Turner Air Force Base
| Naval Air Station Albany | |
|---|---|
| Part of Commander, Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet (COMNAVAIRLANT) | |
| Albany, Georgia | |
3 January 1964
|
|
 NAS Albany
|
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| Coordinates | 31°35′55″N 084°05′39″W / 31.59861°N 84.09417°WCoordinates: 31°35′55″N 084°05′39″W / 31.59861°N 84.09417°W |
| Type | Naval Air Station |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by |
United States Air Force United States Navy |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1942 |
| In use | 1967-1974 |
| Demolished | 1978 (partially) |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison |
31st Fighter Wing (1947–1950, 1953–1959) (TAC) 31st Fighter-Escort Wing (1950–1953) (SAC) 4080th Strategic Wing (1957) 4138th Strategic Wing (1957–1963) 484th Bombardment Wing (1963–1967) Reconnaissance Attack Wing One (1967-74) |
Naval Air Station Albany (Turner Field) is a former United States Navy station whose site is located within the current city limits of Albany, Georgia. From 1940 to 1967, it was operated by the United States Army and USAF, finally under the name Turner Air Force Base. Following its closure it was transferred to the U.S. Navy and renamed NAS Albany. It continued to serve as an active USN installation until its closure in July 1974. Most of the site was taken over as a brewery from 1978.
In the summer of 1940, Army Air Corps personnel from Maxwell Army Air Field in Montgomery, Alabama contacted the Albany Chamber of Commerce about the possibility of locating a training base at their community with the stipulation that the local government purchase the property. Anticipating the economic benefit to the area, the local government accepted the proposal.
The Air Corps looked at several sites including the existing Albany Municipal Airport. The municipal airport eventually became the site of a primary Contract Pilot School (Albany Army Airfield). The Air Corps finally settled on a site four miles (6 km) northeast of town in Dougherty County. The Chamber of Commerce raised $95,000 to purchase over 4,700 acres (19 km2) for the main base and four auxiliary fields in Lee County. When the Army indicated it desired an additional 200 acres (0.81 km2) for the main base, the City purchased the property outright. All of the land was then leased to the Air Corps for $1 a year with a 99-year option.
Construction got under way on 25 March 1941 for the new training airfield. The immediate construction involved runways and airplane hangars, with three concrete runways, several taxiways and a large parking apron and a control tower. Several large hangars were also constructed. Buildings were ultimately utilitarian and quickly assembled. Most base buildings, not meant for long-term use, were constructed of temporary or semi-permanent materials. Although some hangars had steel frames and the occasional brick or tile brick building could be seen, most support buildings sat on concrete foundations but were of frame construction clad in little more than plywood and tarpaper.
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