Andersen Air Force Base (Guam)

Andersen Air Force Base (Andersen AFB, AAFB) is a United States Air Force base situated primarily within the village of Yigo in the U.S. territory of Guam. The base was established on December 3, 1944, as North Field, following the Liberation of Guam, and was later named for Brigadier General James Roy Andersen. It has been continuously operational since 1944.

Andersen AFB is owned by the Department of Defense and operated by the U.S. Air Force, controlled by Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) and Joint Region Marianas. The host unit is the 36th Wing (36 WG), which provides support to deployed air and space forces of the USAF, foreign air forces, and tenant units. Other units include the 4th Reconnaissance Squadron flying RQ-4B Global Hawks, the 734th Air Mobility Squadron, elements of the 624th Regional Support Group, and the U.S. Navy's Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25 (HSC-25) operating MH-60S Seahawks. The base also hosts the U.S. Army's Task Force Talon, including E Battery, 3rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment with THAAD systems, and Detachment 2 of the 21st Space Operations Squadron.

Historically, Andersen AFB played a role in World War II, serving as a launch point for B-29 Superfortress operations against Japan. During the Vietnam War, it was a critical base for Operation Arc Light, with B-52s and KC-135s conducting bombing missions. The base also provided emergency relief for Vietnamese evacuees during Operation New Life in 1975. In 2020, the continuous bomber presence (CBP) at Andersen ended, though bombers continue to deploy on an ad hoc basis. The base features two runways: 6L/24R, measuring 3,208.6 meters (10,527 ft), and 6R/24L, measuring 3,413.7 meters (11,200 ft), both with asphalt/concrete surfaces. It has also served as an Augmented Emergency Landing Site for the NASA Space Shuttle.