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| Forbes Air Force Base | |
|---|---|
| Name | Forbes Air Force Base |
| Location | Topeka, Kansas |
| Coordinates | 39°02′N 95°39′W |
| Country | United States |
| Type | Air Force base |
| Used | 1942–1973 |
| Controlled by | United States Army Air Forces; United States Air Force |
| Garrison | Various wings and groups |
Forbes Air Force Base was a United States military airfield near Topeka, Kansas, active from 1942 until its closure and conversion to civilian and reserve uses in 1973. The installation hosted training units, strategic bomber operations, air refueling wings, and air defense squadrons, interacting with national organizations and regional institutions. Over its active life the base intersected with major events, commands, and aircraft that shaped mid‑20th century United States Air Force operations and United States Army Air Forces training programs.
Forbes began as an Army flight training center during World War II when the War Department expanded the United States Army Air Forces training network, joining other bases such as Randolph Field, Maxwell Field, Sill Field, Pittsburgh Municipal Airport, and Spokane Air Depot. The base was named for Lt. Col. Charles Forbes and later realigned under postwar demobilization policies alongside installations like Roswell Army Air Field and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. In the late 1940s Forbes transitioned to Strategic Air Command control, paralleling moves at Barksdale Air Force Base, F.E. Warren Air Force Base, and Castle Air Force Base. During the Korean War mobilization Forbes hosted units recalled from reserves similar to activations at March Air Force Base, Bunker Hill Air Force Base, and Travis Air Force Base. The base’s history also linked to federal initiatives such as the National Security Act of 1947 and defense realignments like those affecting Homestead Air Force Base.
Forbes served under multiple major commands including Army Air Forces Training Command, Tactical Air Command, Strategic Air Command, and Air Defense Command. Tenant wings and groups included iterations comparable to the 301st Bombardment Wing, 90th Bombardment Group, and reserve formations like the 307th Bombardment Group (Reserve), with squadron ties similar to the 100th Bombardment Squadron and air refueling elements akin to the 11th Air Refueling Squadron. The base hosted units operating aircraft families such as B-29 Superfortress, B-47 Stratojet, KC-97 Stratofreighter, and F-86 Sabre types, reflecting equipment parallels with 509th Bomb Wing, 2nd Bomb Wing, and 452nd Bomb Group. Command relationships mirrored interactions between installations like Eglin Air Force Base, Andrews Air Force Base, and Offutt Air Force Base.
Runways and ramps at Forbes compared with other Midwest hubs like Offutt Air Force Base and Whiteman Air Force Base supported heavy bomber operations, tanker operations, and reserve flying. Hangars and maintenance shops paralleled facilities at Tinker Air Force Base and Hill Air Force Base, while fuel storage and ammunition depots linked logistic patterns found at Dover Air Force Base and Sacramento Air Logistics Center. The base contained air traffic control towers similar to those at O'Hare Field operations, medical clinics reflecting standards at Brooke Army Medical Center, and family housing projects resembling developments at Offutt and Scott Air Force Base. Training ranges and bombing targets in the region drew comparisons to ranges used by Eglin Air Force Base and Great Plains Range activities.
During World War II Forbes functioned within the national training grid, contributing to pilot and crew preparation alongside Purdue University‑affiliated programs and civilian contract schools like Curtiss-Wright Technical Institute. The base supported aircrew transition for heavy bombers similar to rotations at Kearney Army Air Field and Dalhart Army Air Field. In the Korean War emergency Forbes provided mobilization resources akin to those at Westover Air Force Base and Barksdale Air Force Base, supplying personnel and aircraft replacements for combat theaters linked to Far East Air Forces operations and United Nations Command logistics. The flow of reservists and activated units resembled activations seen at Mitchel Air Force Base and Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.
Throughout the Cold War Forbes hosted strategic deterrent and air defense missions integrating with national networks such as Semi-Automatic Ground Environment corridors and command-and-control structures like those at NORAD installations. The base supported aerial refueling operations similar to missions from Grissom Air Reserve Base and McConnell Air Force Base, and air defense interceptor deployments paralleling assignments at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Langley Air Force Base, and Saxonburg Air Station. Exercises and readiness drills at Forbes mimicked programs run by Tactical Air Command and Strategic Air Command and interoperated with units from Air National Guard wings like those at Topeka Municipal Airport and Kansas Air National Guard formations.
Base realignment decisions following budget reviews and force restructuring under initiatives similar to the Defense Reorganization Act led to Forbes’ inactivation and property transfer efforts resembling conversions at Lowry Air Force Base and Mather Air Force Base. Post‑closure redevelopment included civilian aviation use, industrial parks, and reserve components paralleling transformations at March Joint Air Reserve Base and Oceana Naval Air Station conversion projects. Partnerships with municipal authorities such as Topeka, state agencies like the Kansas National Guard, and economic development entities mirrored redevelopment patterns at Former Forbes Field successors and installations turned civilian like NAS Willow Grove.
Notable events at Forbes included aircraft accidents and operational mishaps comparable to incidents at Andrews Air Force Base, Scott Air Force Base, and Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base. Investigations into crashes referenced procedures akin to Air Force Safety Center reviews and National Transportation Safety Board‑style inquiries. Security and safety responses at Forbes aligned with protocols from Pentagon emergency planning and interagency coordination with regional organizations like Shawnee County authorities and Topeka Police Department.
Category:Installations of the United States Air Force in Kansas Category:Military installations closed in 1973