Des Moines Air National Guard Base

Des Moines Air National Guard Base is located five miles southwest of Des Moines, Iowa, on the 2,625-acre grounds of Des Moines International Airport. While the airport was completed in 1933, the Iowa Air National Guard has maintained a presence at the site since the 1960s, occupying facilities at the end of runway 13/31.

The 132nd Wing of the Iowa Air National Guard operates the base. Historically, the wing functioned as a fighter unit for nearly 70 years, flying aircraft such as the P-51 Mustang, F-84 Thunderstreak, F-100 Super Sabre, A-7 Corsair II, and the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Predecessor units of the 132nd Wing participated in air combat during World War II, Operation Desert Storm, and the Iraq War. In 2013, the mission transitioned from fighter operations to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), cyber warfare, and remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) operations. The base also hosts Company C, 2nd Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment of the Iowa Army National Guard, which relocated to the site from Boone, Iowa. The installation is undergoing a transition to joint base status.

Infrastructure includes hangars that previously housed F-16 fighters and now accommodate Black Hawk helicopters. The military area is divided with Air National Guard operations situated to the west of the main gate and Army National Guard operations located to the east. The base shares the airfield and campus facilities of the Des Moines International Airport, which contains 46 buildings and a maintenance base for Endeavor Air. The site supports RPA aeronautical operations and provides specialized facilities for ISR and cyber warfare missions.