Ramey Air Force Base

Coordinates: 18°29′40″N 067°07′46″W / 18.49444°N 67.12944°W / 18.49444; -67.12944
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Ramey Air Force Base
Part of the Strategic Air Command
Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
13 October 1993
Ramey AFB is located in Puerto Rico
Ramey AFB
Ramey AFB
Coordinates18°29′40″N 067°07′46″W / 18.49444°N 67.12944°W / 18.49444; -67.12944
TypeAir Force Base
Site information
Controlled byFormerly the Strategic Air Command
Site history
Built1936
In use1936–1971
Garrison information
GarrisonNone – base deactivated in 1973

Ramey Air Force Base also known as Borinquen Field, is a former

Rafael Hernandez Airport
.

History

Pre-World War II

In 1939, the

George C. Kenney
to Puerto Rico to conduct a preliminary survey of possible air base sites on Puerto Rico. He examined 42 sites and declared that Punta Borinquen the best site for a major air base. Sugar cane farms covered some 3796 acres that the government purchased for military use in the first week of September 1939 at a cost of $1,215,000. Later that year, Major Karl S. Axtater assumed command of what was to become Borinquen Army Airfield.


The 1940 US Census counted enumeration district 22-32 as Borinquen Field in Aquadilla, Puerto Rico. Lt. Col. Karl S. Axtater, age 47, Post Commander, is the first person on the list of 942 personnel on the base on 27 April 1940. Each servicemember reported rank, place of birth, and also reported the location of their previous residence as of April 1935.

World War II era

During World War II, the following squadrons were assigned to the airfield:

  • Headquarters,
    25th Bombardment Group
    , 1 November 1940 – 1 November 1942; 5 October 1943 – 24 March 1944
417th Bombardment Squadron, 21 November 1939 – 13 April 1942 (Douglas B-18 Bolo)
10th Bombardment Squadron, 1 November 1940 – 1 November 1942 (B-18 Bolo)
12th Bombardment Squadron, 1 November 1940 – 8 November 1941 (B-18 Bolo)
35th Bombardment Squadron, 31 October-11 November 1941 (B-18 Bolo)

Cold War era

With the establishment of an independent

Blast Pad
at each end and an additional 50 ft shoulder on each side.

The closure of Ramey Air Force Base began in 1971 as part of a SAC-wide reduction in bombardment wings and lasted until 1973. Following its closure, it was converted into a joint civilian-military airport with the United States Coast Guard comprising the remaining military aviation activities at the airport as Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen and Puerto Rico Air National Guard, Army National Guard and the United States Army Reserve maintaining non-aviation units.

As: Antilles Air Division, 12 January 1948 – 22 January 1949
  • 24th Composite Wing
    , 25 August 1946 – 28 June 1948
  • 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing
    , 1 November 1950 – 1953
  • 72nd Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 1953 – 1959 (RB-36 Peacemaker)
  • 72nd Bombardment Wing
    , 1959 – 30 June 1971 (B-52 Stratofortress)

U.S. Naval Facility Ramey/Punta Borinquen

Success with a test array and then a full scale 40-element operational array at Eleuthera, Bahamas 1951-1952 led the Navy in 1952 to order six (quickly expanded to nine) undersea surveillance systems under the classified name of Sound Surveillance System (SOSUS) to be installed under the unclassified name Project Caesar. The shore terminals were described as supporting "oceanographic research" and given the generic and ambiguous name "Naval Facility" with the actual submarine detection purpose classified on a strict need-to-know basis. The first of the systems was to terminate at a Naval Facility (NAVFAC) on a beach under the cliff of the Air Force Base (18°29′18.4″N 67°09′36.2″W / 18.488444°N 67.160056°W / 18.488444; -67.160056). Construction began in 1953 with Naval Facility Ramey commissioned on 18 September 1954.[1][2][3] In 1985 with mobile, towed arrays entering the system, SOSUS became the Integrated Undersea Surveillance System (IUSS). SOSUS/IUSS mark their beginnings with the commissioning of Naval Facility Ramey.[1][4]

The facility, unlike NAVFAC Grand Turk and NAVFAC San Salvador completed later that year and not close to a military base, got support for all functions except its classified operations from the base. When the Air Force Base closed 1 January 1974 the facility became Naval Facility Punta Borinquen and self supporting until it was decommissioned 30 April 1976.[3][5]

Remaining military presence

In 1971, as a result of the closing of

Coast Guard Exchange system operates a post exchange (PX) near by the coast guard housing area. The Punta Borinquen Light
was also transferred to the Coast Guard.

The

81st Readiness Division opened an aditional $18.7 million Reserve Center at Ramey for the 35th Expeditionary Signal Battalion Bravo Company.[6]

The Puerto Rico Army National Guard also has some units and facilities at the former Air Force Base.

The Puerto Rico Air National Guard keep the Punta Borinquen Radar Station near the Ramey Golf Course, home for the 141st Air Control Squadron.

Redevelopment

Following the closing of Ramey AFB created the Rafael Hernández Airport converted into a civilian airport. It receive domestic commercial flights. It also support for Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen and the Caribbean Branch of the CBP Air and Marine Operations. The airport has the longest runway in the Caribbean region and the second busiest airport in Puerto Rico. In 2004, the Puerto Rico Ports Authority started remodeling and expanding BQN. On February 20, 2012, it was announced by both the mayor of Aguadilla and the United States Secretary of Commerce that the airport will be designated a "free trade zone" (FTZ), that will improve the development of the airport and surrounding area.

In July 2015,

Airbus A320
range of short and medium-range aircraft. The Lufthansa Technik facility covers 20,000 square meters.

The United States Border Patrol Ramey Sector and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Aguadilla Service Processing centrer (Aguadilla SPC) are located within the former Ramey AFB.

The University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla began on August 18, 1972 and has been an integral part of the Ramey AFB redevelopment.

The Ramey AFB Hospital was redevelop in 2008 to a hotel Courtyard by Marriott Aguadilla.

The Ramey Air Force Base Historical Association was created in 1997. A museum is located at 90 Wing Rd.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Integrated Undersea Surveillance System (IUSS) History 1950 – 2010". IUSS/CAESAR Alumni Association. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  2. ^ "SOSUS Unclassified Cover Story". IUSS/CAESAR Alumni Association. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  3. ^ a b Commander Undersea Surveillance. "Naval Facility Ramey September 1954 – April 1976". United States Navy. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  4. ^ Coffield, Alfred (16 January 2020). "Undersea Surveillance welcomes new commanding officer". The Flagship. Norfolk, VA: Military Newspapers of Virginia. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  5. ^ "Information Brochure (page) Naval Facility Ramey". IUSS/CAESAR Alumni Association. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  6. ^ https://www.usar.army.mil/News/Article/3276208/ribbon-cutting-ceremony-officially-opens-new-army-reserve-center/

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

External links