Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth

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For uses prior to 1 October 1994, see Carswell Air Force Base.
NAS JRB Fort Worth
Carswell Field
USNAS-Carswell.jpg
Entrance sign to NAS JRB Fort Worth
IATA: FWH – ICAO: KNFW – FAA: NFW
Summary
Airport type Military: Naval Air Station
Operator United States Navy
Location Fort Worth, Texas
Built 1932
In use Active
Commander Captain T.D. Smyers
Occupants U.S. Navy Reserve
U.S. Marine Corps Reserve
U.S. Air Force Reserve
U.S. Air National Guard
Elevation AMSL 650 ft / 198 m
Coordinates 32°46′09″N 097°26′30″W / 32.76917°N 97.44167°W / 32.76917; -97.44167
Website cnic.navy.mil/Fortworth/
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
17/35 12,000 3,658 Concrete
Source: official web site[1] and FAA[2]
High oblique aerial view looking Northwest

Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth or NAS JRB Fort Worth (IATA: FWH, ICAO: KNFW, FAA LID: NFW), also known as Carswell Field, is a military airfield located 5 nautical miles (9 km; 6 mi) west of the central business district of Fort Worth, in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. This military airfield is operated by United States Navy.[2] It is located in the cities of Fort Worth, Westworth Village, and White Settlement in the western part of the Fort Worth urban area.

The Air Force Reserve Command's Tenth Air Force headquarters and 301st Fighter Wing continue to be based at the installation, as well as the 136th Airlift Wing of the Texas Air National Guard. A number of Marine Corps aviation and ground units are also co-located at NAS JRB Fort Worth.

Aircraft types initially based at NAS JRB Fort Worth were the F-14 Tomcat, F/A-18 Hornet and McDonnell Douglas C-9B Skytrain II. Current based Navy aircraft are the C-40 Clipper. Currently based Air Force aircraft are the F-16 Fighting Falcon and C-130 Hercules and currently based Marine Corps aircraft are the F/A-18 Hornet and KC-130 Hercules.

Contents

[edit] History

The base originated in 1941 as Tarrant Field Airdrome. The airdrome became Fort Worth Army Air Field on 2 January 1942 and was renamed Carswell Air Force Base in 1948, in honor of Major Horace S. Carswell, Jr. Carswell Air Force Base was one of the first Strategic Air Command bases established in the Cold War period.

In 1993, the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission decided to relocate forces from Naval Air Station Dallas to Carswell Air Force Base and the new base was to be named NAS Fort Worth JRB. When commissioned, this installation was the first Joint Service Reserve Base in the United States.

On October 1, 1994, the Navy established itself as the host command, renaming the 1,805 acre base; Naval Air Station Fort Worth, Joint Reserve Base, but also retaining the name Carswell Field. Two U.S. Marine Corps squadrons and a small contingent of Navy personnel had permanently relocated at that time and all moves were completed by 1998.

Naval Air Station Fort Worth, Joint Reserve Base, part of Navy Installation Command's Navy Region Southeast, is a joint defense facility which plays a pivotal role in training and equipping air crews and aviation ground support personnel. The Navy Fort Worth "team" ensures reservists receive quality training in preparation for mobilization readiness; here to serve the reservists, tenants, and surrounding communities while accomplishing its primary purpose of defense readiness for the United States.

On September 20, 2009, the airport was used as a refuelling stop for the Space Shuttle Discovery's return flight to the Kennedy Space Center that was being piggybacked from Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport. After refuelling it was flown on to Barksdale Air Force Base.

[edit] Current operations

NASJRB Fort Worth insignia.

The base, now part of Navy Installations Command, is under the oversight of Commander, Navy Region Southeast. It hosts a variety of fighter/attack and airlift units from the reserve components of Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force. Airfield operating procedures and equipment (e.g., PAR and ILS) reflect a combination of service requirements, although as the operators of the local ATC system, DON imposes Navy procedures as the operations standard.

NAS JRB Fort Worth units schedule a variety of airspace. The key area for fighter operations is the Brownwood Military Operations Area (MOA). This area, originally developed to serve Commander, Naval Air Force Reserve (COMNAVAIRRESFOR) and 4th Marine Aircraft Wing fighter and fighter/attack squadrons stationed at the former NAS Dallas, now serves as the primary airspace resource for all fighter/attack units assigned to NAS JRB Fort Worth. It is scheduled by the NAS Operations Department; consolidated scheduling was evaluated for a period of time and the decision made to return this area to the Navy for scheduling. Nevertheless, user comments indicate that access to the area is allocated to its several users on a fair and equitable basis.

The recent decision to join the Brady and Brownwood MOAs will provide additional maneuver airspace for AIC/ACM training. When scheduled concurrently, these areas enable numerous aircraft from several units to participate in joint fighter/bomber training exercises. Brownwood MOA is the subject of an innovative test to improve the dissemination of SUA status information to non-participating aircraft. This test, conducted to address action items in meeting FAA Free Flight planning commitments, will use a combination of recently deployed airspace scheduling and reporting systems, including the FAA SAMS and DoD MAMS. The trials’ intent is to provide more accurate (“near real-time”) area status via the Internet to civil users, especially to regional air carriers particularly affected by required rerouting around Brownwood MOA. Should the test and the technology prove successful and cost-effective, the result could address long-standing civil dissatisfaction with the quality and timeliness of FAA-distributed SUA status information. In particular, such functionality may be appropriate for incorporation into the next generation of Automated Flight Service Station modernization equipment.

The base's runway is also used by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, as their large Fort Worth assembly facility (where the F-16 Fighting Falcon, Mitsubishi F-2, F-22A Raptor, and the F-35 Lightning II are built) is located adjacent to the base.

The Commanding Officer of NAS/JRB Fort Worth, Captain T.D. Smyers, is a native of the Fort Worth area.

[edit] Tenant units

File:Emergency Operation Center on board Naval Air Station Ft Worth Joint Reserve Base.jpg
The Emergency Operation Center at NAS Fort Worth, JRB

Naval Units:

Marine Corps units:

Air Force Reserve units:

Air National Guard units:

Other:

  • Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department (NAS Ft Worth AIMD)
  • 607th Military Police Battalion (US Army Reserve Command)

[edit] Popular culture

The base was one of the sites for the filming of James Stewart's 1955 classic "Strategic Air Command."

On the NBC series "The West Wing", Democratic Presidential nominee Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) reported for Marine Corps Reserve duty at Fort Worth for F/A-18 Hornet flight operations. The show incorrectly referred to the base as "National Guard Training Center Fort Worth", and the squadron shown was VMFA-134 "Smokes". In reality, the "Smokes" were stationed at MCAS Miramar prior to their 2007 transition to cadre status. The Marine Corps Reserve F/A-18 squadron actually based at NAS Fort Worth is VMFA-112 "Cowboys".

[edit] References

United States Department of the Navy Seal.svg United States Navy portal
Seal of the US Air Force.svg United States Air Force portal
  1. ^ Naval Air Station JRB Fort Worth, official site
  2. ^ a b FAA Airport Master Record for NFW (Form 5010 PDF), effective 2007-12-20

[edit] External links


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