Volk Field Air National Guard Base

Volk Field Air National Guard Base, also known as the Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC), is a military airport located near Camp Douglas, Wisconsin. It operates under the control of the Wisconsin Air National Guard and is owned by the Department of Defense, with the US Air Force as its operator. The base's origins trace back to 1888 when the site was acquired for a rifle range and permanent training site for the Wisconsin National Guard. It expanded significantly by 1903 and served as a major mobilization and training post for the 32nd Infantry Division during World War I and World War II. The site was named Camp Williams in 1927 and later, in 1957, the airfield was officially designated Volk Field in memory of 1st Lieutenant Jerome A. Volk, the first Wisconsin Air National Guard pilot killed in the Korean War.

The base has one asphalt/concrete paved runway, designated 09/27, measuring 2,743.2 meters (9,000 feet). Notably, during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, a false alarm incident at the base nearly led to the accidental launch of nuclear-armed F-106A interceptors due to an incorrectly wired alarm, which was triggered by a black bear.

In 1989, the site was re-designated as a Combat Readiness Training Center. During the 1990 Persian Gulf War, it served as the primary point of embarkation for soldiers and equipment from nearby Fort McCoy. Since 2006, Volk Field, along with Fort McCoy, has been a primary location for Patriot Warrior, an annual training exercise for the Air Force Reserve Command. The base also houses the Wisconsin National Guard Museum, which displays various aircraft, helicopters, artillery, and armored vehicles used by the Wisconsin National Guard.