Beale Air Force Base

Beale Air Force Base is located in Yuba County, California, 10 miles east of Marysville and 40 miles north of Sacramento. Established in 1942 as Camp Beale, the installation initially served as a U.S. Army training post for armored and infantry divisions and functioned as a prisoner of war camp. It transferred to the U.S. Air Force on April 1, 1951. During the Cold War, the base hosted a Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Data Center and Titan I intercontinental ballistic missiles under the 851st Strategic Missile Squadron. In 1966, the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing moved to the base to operate the SR-71 Blackbird.

The 9th Reconnaissance Wing, part of the Sixteenth Air Force under Air Combat Command, serves as the host unit. The wing operates the U.S. Air Force fleet of Lockheed U-2 aircraft and associated ground support systems to collect intelligence. Other stationed units include the 940th Air Refueling Wing, an Air Force Reserve Command unit operating the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, and the 548th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group. The base also hosts the 7th Space Warning Squadron, a U.S. Space Force unit.

Infrastructure at the 23,000-acre installation includes the PAVE Phased Array Warning System (PAVE PAWS), a 10-story radar facility utilized by the 7th Space Warning Squadron to detect sea-launched and intercontinental ballistic missiles. The 548th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group operates the Distributed Ground Station-2 to process imagery and signals data. Aircraft types hosted at the base include the U-2S Dragon Lady, T-38A Talon, RQ-4B Global Hawk, and KC-135R Stratotanker. Support facilities include the Beale Clinic, which provides medical and physiological support for high-altitude flight operations. The 195th Wing of the California Air National Guard also maintains a presence through the 234th Intelligence Squadron.