Cannon Afb

Cannon Air Force Base, a major Air Combat Command installation, is located 4,295 feet above sea level in the high desert near Clovis, New Mexico. It was founded as a civilian airfield in the 1920s. During World War II, it was a training area for fighter pilots, bombardiers, gunnery and photographic reconnaissance under the aegis of the 16th Bombardment Operational Wing.

After the war, the base was home to a number of renowned aircraft. The P-51 Mustang, F-46 Sabre and F-100 Super Sabre all operated there. F-100s and their crews were subsequently deployed to Taiwan and Turkey in 1958. They were also deployed during the 1961 Berlin Crisis and the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Cannon was the first to send an F-100 squadron to Thailand in 1962, and to Vietnam in 1963.

Currently, the 27th Fighter Wing maintains a fleet of F-16 Fighter Falcons at Cannon. Three of the Wing's four squadrons are the 522nd "Fireballs," the 523rd "Crusaders" and the 524th "Hounds of Heaven." They are ready to take to the air instantly in support of any combat operation, and can deliver both conventional and nuclear weapons.

The "Singapore Squadron"

The fourth squadron is the 428th "Buccaneers." This squadron is composed of approximately 25 US Air Force personnel and 140 personnel from the Republic of Singapore. The 428th conducts training in deployment of the F-16 and delivery of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons. The USAF and the Republic of Singapore have worked cooperatively since 1998.