Hancock Field Air National Guard Base

Hancock Field Air National Guard Base is located 4.6 miles north-northeast of Syracuse, New York. The installation occupies approximately 350 acres on the south side of Syracuse Hancock International Airport. Authorized in January 1942 as Syracuse Army Air Base, the facility initially served as a personnel activation station and recruit training center. During World War II, the base was used by the Air Technical Service Command to assemble and test B-24 Liberator aircraft and as a staging area for B-17 and B-24 repairs. The 174th Fighter Wing, originally designated the 138th Fighter Squadron, was formed at the field in 1947. The United States Air Force reactivated the site in 1952 under the Air Defense Command, and it was designated Syracuse Air Force Station in 1953. Between 1958 and 1983, the base housed a Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Data Center and Combat Center for regional air defense. Active-duty Air Force use of the facility concluded in December 1983.

The New York Air National Guard’s 174th Attack Wing serves as the host unit. Stationed units include the 274th Air Support Operations Squadron, the 152nd Air Operations Group, the 108th Attack Squadron, and the 138th Attack Squadron. These units are operationally gained by Air Combat Command. The base employs approximately 2,000 personnel, including Active Guard and Reserve, Air Reserve Technicians, and traditional Air National Guardsmen. Following the conclusion of F-16 Fighting Falcon operations in March 2010, the 174th Attack Wing transitioned to remotely piloted aircraft. The wing operates squadrons of MQ-9A Reaper unmanned combat aerial vehicles.

Infrastructure includes a flight line, aircraft ramps, and support facilities. Personnel maintain BAK-14 arresting gear on the airport's primary runway for emergency use by military tactical jet aircraft. The base operates a crash fire department providing aircraft rescue, firefighting, and structural emergency services for both the National Guard installation and the co-located civilian airport. Additional units on-site include the Air and Space Communication Squadron, Air Intelligence Squadron, and Combat Operations Squadron.