Fairchild Air Force Base

Fairchild Air Force Base is located 12 miles southwest of Spokane, Washington. Established in 1942 as the Spokane Army Air Depot, the installation served as a repair facility for aircraft returning from the Pacific Theater during World War II. In 1947, control transferred to the Strategic Air Command, and the facility was renamed Spokane Air Force Base in 1948. It received its current name in 1950 to honor General Muir S. Fairchild, a former Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force.

During the Cold War, the base hosted bombardment wings operating B-29 Superfortress, B-36 Peacemaker, and B-52 Stratofortress aircraft. From 1961 to 1965, the 567th Strategic Missile Squadron maintained nine SM-65E Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile sites in the surrounding area. Air defense was provided by Nike-Hercules surface-to-air missile sites located at Cheney, Deep Creek, Medical Lake, and Spokane. The base also incorporated the Deep Creek weapons storage area, a facility constructed for the maintenance of the nuclear stockpile.

The 92nd Air Refueling Wing, assigned to the Air Mobility Command's Eighteenth Air Force, is the host unit. It is responsible for air refueling, passenger and cargo airlift, and aero-medical evacuation missions. The 92nd Operations Group and the 141st Air Refueling Wing of the Washington Air National Guard both operate fleets of KC-135 Stratotankers. These units support conventional operations and United States Strategic Command strategic deterrence missions.

Additional stationed units include the 336th Training Group, which conducts the Air Force Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape school under the Air Education and Training Command. The base also hosts the 36th Rescue Squadron, which operates UH-1N Iroquois helicopters, and the 509th Weapons Squadron. Infrastructure includes specialized maintenance facilities and a liquid oxygen plant. The installation also provides logistics support for international treaty compliance, including the transport of inspectors for Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty missions.