Joint Base Andrews (JBA) is the premier joint base in the National Capital Region; home to the 316th Wing, 89th Airlift Wing and Air Force One, 113th Wing, ANG Readiness Center, 459th Air Refueling Wing and Naval Air Facility Washington. JBA’s fascinating history appears on their Facebook page.
From the JBA Facebook history, here are just the beginning and closing sentences:
JBA beginnings:
The history of Andrews Air Force Base dates back to the Civil War when the Union occupied a small country church as its headquarters for soldiers camped nearby. Today, that church is known as Chapel Two, and the base community still uses it for worship services.
In the early part of the 20th century, the present site of Andrews was often discussed for a potential civilian airfield. In August 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the Secretary of War to acquire the land and to build a military airfield.
JBA today:
These major developments and events add to Andrews AFB’s already dynamic and critical part it plays in the defense of our nation as it constantly evolves from the muddy fields and wooden buildings of the 1940s, to become one of the most modern air bases in the world, and solidifying itself as “The Gateway to the Capital.”