Volk Field Air National Guard Base

Volk Field Air National Guard Base. It is a military installation located near Camp Douglas, Wisconsin, operated by the Wisconsin Air National Guard. The base serves as a critical training facility for aircrew and ground crew from multiple branches of the United States Armed Forces. Named in honor of Jerome A. Volk, a Wisconsin Air National Guard pilot killed in the Korean War, it functions as a key military airbase within the National Guard Bureau's nationwide network.

History

The facility's origins trace back to 1942 when it was established as Camp Williams Army Air Field during World War II. Following the war, control transferred to the Wisconsin Air National Guard in 1955. It was formally renamed in 1959 for Jerome A. Volk, a F-86 Sabre pilot with the 176th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron who was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States). Throughout the Cold War, the base hosted fighter-interceptor units like the 176th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and later the 128th Air Refueling Wing. A significant expansion occurred in the 1970s with the construction of a military air traffic control tower and hardened aircraft shelters, enhancing its role as a dispersed operating base for strategic aircraft. The 115th Fighter Wing assumed host duties in 1995, consolidating its status as a premier combat readiness training center.

Facilities

The base encompasses over 2,300 acres and features a single primary runway designated 9/27, which measures 9,000 feet in length. Its airfield is equipped for instrument flight rules operations and includes a network of taxiways connecting to numerous aircraft shelters and maintenance hangars. Key infrastructure includes the Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center, which provides simulated forward operating base environments for joint military exercises. Support facilities comprise munitions storage areas, fuel storage depots, barracks, dining halls, and a fire department capable of aircraft rescue and firefighting. The installation also houses specialized ranges for close air support training and tactical air control party integration.

Based units

The primary host and tenant unit is the 115th Fighter Wing, an operational Air National Guard wing flying the F-35 Lightning II. The wing's subordinate flying unit is the 176th Fighter Squadron, which conducts advanced fighter training and alert missions. The Wisconsin Army National Guard maintains a presence with elements of the 64th Troop Command for joint operations support. Other notable tenants include detachments from the United States Air Force Reserve Command, the Civil Air Patrol, and the Federal Aviation Administration for air traffic control coordination. The Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center itself operates under the National Guard Bureau to support visiting units from across the Department of Defense.

Role and operations

The base's primary mission is to provide a realistic training environment for achieving and sustaining combat readiness. It functions as a Combat Readiness Training Center hosting large-scale exercises like Northern Lightning, which involves United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies. The 115th Fighter Wing maintains an air sovereignty alert mission for the Continental United States North American Aerospace Defense Command Region. The installation supports Air Expeditionary Force deployments and provides critical training in air interdiction, combat search and rescue, and joint terminal attack controller procedures. Its airspace, part of the Hardwood Military Operating Area, is intensively used for air combat maneuvering and electronic warfare training.

Accidents and incidents

The base and its associated airspace have experienced several notable aviation accidents. In 1978, a Wisconsin Air National Guard F-106 Delta Dart from the 176th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron crashed during a training flight, resulting in the pilot's death. A United States Air Force F-4 Phantom II from the 52nd Fighter Wing crashed near the base in 1984 following an in-flight emergency. In 1996, a Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornet participating in an exercise experienced a catastrophic engine failure, leading to a crash; the pilot successfully ejected. A more recent incident in 2018 involved a 115th Fighter Wing F-16 Fighting Falcon that made an emergency landing due to a landing gear malfunction, causing minor damage to the aircraft but no injuries.