Baer Field

Fort Wayne Air National Guard Station Baer Army Air Base
Part of Indiana Air National Guard (IN ANG)
Located at: Fort Wayne International Airport, Indiana
122d FW F-16C 84-1264 in heritage motif, painted to pay homage to the 122d FW's history.
Fort Wayne ANGB Location of Fort Wayne Air National Guard Station, Indiana
Coordinates	40°58′42″N 85°11′42″W / 40.97833°N 85.19500°W / 40.97833; -85.19500 (Fort Wayne ANGS)Coordinates: 40°58′42″N 85°11′42″W / 40.97833°N 85.19500°W / 40.97833; -85.19500 (Fort Wayne ANGS)
Type	Air National Guard Station
Site information
Controlled by	United States Air Force
Site history
Built	1941
In use	1941-Present
Garrison information
Garrison	122d Fighter Wing

Fort Wayne Air National Guard Station is a United States Air Force base, located at Fort Wayne International Airport, Indiana. It is located 7.6 miles (12.2 km) south-southwest of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Initially established in 1941 as a training airfield for the Army Air Forces, during World War II, "Baer Field" became a major training and aircraft processing base for C-47 Skytrain and C-46 Commando transport aircraft, equipping many Troop Carrier squadrons with aircraft and training their aircrews in their operation. Largely turned over to civil control after the war, the Air Force has maintained control over a small section of the civil airport for reserve training and Air National Guard use. Since 1952 it has been the home station of the Indiana Air National Guard 122d Fighter Wing.

A unit of the United States Air Force, in a national emergency, the 122d FW may be ordered to active duty by the President of the United States. The primary federal mission of the 122d FW is to achieve and maintain the level of operational readiness that will provide trained and equipped combat-ready tactical units, capable of global deployment, ready for immediate integration into the active Air Force to assure air offense, air defense, or joint action with ground forces.

The 122d FW is available on orders from the Governor of Indiana to assist local authorities in the event of a disaster, disturbance or other emergency. The units of the 122d FW are capable of supporting rescue and relief operations, aiding in recovery from natural disaster, along with protecting the citizens of Indiana and their property.

Originally named Baer Army Air Base (or more colloquially, "Baer Field"), the base was named after Paul Baer, a Fort Wayne native, born in 1894. A 16 victory Flying ace, he flew with the Lafayette Escadrille and the 103d Aero Squadron American Expeditionary Force Air Service during World War I and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Legion of Honor, and the French Croix de Guerre. He continued to fly after the war, opening air mail routes in South America, and participating in many aviation experiments. He was killed on 9 December 1930 while flying mail and passengers for Chinese Airway Federal, Inc. His Loening C-2-H amphibian crashed on takeoff from Shanghai, China. He is buried in Fort Wayne.