Paine AFB

  1936 to present

  United States of America

CITY: Snohomish County, WA

IATA/ICAO CODES: PAE / KPAE

OTHER NAMES: Paine Field (1936-1951), Paine AFB (1951-1968), Snohomish County (1968-present)

Paine Field was originally constructed in 1936 as a Works Progress Administration project. It was envisioned that the airport would create jobs and economic growth in the region by becoming one of the ten new "super airports" around the country.

However, plans changed with war looming. Paine Field was taken over by the USAAC prior to entry into World War II as a patrol base, air defense base and fighter training base. After the war, transfer of the property to the Snohomish County government was completed in 1948. But before Snohomish County could start planning for the continued development of its "super airport", the USA was again involved in an armed conflict — this time in Korea and also the breakout of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. Paine Field was reactivated as a USAF air base in 1951, renamed Paine AFB, and placed under the jurisdiction of the Air Defense Command (ADC). Various fighter-interceptor units and Air Force Reserve troop carrier units operated at Paine AFB from 1951 until the mid-1960s.

Paine AFB was inactivated on September 30, 1968 and the facility was returned to full civilian control as Paine Field / Snohomish County Airport.

2346^th Air Force Reserve Training Center