Mitchel AFB

  1917 to 25 June 1961

  United States of America

CITY: Long Island, NY

IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil

OTHER NAMES: Hazelhurst Field #2 (1917-1918), Mitchel Field (1918-1947), Mitchel AFB (1947-1961)

In 1917, Hazelhurst Field #2 was established to serve as an additional training and storage base for the massive Air Service Aviation Concentration Center. Many pilots trained there for the war on Curtiss JN-4 Jennies, and numerous wooden buildings and tents were erected in 1918 in order to meet this rapid expansion. The field was renamed Mitchel Field in 1918. Between the wars, the temporary wartime facilities were turned into a permanent Army post, with new barracks, warehouses, hangar space, and administrative buildings.

In 1940, Mitchel Field was the location of the Air Defense Command, charged with the mission of developing the air defense for cities, vital industrial areas, continental bases, and military facilities in the United States.Mitchel Field was a major source of supply in initial garrisoning and defense of North Atlantic air bases in Newfoundland, Greenland, and Iceland. From the airfield the planning for the air defense of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland was conducted. Antisubmarine patrol missions along the Atlantic coast were carried out in 1942 by the United States Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command aircraft based at Mitchel. In March 1946, the headquarters of Air Defense Command was established at Mitchel Army Airfield.

Commando operations started at Mitchel AFB in 1949, with the Air Force Reserve's 514^th Troop Carrier Wing as the main operational flying organization on the base. From 1954, these were replaced by C-119 Flying Boxcars. In April 1961, all flying at Mitchel was halted and the unit reassigned to McGuire AFB, NJ. Mitchel AFB was subsequently closed on 25 June 1961, and the property turned over to Nassau County for redevelopment.

2233^rd Air Force Reserve Training Center

514^th Troop Carrier Wing (October 1949 to March 1961)

514^th Troop Carrier Group (October 1949 to March 1961)

335^th Troop Carrier Squadron (October 1949 to March 1961)