Portland Air National Guard Base

Portland Air National Guard Base is located at Portland International Airport in Portland, Oregon. The installation was established on July 1, 1940, as Portland Army Air Base. During World War II, the facility served as a transport hub and a training site for bombardment and fighter groups, including the 42d Bombardment Group and the 354th Fighter Group. Aircraft operating from the base during this period included P-43 Lancers, B-25 Mitchells, and C-47 transports.

Following a brief inactivation in 1946, the site reactivated in 1947 as Portland Air Force Base. During the Cold War, it hosted Air Force Reserve troop carrier wings and Air Defense Command interceptor squadrons, utilizing C-46, C-119, F-94, and F-86D aircraft. The base also functioned as a radar site within the Lashup system. In 1966, active-duty operations ceased, and the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Fighter Interceptor Group became the host unit. The installation was redesignated as Portland Air National Guard Base following the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process.

The 142nd Wing of the Oregon Air National Guard operates the base. Its roles include NORAD air defense, drug interdiction, and supporting contingency operations. The wing comprises four major groups: operations, maintenance, mission support, and medical. Resident units include the 123rd Fighter Squadron, the 125th Special Tactics Squadron, and the 123rd Weather Flight Squadron. Tenant organizations include the Air Force Reserve Command’s 304th Rescue Squadron and the Civil Air Patrol’s 73rd Columbia Composite Squadron.

The base is a secure facility situated on the south side of the shared airfield. It hosts squadrons of F-15C/D Eagle and F-15EX Eagle II fighter aircraft. Operational capabilities include mission support for aerospace defense and expeditionary combat elements.