Los Alamitos Army Airfield
Los Alamitos Army Airfield is a company.
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Leadership Team
Key people at Los Alamitos Army Airfield.
Los Alamitos Army Airfield is a company.
Key people at Los Alamitos Army Airfield.
Key people at Los Alamitos Army Airfield.
Los Alamitos Army Airfield (LAAAF), also known as KSLI, is not a company but a restricted military airfield operated by the California Army National Guard (CA-ARNG) as part of the 1,319-acre Joint Forces Training Base (JFTB) in Los Alamitos, California.[1][3][7] It serves as the largest Army airfield managed by the National Guard Bureau, supporting aviation training, mobilizations, deployments, and emergency operations with two all-weather runways (8,001 ft and 5,902 ft), a full air traffic control tower, crash rescue, 200,000-gallon fuel farm, weather office, and UH-1 flight simulator.[1][2][3] The base hosts units like the 40th Aviation Brigade's helicopters (OH-58C, UH-1H, UH-60), C-12 aircraft, and Department of Agriculture planes, accommodating large aircraft such as C-5, C-17, Air Force One, and Boeing 747s while managing high-traffic airspace.[2][5]
JFTB Los Alamitos supports over 850 full-time employees and 6,000+ National Guard/Reserve troops, acting as a key West Coast hub for troop embarkation/disembarkation, DoD missions, and civil support including disaster response (e.g., LA riots, Northridge earthquake, Olympics).[1][3][5]
Established in 1942 as Naval Air Reserve Base Los Alamitos during World War II, it provided advanced fighter pilot training for Navy and Marine Corps units, later renamed Naval Air Station Los Alamitos to support fleet carrier air groups.[3][5][6] Post-WWII, it shifted to Naval Air Reserve support through the Korean and Vietnam Wars.[3]
In 1973, the site transferred to Army control and was licensed to the California National Guard for operations.[4][5] Renamed Joint Forces Training Base in 2000, it evolved into a multi-service facility under a Brigadier General, incorporating Army aviation, simulators, and civil support teams like Weapons of Mass Destruction Team 9.[1][4]
Los Alamitos Army Airfield anchors military aviation in Southern California's dense airspace, riding trends in joint forces integration, rapid mobilization, and dual-use training amid base closures (e.g., Tustin NAS in 1999).[5] Its timing aligns with post-9/11 demands for ready National Guard assets, serving as the only military airfield in greater L.A./O.C., bolstering West Coast DoD logistics near Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach.[2][5] Market forces like urbanization and disaster frequency favor its role in civil-military ops, influencing ecosystems via advanced simulators and infrastructure that train western U.S./Pacific aviators.[1][4]
Ongoing developments like joint headquarters, Close Combat Tactical Trainers, and Training Simulations Centers position JFTB for expanded virtual/division-level training amid rising great-power competition.[4] Trends in drone integration, cyber-secure ATC, and climate-driven disasters will amplify its hub status, potentially evolving influence through public-private partnerships for airspace tech. This enduring military asset, born from WWII aviation needs, remains vital for national readiness in a high-threat era.[1][3][5]
