Quonset Point Air National Guard Station

Quonset Point Air National Guard Station is located near North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Commissioned as Naval Air Station (NAS) Quonset Point on July 12, 1941, the facility was established on the site of Camp Dyer. During World War II, the base served as a training site for Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm pilots operating Vought F4U Corsairs and was administered as HMS Saker II. The station hosted antisubmarine patrol units and served as the site of the Naval Air Rework Facility. During the Cold War, it was the homeport for Essex-class aircraft carriers, including the USS Essex, USS Intrepid, and USS Wasp. It also hosted Antarctic Development Squadron Six (VX-6) and various aircraft types, including the P-2 Neptune, S-2 Tracker, and SH-3D Sea King. The naval station was decommissioned on June 28, 1974.

The Rhode Island Air National Guard operates the station as the home of the 143rd Airlift Wing. An Air Mobility Command-gained unit, the 143rd Airlift Wing provides air logistics support for state and federal missions. The wing relocated to the station from Theodore Francis Green Airport in the mid-1980s. The Rhode Island Army National Guard also maintains the 1st Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment at the site.

The station infrastructure includes 12 facilities categorized as industrial, administrative, or service buildings. No family housing is provided on the installation. The 143rd Airlift Wing operates C-130J and C-130J-30 Hercules transport aircraft, while the 1-126th Aviation Regiment operates UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The facility shares an airfield and a deepwater port with Quonset State Airport. The base population is approximately 360 personnel during weekday operations, increasing to approximately 599 during monthly unit training assemblies.