🇺🇸 March Air Reserve Base Airport

March Air Reserve Base (KRIV/RIV) is a United States Air Force Reserve base located in Riverside County, California, between the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris. It is one of the oldest airfields operated by the U.S. military, established in February 1918 as Alessandro Flying Training Field.

Type of Facility and Operations:

• It is an Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) base, home to the Fourth Air Force (4 AF) Headquarters and the 452nd Air Mobility Wing, which is the largest air mobility wing of the Fourth Air Force.
• The base supports units from the Air Force Reserve Command (supporting Air Mobility Command, Air Combat Command, and Pacific Air Forces), Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, California Air National Guard, and California Army National Guard.
• The California Air National Guard at March ARB performs Remotely Piloted Aircraft missions, including close air support, air interdiction, intelligence collection, and quick strike capabilities. They also conduct Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) and Weather missions. The 163rd Attack Wing trains maintainers, pilots, and sensor operators for the Remotely Piloted Aircraft community, utilizing aircraft like the MQ-1 Predator.
• The airport is open to the public and has a control tower. It is an international airport of entry.

Notable Features or History:

• Originally established in 1917, it was renamed March Field in honor of 2nd Lieutenant Peyton C. March, Jr..
• For nearly 50 years, March AFB was a Strategic Air Command base during the Cold War.
• The base covers 2,075 acres (840 hectares) and has two concrete runways: 14/32 (4,054.4 meters/13,302 ft) and 12/30 (932.9 meters/3,061 ft).

Current Status:

• March Air Reserve Base is operational.
• The official website notes that due to a government shutdown, the website may not be updated.

*Sources researched: march.afrc.af.mil, airnav.com, en.wikipedia.org, aopa.org, angprod.azurewebsites.net*