Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth

Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, which includes Carswell Field, is located five nautical miles west of the central business district of Fort Worth, Texas. The installation occupies land within the cities of Fort Worth, Westworth Village, and White Settlement in Tarrant County. It originated in 1942 as Tarrant Field, established as a joint project between the Air Corps and Consolidated Aircraft to support an adjacent heavy bomber assembly plant. The facility was renamed Fort Worth Army Air Field in July 1942 and functioned as a heavy-bomber training school for B-24 and B-32 aircraft. In January 1948, the base was renamed Carswell Air Force Base. During the Cold War, the site was a Strategic Air Command facility hosting bombardment wings equipped with B-29, B-36, B-52, and B-58 aircraft. Following the 1991 Base Closure and Realignment Commission recommendations, the installation was transferred to the United States Navy and recommissioned in October 1994 as the first joint reserve base in the United States.

The base is operated by the United States Navy Reserve under the oversight of Navy Region Southeast. It serves as a defense facility for training and equipping air crews and aviation ground support personnel from the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Army reserve components. Stationed units include the Air Force Reserve Command's Tenth Air Force headquarters and the 301st Fighter Wing, which operates squadrons of F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-35 Lightning II aircraft. The Texas Air National Guard's 136th Airlift Wing operates C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. Marine Aircraft Group 41 is stationed at the base, operating squadrons of F/A-18 Hornet strike fighters, KC-130 aerial refueling aircraft, and C-40A transports. The Navy Reserve operates C-40 Clipper transports through Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 59.

Infrastructure at the installation includes the Brownwood Military Operations Area for tactical flight operations. The airfield is situated adjacent to the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics assembly facility. On-base facilities include a commissary, post exchange, and the Federal Medical Center, Carswell, which occupies the former base hospital.