Namesakes The base was named in honor of
World War I pilots Lieutenants Samuel H. Davis (1896–1921) and Chief Engineer
Oscar Monthan (1885–1924), both Tucson natives. Monthan enlisted in the Army as a private in 1917, was commissioned as a ground officer in 1918, and later became a pilot; he was killed in the crash of a
Martin B2 bomber in
Hawaii on 27 March 1924. in 1896 in
Dyer County, Tennessee, Davis was known by his middle name, Howard. He attended public schools in Tucson. As a young man, his hobbies included horseback riding and shooting; he was a good marksman. having previously attended the
University of Arizona in Tucson. Davis married Marjorie Cameron of San Antonio in 1920. One other person, William C. Sinclair, was also killed. They were hunting ducks at the time; Sinclair was piloting and Davis was shooting. After a funeral at the home of his parents, Davis was buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Tucson. He was survived by his widow, his parents, and a brother, Wilton. Davis's father was in attendance at the 1925 dedication of the base, as was
Governor G.W.P. Hunt, who spoke at the dedication. then the largest municipal airport in the United States. Military presence at the field began when Sergeant Simpson relocated his fuel and service operation to the site on 6 October 1927. He kept a log containing names of the field's customers, including Lindbergh,
Amelia Earhart,
Benjamin Foulois, and
Jimmy Doolittle. Doolittle, awarded the
Medal of Honor for his 1942
Tokyo raid, was the first military customer at the field on 9 October 1927. The combination of civil and military operations worked well until the early 1940s, when military requirements began to require the relocation of civil-aviation activities.
World War II Davis–Monthan Airport became Tucson Army Air Field in 1940, as the United States prepared for
World War II. The first assigned
U.S. Army Air Corps units were the 1st Bomb Wing, 41st Bomb Group, and 31st Air Base Group, activating on 30 April 1941 with Lieutenant Colonel Ames S. Albro Sr. as commanding officer. In its military role, the base became known as
Davis–Monthan Army Air Field on 3 December 1941.
U.S. Army Air Forces leaders then used the airfield for heavy bomber operation, sending
Douglas B-18 Bolo,
Consolidated B-24 Liberator, and
Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers, for training and observation missions. Among the bombardment groups trained at the base during the war were: •
34th Bombardment (Heavy) 13 May – 4 July 1942 •
94th Bombardment (Heavy) August – 1 November 1942 •
302nd Bombardment (Heavy) 23 June – 30 July 1942 •
308th Bombardment (Heavy) 20 June – 1 October 1942 •
380th Bombardment (Heavy) 4 November – 2 December 1942 •
382nd Bombardment (Heavy) 23 January – 5 April 1943 •
389th Bombardment (Heavy) 24 December 1942 – 1 February 1943 •
392nd Bombardment (Heavy) 26 January – 1 March 1943 •
399th Bombardment (Heavy) 1 March – 10 April 1943 •
400th Bombardment (Heavy) April – 2 May 1943 •
446th Bombardment (Heavy) 1 April – 8 June 1943 •
449th Bombardment (Heavy) 1 May – 5 July 1943 •
451st Bombardment (Heavy) 1 May – 3 June 1943 •
459th Bombardment (Heavy) 20 September – 1 November 1943 •
466th Bombardment (Heavy) 15 August – 17 October 1945 •
486th Bombardment (Heavy) 9 November 1943 – March 1944 •
489th Bombardment (Heavy) 3 April – 13 July 1945 •
491st Bombardment (Heavy) 1 October – 11 November 1943 •
444th Bombardment (Very Heavy) 1 March – 29 July 1943 •
499th Bombardment (Very Heavy) 20 November – 1 December 1943 Training at the airfield came to a halt on 14 August 1945, when the Japanese surrendered. Davis–Monthan played a postwar role by housing German
prisoners of war from June 1945 to March 1946. It also served as a separation center, which brought the base populace to a high of 11,614 in September 1945. With the end of the war, operations at the base came to a virtual standstill. Then, the base was selected as a storage site for hundreds of decommissioned aircraft, with the activation of the
4105th Army Air Force Unit, which oversaw the storage of excess B-29s and
C-47 "Gooney Birds". Tucson's low humidity and alkaline soil made it an ideal location for aircraft storage and preservation, awaiting cannibalization or possible reuse—a mission that has continued to this day.
Cold War Strategic Air Command The
Cold War era was ushered in at Davis–Monthan on 21 March 1946, with the installation placed under the claimancy of the recently established
Strategic Air Command (SAC), whose presence at the base began in the form of the 40th and 444th Bombardment Groups, both equipped with B-29s. As part of the postwar austerity, these groups were later inactivated, with the personnel and equipment being consolidated into the
43d Bombardment Group in October. On 11 January 1948, with the establishment of the
United States Air Force as independent service four months earlier, the facility was renamed
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base. On 30 June 1948, the Air Force activated the 43rd Air Refueling Squadron, whose KB-29Ms were newly equipped with
aerial refueling equipment purchased from the British firm FRL. The 43rd ARS, along with the 509th ARS at
Walker AFB,
New Mexico, was the first dedicated air refueling unit in history. On 2 March 1949, the
Lucky Lady II, a
B-50A of the 43d Bombardment Wing, completed the first nonstop round-the-world flight, having covered in 94 hours and 1 minute (249.45 mph).
Lucky Lady II was refueled four times in the air by
KB-29 tankers of the 43d Air Refueling Squadron, which had made only one operational air refueling contact before the mission. For this outstanding flight, the
Lucky Lady IIs crew received the
Mackay Trophy, given annually by the
National Aeronautic Association for the outstanding flight of the year, and the Air Age Trophy, an
Air Force Association award, given each year in recognition of significant contributions to the public understanding of the air age. In 1953, the jet age came to Davis–Monthan when SAC units on the base converted to the new
Boeing B-47 Stratojet. The
303d Bombardment Wing, Medium, was initially established on 27 August 1951, and activated at Davis–Monthan AFB on 4 September 1951. The wing operated B-29s until January 1952, when it was equipped with KB-29s. On 20 January 1953, the 303d transitioned to the Boeing B-47 Stratojet for its three bomb squadrons, while an additional air refueling squadron equipped with KC-97s was assigned to the wing between 18 February 1953, and 1 February 1956. A standard SAC Alert Area ramp was constructed in the southeast corner of the base adjacent to the runway and the 303d assumed nuclear alert responsibilities when final conversion and checkout in the B-47 was complete. In April 1953, the
Air Defense Command's
15th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was activated with
F-86A Sabres. A year later, the unit transitioned into F-86Ds followed by a transition to F-86Ls in the fall of 1957. In the spring of 1959, the unit received
Northrop F-89J interceptors which it flew for only a year when it transitioned into
McDonnell F-101Bs. On 24 December 1964, the 15th FIS was inactivated. In 1962, SAC's
390th Strategic Missile Wing (390 SMW) and its 18
Titan II ICBM sites around Tucson were activated. The 390 SMW was one of only three Titan II missile wings in SAC and represented the heaviest land-based missile and the largest single warhead ever fielded by U.S. strategic deterrent forces. In July 1963, the 4028th Strategic Reconnaissance Weather Wing, equipped with
U-2 strategic reconnaissance aircraft, began flying global missions from Davis–Monthan. Following the Cuban missile crisis in 1963, the
4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at
Laughlin AFB, Texas, relocated to the base and assumed responsibility for all U-2 operations, emphasizing long-range strategic reconnaissance and intelligence collection. As a SAC unit, the 4080th was later redesignated the
100th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing and also acquired
Lockheed DC-130 Hercules aircraft for launch and control of Firebee reconnaissance drones that were the precursors of contemporary unmanned aerial systems. The DC-130s and U-2s remained at the Davis–Monthan until 1976, when the 100 SRW was inactivated, its DC-130s transferred to
Tactical Air Command's 432d Tactical Drone Group, and its U-2s transferred to SAC's
9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at
Beale Air Force Base, California, where U-2 Dragon Lady operations were consolidated with
SR-71 Blackbird operations. On 15 June 1964, Davis–Monthan's
303d Bombardment Wing was inactivated as part of the retirement of the B-47 Stratojet from active service. The year 1964 brought back the combat crew training mission of the World War II years with the 4453d Combat Crew Training Wing of the
Tactical Air Command (TAC) equipped with the Air Force's newest and most sophisticated fighter, the
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. In July 1971, the
355th Tactical Fighter Wing, flying the
A-7 Corsair II aircraft, was activated at the base and the previously assigned F-4s were moved to
Luke AFB, near
Phoenix, Arizona.
Tactical Air Command On 1 October 1976, the base was transferred to TAC after 30 years under SAC, with SAC's
390th Strategic Missile Wing becoming a tenant command of the base. Also that year, the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing accepted the first
A-10 Thunderbolt II. Since 1979, D–M has been the training location for pilots in the A-10; the base was redesignated the
355th Tactical Training Wing on 1 September 1979. The organization was later redesignated the
355th Fighter Wing since it includes operational, deployable A-10 squadrons in addition to its CONUS training mission The 1980s brought several diverse missions to D–M. The headquarters charged with overseeing them was now the
836th Air Division, which was activated 1 January 1981. The AD advised Air Force component commanders and land forces on A-10 aircraft tactics, training, employment and readiness, and subordinate units participated in exercises such as
Red Flag and Celtic Echo. The
41st Electronic Combat Squadron equipped with the
EC-130H Compass Call aircraft, arrived on 1 July 1980, and reported to the
552d Airborne Warning and Control Wing. In 1981 D–M welcomed the 868th Tactical Missile Training Group (866 TMTG). The 868th was the only U.S.-based
Ground Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM) unit and the source of the crews that staffed the forward deployed GLCM wings in
NATO in 1982. On 1 September 1982, the headquarters of the 602d Tactical Air Control Wing and its subordinate
23rd Tactical Air Support Squadron (TASS), a unit responsible for the Air Force's tactical air control system west of the
Mississippi River transferred from
Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, and stood up at D–M, bringing 16
OA-37B aircraft and numerous new personnel to the base. The 23rd TASS became the Air Force's first
O/A-10 squadron in 1988, providing heavily armed airborne forward-air-control capability for the first time. Unlike all other D–M aircraft at the time, the 23rd TASS fleet's tail flash read "NF", for "Nail FAC"; the squadron's radio call sign was "Nail". In 1984, as a result of the first series of Strategic Arms Reduction Treaties
START I between the United States and the Soviet Union, SAC began to decommission its Titan II missile system. In 1982, the 390 SMW began removing its 18 missiles and inactivating the associated sites in preparation for eventual demolition. In October 1981, President Ronald Reagan announced that as part of the strategic modernization program, Titan II systems were to be retired by 1 October 1987. Deactivation began at Davis–Monthan on 1 October 1982. During the operation, titled "Rivet Cap", the missiles were removed and shipped to
Norton AFB, California, for refurbishment and storage. Explosive demolition began at the headworks of missile complex 570–7 on 30 November 1983. In May 1984, the 390 SMW's last Titan II at Davis–Monthan came off alert status. SAC subsequently inactivated the
390th Strategic Missile Wing on 30 June 1984. One site under the 390 SMW, known both as Titan II Site 571-7 and as Air Force Facility Missile Site 8, was initially decommissioned in 1982. Located about south of Tucson in
Sahuarita, Arizona, it was saved from demolition and turned over to the Arizona Aerospace Foundation, a nonprofit organization that also administers the
Pima Air and Space Museum immediately south of Davis–Monthan AFB. With a variety of items on loan from the
National Museum of the United States Air Force, including an inert
Titan II missile, Site 571-7 is now known as the
Titan Missile Museum and is one of two remaining examples of a Titan II missile site in existence (the other being located at
Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, site 395-C). In 1994, the site was declared a
National Historic Landmark. In 1987, the
71st Special Operations Squadron, an Air Force Reserve unit flying HH-3 Jolly Green Giants, was activated at the base. While it served after the
invasion of Kuwait in Desert Shield/Storm, it did not survive the end of the Cold War drawdown, and disbanded in 1992.
After the Cold War era In the 1990s, the 355 TTW continued to train A-10 crews for assignments to units in the United States, England, and
Korea. During this period, the 602nd Tactical Air Control Wing deployed airborne forward air controllers in their OA-10 aircraft to
Operation Desert Storm, providing nearly 100% of this capability to the war. On 1 October 1991, the 355 TTW was redesignated as the 355th Fighter Wing (355 FW) in tune with the Air Force's Objective Wing philosophy. The 355 FW was composed of the 355th Operations Group, the 355th Maintenance Group, the 355th Medical Group, and the 355th Mission Support Group. In May 1992, the
41st and
43d Electronic Combat Squadrons, flying the
EC-130H Hercules Compass Call arrived. The aircraft carried an airborne battlefield command and control center capsule that provides continuous control of tactical air operations in the forward battle area and behind enemy lines. This capability added yet more strength to the wing's combat capability. The 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron "Bats" are part of the
55th Wing at
Offutt AFB,
Nebraska, but operate out of Davis–Monthan. In addition, the 42d Airborne Command and Control Squadron arrived from
Keesler AFB,
Mississippi, on 19 July 1994. On 1 May 1992, senior Air Force leaders implemented the policy of one base, one wing, one boss. The 836 AD and 602 TAIRCW inactivated (the later on 15 June 1992), while the 41 ECS and 43 ECS came under control of the 355 FW. With the mission diversified, the 355th FW was redesignated as the 355th
Wing (355 WG).
Air Combat Command On 1 June 1992, Tactical Air Command was inactivated and all aircraft, personnel, and installations previously under TAC were transferred to the newly established
Air Combat Command on the same date. Following Operation Desert Storm, the 355 WG supported
Operation Southern Watch during deployments to Al Jaber, Kuwait, in 1997 by deploying 24 A-10s, in 1998 by deploying 16 A-10s, and in 1999 by deploying 14 A-10s—all to ensure compliance of the 33rd parallel southern no-fly zone. The flight and mysterious crash of Captain
Craig D. Button took off from Davis–Monthan Air Force Base on 12 April 1997.
Global War on Terrorism, 2001–2007 The attacks on 11 September 2001, led to the initiation of three ongoing missions:
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF),
Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and
Operation Noble Eagle (ONE). After Operation Enduring Freedom, eight A-10s from the 355 WG were called to
Bagram Airfield,
Afghanistan, to fly close air support missions supporting multinational ground forces. In September 2002, the
48th,
55th, and the
79th Rescue Squadron's (RQS) transferred under control of the 355 WG, equipped with HC-130 aircraft and HH-60 helicopters. At the same time, the 41st and 43d Electronic Combat Squadrons were realigned under the control of the
55th Electronic Combat Group (55 ECG). While personnel and aircraft remained on Davis–Monthan AFB, operational control of the 55 ECG was assumed by the
55th Wing at Offutt AFB, Nebraska. Another major wing realignment occurred on 1 October 2003, with the activation of the
563rd Rescue Group (563 RQG) on Davis–Monthan AFB. Control of the 48th, 55th, and 79th RQSs was passed to the new group with the
23rd Wing at
Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, assuming operational command of the unit. In 2003 and 2005, the 354th Fighter Squadron (354 FS) "Bulldogs" deployed on five-month deployments to Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. During these deployments, they provided 24-hour presence to reassure the Afghan population as it struggled with its
emergent democracy, and provided key support during national elections. While the 2003 deployment saw limited action, the Bulldogs employed over 22,000 rounds of 30 mm during 130 troops-in-contact situations during the 2005 deployment. Returning to Afghanistan in April 2007 for another six-month deployment, the 345th again provided 24-hour presence and Close Air Support expertise to coalition forces in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. During this period, insurgent activity level was the highest recorded to date in OEF. The Bulldogs employed an unprecedented number of munitions during this deployment—over 150,000 rounds of 30 mm in support of over 400 troops-in-contact situations.
2007–present On 26 April 2007, the 355th Wing was redesignated as the 355th Fighter Wing (355 FW) with only A-10 fighter aircraft assigned. Also in 2007, the 214th Reconnaissance Group (214 RG), an Arizona Air National Guard unit, was activated. As of October 2020, the 355 FW is composed of four groups, the 355th Operations Group (355 OG), the 355th Maintenance Group (355 MG), the 355th Mission Support Group (355 MSG), and the 355th Medical Group (355 MDG). Along with their tenant organizations, they make up the 6,100 airmen and 1,700 civilian personnel at Davis–Monthan AFB. The 355th Fighter Wing was re-designated 355th Wing on 2 January 2019. On 20 August 2020, the 355th Wing again realigned and now falls under the 15th Air Force Headquarters at
Shaw AFB, SC. The
924 Fighter Group of the
Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) was reactivated in 2011 and initially assigned to Davis–Monthan AFB as an "associate" unit to the 355 FW flying the A-10 aircraft. As part of the Air Force Reserve Command, it is also a geographically separated unit (GSU) of AFRC's
944th Fighter Wing (944 FW) at
Luke AFB, Arizona. Like the 355 FW, the 924 FG currently flies the same Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support aircraft. The 924 FG consists of the
47th Fighter Squadron (A-10C), 924th Maintenance Squadron, 924th Operational Support Flight. Between October 2013 and March 2014, the 924 FG transitioned from being a "classic" associate unit when it gained 28 A-10 aircraft of its own from
Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. The 924th is now part of the Total Force Enterprise, and is the only unit-equipped both active and classic associate fighter group in Air Force Reserve Command's inventory. With oversight of the 47th Fighter Squadron, 924th MS, and 924th OSF, the group is charged with working with the Regular Air Force's 355th Fighter Wing to functionally integrate with the 355th Operations Group and 355th Maintenance Group to conduct A-10 pilot training at Davis–Monthan AFB. The group was inactivated on 6 September 2025 as part of the wider drawdown of the USAF's A-10 fleet. On 1 October 2021, the 418th Test and Evaluation Squadron was activated at David-Monthan to provide test and evaluation of new tactics, techniques and procedures for the
EC-130H Compass Call and
HC-130J Combat King II. ==Role and operations==