The first air facility in Yuma was constructed in 1928 for military and
civilian use. When the United States entered World War II, an air base was
erected and by early 1943, Yuma Army Air Base began graduating classes of
pilots. The base became one of the busiest flying schools in the nation. At
the end of the war, all flight activity here ceased and the area was
partially reclaimed by the desert. In 1951, the Air Force reactivated the
base, which was later transferred to the Navy in 1959. On July 20, 1962, the
Base's designation was changed to Marine Corps Air Station.

MCAS Yuma is one of the Marine Corps' premier aviation training bases. With
access to 2.8 million acres of bombing and aviation training ranges and
superb flying weather, MCAS Yuma supports 80 percent of the Corps'
air-to-ground aviation training. Each year, the air station hosts numerous
units and aircraft from U.S. and NATO forces.

The ideal weather and location along the Colorado River make Yuma and the
surrounding area an oasis in the southwestern Sonoran Desert. Nestled in
five square miles just southeast of Yuma, the air station is home to a
number of tenant units including Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics
Squadron-1, Marine Aircraft Group-13, Marine Wing Support Squadron-371,
Marine Fighter Training Squadron-401, Marine Air Control Squadron-1, Marine
Aviation Logistics Squadron 13 and Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 4
and Combat Service Support Detachment-16.

The main runway has been extended to 13,300 feet, or enough concrete for 37
miles of two-lane highway. MAWTS-1 hosts the biannual Weapons and Tactics
Instructor Course (WTI) aboard MCAS Yuma and is recognized as the most
comprehensive graduate level aviation course of instruction in the world
today. On average, over 8,000 U.S. Marines log more than 8,000 flight hours
during more than 5,000 sorties each year. WTI trains aviators, infantry,
artillery and armory officers in addition to their service support personnel
in advanced Marine Air Ground Task Force tactics, techniques and procedures.

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