Castle Air Force Base
former US Air Force base in Merced County, CA, US
Castle Air Force Base (Castle AFB, 1941–1995) is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base in California, northeast of Atwater, northwest of Merced, and about 115 miles (185 km) south of Sacramento.
The Central Valley base in unincorporated Merced County was closed in 1995, pursuant to a Base Realignment and Closure Commission decision after the end of the Cold War and the disestablishment of Strategic Air Command (SAC). It is now known as the Castle Airport Aviation and Development Center.
History
The airfield was opened on 20 September 1941 as the Army Air Force Basic Flying School, one of the fields used by the 30,000 Pilot Training Program. It provided basic air training for beginning pilots and crewmen. Many pilots and crews were trained here during the war, including Women's Air Service Pilots (WASPs).
Auxiliary air fields used by Merced Army Air Field (as the site was known at the time) during the war were:
Merced Municipal Airport Auxiliary Field No. 1 37°20′01″N 120°30′30″W
Ballico Auxiliary Field No. 2 37°29′02″N 120°41′50″W
Howard Auxiliary Field No. 3 37°19′33″N 120°48′07″W
Athlone Auxiliary Field No.
The public source identifies “Castle Air Force Base” as former US Air Force base in Merced County, CA, US. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Castle, Force and Base.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Castle Air Force Base”, the useful work is to connect “former US Air Force base in Merced County, CA, US” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 19, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q472049. VIAF identifies the subject as 139616871. The Library of Congress control number is n85081989. Authority coordinates are 37.380, -120.568. 2 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1941 and 1995.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Castle Air Force Base”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Castle Air Force Base primary sources, Castle Air Force Base archive and Castle research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Castle Air Force Base”?
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- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Castle Air Force Base” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.