Stead Air Force Base
Stead Air Force Base
   Reno Army Air Base |
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| Part of Strategic Air Command (SAC) | |
| Washoe County, Nevada | |
Kaman HH-43B Huskie helicopter
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 Stead AFB
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| Coordinates | 39°40′02″N 119°52′34″W / 39.66722°N 119.87611°WCoordinates: 39°40′02″N 119°52′34″W / 39.66722°N 119.87611°W |
| Type | Air Force Base |
| Site information | |
| Condition | Reopened as Reno Stead Airport |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1942 |
| In use |
U.S. Army Air Forces (AAF) (1942-1945) Nevada Air National Guard (1948−1951), U.S. Air Force (USAF) (1951−1966) |
Stead Air Force Base was a former United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force base that operated in northwestern Nevada from 1942 to 1966. After its closure, the site was reopened as Reno Stead Airport.
It was located in Washoe County, north of Reno. The base was primarily used for survival training by the Strategic Air Command, and hosted an Air Defense Command Semi Automatic Ground Environment−SAGE DC-16 direction center.
Reno Army Air Base was originally assigned to the Second Air Force of the U.S. Army Air Forces (AAF) in October 1942 during World War II. Although the base was originally intended for use as a training center for Signal and Chemical personnel, the operation of its facilities required the additional construction to accommodate the number of troops brought there for training.
The 3d Operational Training Unit, Ferrying Division, Air Transport Command assumed command of the base on 7 June 1943 until it was disbanded in 1944 and replaced by an AAF Base Unit. It was used as a training airfield for Curtiss C-46 Commando transport crews to be assigned to the China Burma India Theater to fly supply missions over the Himalayas from airfields in the Assam Valley of India to China ("The Hump"), as the mountainous terrain of the Sierra Nevada between Reno and Fairfield-Suisun Army Air Base in California was similar. The 585th Army Air Force Base Unit was designated as the host unit on 31 March 1944. On 28 September 1945 ATC shut down transport training, and the base was placed on temporary inactive status 20 October 1945.
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