Beale Air Force Base is one of the best kept secrets in the Air Force. An Air Combat Command base, Beale's mission is world-wide, high altitude reconnaissance.
Located 50 miles north of the California state capitol of Sacramento, and 140 miles north of the ethnically diverse and culturally rich San Francisco Bay Area, Beale is host to a small community of 3,500 active duty members (600 officers and 2,900 enlisted personnel). Family members bring the base population to just over 8,000. There are approximately 540 civilians and almost 1,000 reservists working on the base. Approximately 13,000 retirees, widows, and retiree family members fall under the Beale AFB cachement area of responsibility.
Beale's 23,000 acres of rolling hills, scenic pastureland, fresh water lakes and streams are situated at the north end of the Greater Sacramento Valley. Beale is an outdoorsman's and sports enthusiast's paradise. The base's vast acreage contains seven lakes, some of which are stocked with sport fish. Pacific king salmon run in the months of July and August on the nearby Feather River. Pheasant, deer and turkey hunting is available on base by permit through a lottery system. Snow skiing, hiking, camping, river rafting and scuba diving opportunities abound at locations less than two hours away, including the internationally renowned Squaw Valley Ski Resort, Lake Tahoe, the Giant Redwood Forest and Yosemite National Park. Cultural and educational activities along with festivals are ongoing in the surrounding communities. Outdoor Recreation sponsors a large number of tours to the surrounding areas including the Napa valley. Shoppers will find outlet stores, specialty shops, and shopping malls in nearby Sacramento, Grass Valley, Nevada City, Roseville, and Vacaville. Many find Beale's rural nature to be a relaxing and enjoyable experience.
Beale AFB not only has a unique mission, it was named for a unique individual. Beale was named for Edward Fitzgerald Beale (1822-1893), the man who founded the Army Camel Corps and who was one of California's largest landholders. Beale graduated from the Naval Academy, served in the California militia, and led the Camel Corps experiment. He is also credited with helping to bring the California Indian wars to an end. Camp Beale was first opened in October 1942 as a training site for the 13th Armored and the 81st and 96th Infantry Divisions. During World War II Camp Beale's 86,000 acres were home for more than 60,000 soldiers, a prisoner-of-war encampment, and a 1000-bed hospital. In 1948, the camp transferred from the Army to the Air Force.
Today Beale AFB is the home for the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, the T-38 jet trainer, and most recently, KC-135 aircraft. Beale AFB has a unique name and mission, a historic past, and a promising future. For more information about Beale's interesting history along with its historical, botanical, and archelogical sites, stop by the base library and read "Pebbles in the Stream" by Peggy Bal. Additional information about the base, each of the squadrons, PCS information, and hyperlinks to many of the base and community services can be found on the Beale homepage web site.
Beale AFB: Installation
Installation Overview
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Name : Beale Air Force Base
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POC : Base Operator
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City : Beale AFB
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State : CA
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Zip : 95903
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Phone : 530-634-1110
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Fax :
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DSN Phone : 368-1110
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DSN Fax :
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Web Address : http://www.beale.af.mil
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Comment :
24-hour assistance 800-250-1751
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