Fairchild AFB, WA

Fairchild AFB, WA 99011 | Base Operator: DSN: 657-1110, (509) 247-1212

Fairchild AFB: Overview

The major tenant of Fairchild AFB is the 92nd Air Refueling Wing (92 ARW). The mission of this wing, which is part of the Air Mobility Command’s 15th Expeditionary Mobility Task Force, is to conduct air refueling operations for U.S. and allied forces. In addition, the 92 ARW has the ability to provide services that include passenger transportation, cargo airlift, and medical evacuation. The 92 ARW has an Air National Guard equivalent on the base, which is the 141st Air Refueling Wing (141 ARW). Both of these wings employ the KC-135 Stratotanker. Other units assigned to Fairchild AFB include the Air Force Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape School and the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency.

At the time of the establishment of this installation, the Army was still the primary branch of land-based air forces of the United States. This segment of the Army was known as the Army Air Corps. The installation started its operational history as the Spokane Army Depot, which was responsible for repairing airborne assets. Following the Second World War, the base took on a number of different missions, which included air refueling and hosting strategic bombing and missile units. One of the missions, air refueling, remains the primary mission of the installation.

Fairchild AFB: Education

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Fairchild AFB: Location

Fairchild AFB is only about 10 miles from Spokane, WA in Spokane County. This is actually in the eastern part of the state. Seattle is only about 280 miles to the west of the base. Other communities located near the Fairchild AFB include Opportunity, Cheney, Pullman, Moses Lake, Post Falls, ID, Rathdrum, ID, Hayden, ID, Sandpoint, ID, Moscow, ID, and Lewiston, ID.

Fairchild AFB: Interesting Facts

In 1950, the base, which was now property of the United States Air Force, was named in honor of General Muir S. Fairchild. General Fairchild was a pilot in WWI and died in 1950. He was serving as the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force at the time of his passing.
The 92 Bomb wing of Fairchild AFB was the first “aerospace” wing to maintain the Atlas ICBM.
Fairchild AFB became the home of the Air Force survival schools in 1971.
In 1994, the 92nd Bomb Wing became the 92nd Air Refueling Wing, which made it the largest air refueling wing in the USAF.