WASHINGTON
Fairchild Air Force Base
Spokane
Welcome to Fairchild Air Force Base, a major aerial refueling installation west of Spokane, Washington. Military families can explore the Spokane region lakes, parks, four-season recreation, and welcoming communities while living near an installation with a proud aviation heritage.
ESTABLISHED IN 1942
Opened as the Spokane Air Depot to repair and supply military aircraft.
AIR REFUELING MISSION
The 92nd Air Refueling Wing operates KC-135 Stratotankers.
NAMED FOR GEN. FAIRCHILD
Renamed in 1951 in honor of Gen. Muir S. Fairchild.
SERE TRAINING
Home to the 336th Training Group, specializing in evasion & resistance training
NEARBY COMMUNITIES
Explore Airway Heights, Medical Lake, Cheney, West Plains, and Spokane Valley.
Get to Know the Base
From World War II Depot to Global Air Mobility
Fairchild Air Force Base began in 1942 as the Spokane Air Depot, a World War II maintenance and supply center. Supported by the Spokane community, the depot repaired more than 1,250 B-17 bombers and thousands of aircraft engines. After the war, the installation became a Strategic Air Command bomber base, welcoming the 92nd Bombardment Wing and B-29 Superfortress aircraft.
Renamed for Air Force Gen. Muir S. Fairchild in 1951, the base later operated B-36 Peacemakers and B-52 Stratofortresses during the Cold War. Its aerial refueling mission began in the late 1950s with the KC-135 Stratotanker, extending the reach of U.S. aircraft worldwide.
Fairchild's last B-52 departed in 1994, and the installation transitioned to the 92nd Air Refueling Wing. Today, Fairchild supports global air mobility, the Washington Air National Guard's 141st Air Refueling Wing, and specialized survival training. Families stationed here enjoy proximity to Spokane, nearby small towns, lakes, trails, and year-round outdoor activities.
WASHINGTON