale AFB was temporarily closed to become an operational airbase. The U.S. Army managed the base for six years while a runway and support buildings, such as hangars and barracks, were built. In 1952, the base stopped being used as a bombing range, and the government declared parts of the base as excess, transferring 60,805 acres to other uses.

Over time, excess land from the former Army camp was sold to the public. In 1959, 40,592 acres on the eastern side of the base were sold at auction. Between 1962 and 1964, 11,213 acres were transferred to the State of California, forming the Spenceville Wildlife and Recreation Area. Additional land was sold in 1964–1965. The government recommended that the land be used for surface purposes only.

In 1959, the Air Defense Command (ADC) established a Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Data Center (DC-18) at Beale AFB. The SAGE system connected radar stations to detect threats and respond to potential attacks. A communication site called the GATR (R-18) was located near the SAGE building. The GATR was connected to the SAGE center by telephone cables.

DC-18 was initially managed by the San Francisco Air Defense Sector (SFADS). In 1963, DC-18 and SFADS were closed as part of an ADC reorganization. The GATR site was later moved to another base. Today, the SAGE building is used by the 9th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron, and the GATR site is now part of a skeet-shooting range.

On February 8, 1959, Strategic Air Command (SAC) made Beale an operational USAF base. The 4126th Strategic Wing was activated to disperse B-52 bombers across multiple bases to avoid destruction by enemy attacks. Colonel Paul K. Carlton became the wing’s commander in May 1959. The first KC-135 refueling aircraft arrived in July 1959, and the 31st Bombardment Squadron with B-52G bombers arrived in January 1960.

One-third of the aircraft were kept on 15-minute alert, fully fueled and ready for combat. SAC Strategic Wings were temporary units and did not have a permanent history.

In January 1959, the Air Force studied the area for missile bases. In September 1959, Beale was chosen as the fifth site for HGM-25A Titan I missiles. Three missile complexes were built near Lincoln, Live Oak, and Chico.

The 851st Strategic Missile Squadron (Titan I) was activated in April 1961. The first missile was placed at Lincoln in February 1962, though workers had difficulty installing it. Later installations were completed smoothly.

On May 24, 1962, a blast destroyed a missile at the Chico complex due to a blocked vent and valve. A fire at another silo killed a worker in June.

In September 1962, the 851st SMS became the last

Previous names

The 851st Strategic Missile Squadron managed three HGM-25A Titan I ICBM sites from February 1, 1961, to March 25, 1965.

Today, all three sites are abandoned in different ways. Site "A" is being covered by new homes in the suburbs of Lincoln. The underground parts of the site (about 30 acres) are owned by Placer County, which uses the area to store and repair road equipment. Since the site was closed, groundwater has flooded the underground spaces.

Site "B," located in a rural area, is well preserved. All three launch silos at the site remain capped.

Site "C" had two accidents in 1962. On May 24, a powerful explosion damaged a Titan I missile and the silo during a contractor inspection. On June 6, a flash fire in another silo killed a worker. An investigation found that both incidents were caused by blocked vents and valves. After repairs, the silo was returned to service. Today, the site has all three launch silos capped, but some development has occurred on the launch area, including a water-holding pond, trees, and small buildings. The site appears to be used for quarrying or grading material that is transported to construction sites in the Chico area.

Geography

Beale Air Force Base covers 23,000 acres (93 km²) of hilly land in northern California. The area has many natural resources. Native Americans once lived here. They carved mortar bowls into the bedrock, and some of these bowls are still found in a shallow stream. During World War II, German prisoners of war were held at the base. Some prison cells still remain, and the drawings made by the POWs can still be seen on the walls. The detailed drawings were made using the heels of their boots, which may have helped protect them from the cold. To protect these and other historic areas, the base preserves 38 Native American sites, 45 homestead sites, and 41 World War II sites.

Demographics

The United States Census Bureau first named Beale Air Force Base as a separate area for counting people in the 1980 census. This area was used to count the people who live on the base. Before that, in the 1970 census, a group of people living in the same area was listed as "Beale East." According to the 2020 census, the population of Beale Air Force Base was 1,303 people.

The 2020 census showed that Beale Air Force Base had 1,303 people. The population density was 129.1 people per square mile (49.8 per square kilometer). The racial makeup of the area was as follows: 845 people (64.9%) identified as White, 89 people (6.8%) as African American, 6 people (0.5%) as Native American, 57 people (4.4%) as Asian, 3 people (0.2%) as Pacific Islander, 52 people (4.0%) from other races, and 251 people (19.3%) from two or more races. People who identified as Hispanic or Latino of any race totaled 215 (16.5%).

All 1,303 people lived in households. There were 374 households total. Of these, 257 (68.7%) had children under the age of 18, 299 (79.9%) were married-couple households, 4 (1.1%) were cohabiting couple households, 49 (13.1%) had a female householder without a partner, and 22 (5.9%) had a male householder without a partner. Twenty-eight households (7.5%) had only one person, and 2 (0.5%) had one person who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.48 people. There were 343 families (91.7% of all households).

The age distribution was as follows: 563 people (43.2%) were under 18 years old, 164 people (12.6%) were aged 18 to 24, 517 people (39.7%) were aged 25 to 44, 46 people (3.5%) were aged 45 to 64, and 13 people (1.0%) were 65 or older. The median age was 22.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.4 males.

There were 772 housing units in the area, with an average density of 76.5 units per square mile (29.5 units per square kilometer). Of these, 374 (48.4%) were occupied. Of the occupied units, 3 (0.8%) were owned by the people living there, and 371 (99.2%) were rented.

Education

The base is located in the Wheatland Elementary School District and the Wheatland Union High School District. There is an elementary school on the base called Lone Tree School, which is run by the Wheatland Elementary School District. Children who live on the base and depend on the military are assigned to secondary schools that are not on the base: Bear River Middle School (part of the Wheatland Elementary School District) and Wheatland High School (part of the Wheatland Union High School District).

There is also a charter school on the base named Wheatland Charter Academy.

Government

In the California State Legislature, Beale AFB is located in the 1st senatorial district, which is represented by Republican Megan Dahle. It is also part of the 3rd Assembly district, represented by Republican James Gallagher.

In the United States House of Representatives, Beale AFB is in California's 1st congressional district. The seat in this district is currently vacant.

Protests

Beale Air Force Base has experienced many protests organized by the Climate Action, anti-war, and anti-drone group Occupy Beale.

On the morning of October 19, 2023, three climate protesters from Occupy Beale were detained by military police after crossing a line that marks the boundary of the base. This action showed their willingness to risk arrest to support climate causes. Two protesters were charged with entering the base without permission, while the third was released without charges. During the detainment, military officials closed the Schneider gate, which blocked access to the base for several hours.

On March 14, 2024, protesters linked to Occupy Beale blocked the Schneider and Wheatland Gates of Beale Air Force Base to protest the Gaza war. At the same time, activists from the group Code Pink blocked the North Gate of Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California.

Amateur radio restrictions

The US Code of Federal Regulations says that hobby radio users who are within 240 kilometers of Beale cannot use more than 50 watts of power when sending signals on the 70-centimeter band.