Quonset Point Air National Guard Station


 * See: Quonset State Airport for civil airport information

Quonset Point Air National Guard Station is the home base of the Rhode Island Air National Guard 143d Airlift Wing.

Overview
Quonset Point Air National Guard Station at Quonset State Airport is located 20 miles south of Providence, Rhode Island and approximately 2.5 miles north of Wickford, Rhode Island. It is the home of the 143rd Airlift Wing (143 AW), a Rhode Island Air National Guard unit operationally gained by the Air Mobility Command (AMC) of the U.S. Air Force. The mission of the 146 AW is to provide air logistics support pursuant to both its state and federal missions. Originally located at Theodore Francis Green Airport in Providence, the 146 AW relocated to the former Naval Air Station Quonset Point in the mid-1980s, with the base initially consisting of 79 acres of leased land.

By July 2001 the base had an additional lease for approximately 15 acres used for the development of their master plan and will allow for construction of facilities to support new C-130J transport aircraft. There are a total of 12 facilities on base: 4 industrial, 6 administrative and 2 services with no family housing. Current base population is approximately 360 personnel during non-drill duty days and increases to approximately 599 personnel on a drill duty weekend that occurs once per month.

Its 2005 BRAC Recommendations, DoD would realign Martin State Air Guard Station (AGS), MD. DoD recommended to distribute the eight C-130J aircraft of the 175th Wing (ANG) to the 146th Airlift Wing (ANG), Channel Islands AGS, CA (four aircraft), and 143d Airlift Wing (ANG), Quonset State Airport AGS, RI (four aircraft). This recommendation would move C-130Js to Channel Islands AGS (96), and Quonset State (125), both of which ranked higher in military value and already operate the J-model C-130—avoiding conversion training costs.