Military Wife Confessions

March ARB Official Site

March ARB, CA Google Map

The host unit at March is the Air Force Reserve's 452d Air Mobility Wing (452 AMW), which in addition to its operational flying mission, also provides host base support for numerous tenant units. March JARB is also the home to Headquarters, 4th Air Force (4 AF) of the Air Force Reserve Command and multiple units of the California Air National Guard.

In 2005, the 452nd retired the venerable C-141 Starlifter and commenced transition to the C-17 Globemaster III as the first AFRC unit to operate the aircraft as an independent wing not associated with an active duty C-17 wing.[6] March is currently home to nine C-17 Globemaster IIIs, which to belong strictly to the Air Force Reserve Command, as well as twelve KC-135R Stratotankers. The tankers were the first in the Air Force Reserve to convert to the Block 40 Pacer CRAG modernization upgrade.

In 2007, the 163rd also saw a change in mission, transferring its KC-135R aircraft to other Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units, with the majority of its aircraft transferred to the 452 AMW at March. The unit was then redesignated as the 163d Reconnaissance Wing (163 RW), operating the MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial system. With this change, the 163 RW also changed operational claiamncy from Air Mobility Command (AMC) to Air Combat Command (ACC).

Other activities at March ARB include F-16C/D alert site operations of the California Air National Guard's 144th Fighter Wing (144 FW), which is also operationally-gained by ACC.

Civilian agency flight activities include a permanently-based U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air Unit, as well as a California Department of Forestry air unit that uses the base on an intermittent basis.

While the host unit is the 452 AMW, tenant organizations include the Fourth Air Force (4 AF) under Maj Gen Robert E. Duignan, the 163d Reconnaissance Wing, the 701st Combat Operations Squadron (701 COS), the 4th Combat Camera Squadron (4 CTCS), the 144th Fighter Wing Detachment, the American Forces Radio and Television Service, the 362nd Recruiting Squadron, U.S. Customs, the March Aero Club, the March Field Air Museum, the Air Force Audit Agency, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Selective Service System Detachment 3-3, the 653d Area Support Group of the U.S. Army, Navy Operational Support Center, Marine Corps Reserve Center, an Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) Base Exchange, and the March Commissary administered by the Defense Commissary Agency (DECA).

Lockheed C-141 Starlifter formerly of the 452 AMW displaying March ARB Orange and Yellow tail colorsIn 2003, the Air Force Reserve Command changed the name of March Air Reserve Base to that of March Joint Air Reserve Base

via Wikipedia

Once an active duty base, then closed andnow open as a reserve base. March ARB will be taking in 120 AD membersin the following year, with plans to add more. It will be an intigratedbase of active duty and reservists.

The base iscurrently a ghost base. Everything is located on the street thatfollows the flight line. The BX and Commisarry are located off base andvery small with short hours. There is no on base gym, medical, etc. Thebase hotel is very nice though, and its located within minutes to themall and everything else in town.