McChord Air Force Base - Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Tacoma Washington
Longitude: -122.4794
Origin of current name: Named in honor of Col William Caldwell McChord (1881-1937), Rated a junior military aviator in 1918, Colonel McChord was killed while trying to force-land his A-17 near Maidens, VA, on 18 Aug 1937, At the time of his death, he was Chief of the Training and Operations Division in HQ Army Air Corps.
Date current name was assigned to base: 13 Jan 1948
Previous Names: Pierce County (also Tacoma) Airport, c. 1934; Tacoma Field, c. 1937; McChord Field, 17 Dec 1937
Changes in Capability: Hospital, warehouses, and billets completed 1939; base became largest bomber training base, primarily B-25s, 1940-1944; served as P-39 modification center Apr 1944-May 1945; airlift and air defense functions 1945-; major rehabilitation and construction of new runways and other concrete areas completed Aug 1951; SAGE facility completed May 1958; 600-unit Capehart housing project completed Dee 1959; facilities used when two C-124 squadrons converted to C-141 operations for special Alaskan commitments in 1966; MAC passenger terminal completed 31 Jul 1969; AF clinic completed mid-i971; enlisted men's modular dormitories completed 20 Feb 1976.
Major Changes in Status: Fort Lewis in 2010 to become Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Official Base Website: mcchord.af.mil
McChord Field is a United States Air Force installation located near Tacoma, Washington. It forms part of Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), a major U.S. Army and Air Force base. The field serves as a key center for global airlift operations, logistics, and homeland defense in the Pacific Northwest.
Originally built in the late 1930s as Tacoma Field, the base was renamed McChord Field in 1938 to honor Colonel William Caldwell McChord, who died in an aviation accident. During World War II, McChord served as a key training and air defense base, supporting operations in the Pacific theater. It later became an Air Force Base under the newly formed U.S. Air Force in 1947 and was consolidated into Joint Base Lewis-McChord in 2010 as part of a nationwide base realignment.
McChord Field's primary mission is rapid global airlift, centered on the operation of Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft under the 62nd Airlift Wing. The base also supports the 446th Airlift Wing (Air Force Reserve Command) and the Western Air Defense Sector, which monitors airspace across the western United States. Its capabilities include troop and cargo transport, aeromedical evacuation, and humanitarian assistance.
As one of the Pacific Northwest's largest military airfields, McChord Field plays a crucial logistical role for U.S. and allied forces in the Indo-Pacific region. It provides continuous support for overseas deployments, disaster relief, and homeland security missions, leveraging its proximity to major ports and training ranges shared with the Army components of JBLM.
