# RAAF Base Amberley

RAAF Base Amberley (ICAO: YAMB) is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military airbase located 8 km (5.0 mi) southwest of Ipswich, Queensland in Australia and 50 km (31 mi) southwest of Brisbane CBD. It is the largest military airbase in Australia.
Amberley is one of two defence 'super bases' in Australia, with the other being RAAF Base Edinburgh, and is home to over 5,000 uniformed and civilian personnel. The base is currently home to No. 1 Squadron (operating the F/A-18F Super Hornet), No. 6 Squadron (operating the EA-18G Growler), No. 33 Squadron (operating the Airbus KC-30A), No. 35 Squadron (operating the C-27J Spartan) and No. 36 Squadron (operating the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III). Amberley is also home to Army units making up the 9th Force Support Battalion (9 FSB).
There are a variety of other formations on the base such as training colleges and maintenance areas. Amberley's largest squadron in terms of personnel is No. 382 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron RAAF (ECSS) providing both garrison and deployed combat support. Amberley was one of only two airfields in Australia (the other being Darwin International Airport) that were listed as a Transoceanic Abort (TOA) landing site for the Space Shuttle. Amberley is currently undergoing a A$64 million dollar re-development program.

## History

The need for a RAAF base in Brisbane was identified in the 1930s. 882 acres (357 ha) of land c. 8km south-west of the city of Ipswich was gazetted for defence purposes on 12 December 1938. The original land-owners, the Jagera, the Yuggera and Ugarapul clans, called the area Jeebropilly, which denoted the flood plain in the region.
The base was initially planned to house a general-purpose squadron with 300 officers and men. At the outbreak of World War II the handful of brick buildings was still incomplete and many extra buildings were constructed quickly using wood and fibro. The base opened in June 1940 with the first occupants being No. 24 Squadron. From May 1942, the base changed roles from being a centre of flying operations to assembling and repairing aircraft.

### First troops airlifted into combat

The base was a major United States Army Air Forces base during 1942 and 1943. In September 1942, General Douglas MacArthur and Field Marshal Sir Thomas Blamey, Australian commander of New Guinea Force, decided the key to defending Australia was in New Guinea. The US 32nd Infantry Division had arrived in Australia in April 1942 and spent several weeks building its first camp. When it was transported to a new camp in July, nearly one third of its troops had been in boot camp only five months previously. The division had less than two months of jungle warfare training, which was far short of the year of division-level training required by Army doctrine. Nonetheless, U.S. officers decided it was the most combat-ready unit in Australia.
On 13 September 1942, MacArthur ordered parts of the 32nd Division to Papua New Guinea. Because the situation was critical and time was short, 5th Air Force commander, General George Kenney, suggested that he could transport the first regiment by air. That had never been attempted before, so Company E, 126th IR, was used to test the concept. At dawn on 15 September 1942, the unit was flown 1,293 miles (2,081 km) from Amberley Field to Port Moresby. Beginning on 18 September, the remainder of the 126th IR boarded ships in Brisbane, bound for Port Moresby. On the same day, the 128th IR began the move to Port Moresby from Townsville, Australia. The 126th IR were the first troops to be airlifted into combat.
Known Fifth Air Force units assigned to "Amberley Field" were:
| Unit | Aircraft | Assigned | Reassigned | Time at Amberley |
| 22d Bombardment Group | B-26 Marauder | 7 March 1942 (1942-03-07) | 7 April 1942 (1942-04-07) | 31 days |
| 38th Bombardment Group, Headquarters | B-25 Mitchell | 30 April 1942 (1942-04-30) | 10 June 1942 (1942-06-10) | 41 days |
| 69th Bombardment Squadron | B-26 Marauder | 30 April 1942 (1942-04-30) | 20 May 1942 (1942-05-20) | 20 days |
| 70th Bombardment Squadron | B-26 Marauder | 11 May 1942 (1942-05-11) | 14 August 1943 (1943-08-14) | 1 year, 95 days |
| 475th Fighter Group, Headquarters | P-38 Lightning | 14 May 1942 (1942-05-14) | 14 August 1943 (1943-08-14) | 1 year, 92 days |
| 431st Fighter Squadron | P-38 Lightning | 1 July 1943 (1943-07-01) | 14 August 1943 (1943-08-14) | 44 days |
| 432d Fighter Squadron | P-38 Lightning | 11 June 1943 (1943-06-11) | 14 August 1943 (1943-08-14) | 64 days |
| 433d Fighter Squadron | P-38 Lightning | 17 June 1943 (1943-06-17) | 14 August 1943 (1943-08-14) | 58 days |
The US transferred the facility to Australia in 1947, and it became the base for the RAAF's heavy bombers, operated by No. 1, No. 2 and No. 6 squadrons. The reserve No. 23 (City of Brisbane) Squadron relocated from RAAF Station Archerfield to Amberley in 1955.
In 1965, the US extended a "Joint Research Program for Measuring the Physical Effects of Disturbances in the Atmosphere or in Space with particular emphasis on their effect on Radio Communications" from RAAF Base Pearce to the base at Amberley.

## Current layout

The current layout of the aerodrome consists of two runways, 3km and 1.5km long.

## Current units

The following units are based at RAAF Base Amberley:
Royal Australian Air Force :
| Unit | Full name | Force Element Group | Aircraft |
| HQ82WG | Headquarters No. 82 Wing | Air Combat Group | |
| | Headquarters No. 95 Wing | | |
| 1SQN | No. 1 Squadron | Air Combat Group | F/A-18F |
| 6SQN | No. 6 Squadron | Air Combat Group | EA-18G |
| 33SQN | No. 33 Squadron | Air Mobility Group | KC-30A |
| 35SQN | No. 35 Squadron | Air Mobility Group | C-27J Spartan |
| 36SQN | No. 36 Squadron | Air Mobility Group | C-17 Globemaster III |
| 452SQN AMB FLT | No. 452 Squadron Amberley Flight | Surveillance and Response Group | |
| HQCSG | Headquarters Combat Support Group | Combat Support Group | |
| HQ 95WG | Headquarters No. 95 Wing | Combat Support Group | |
| 382SQN | No. 382 Squadron (Contingency Response Squadron) | Combat Support Group | |
| 295SQN | No 295 Squadron (Training and Standards) | Combat Support Group | |
| 1CCS DET AMB | No. 1 Combat Communications Squadron Detachment Amberley | Combat Support Group | |
| 2 SECFOR | Headquarters No. 2 Security Forces Squadron | Combat Support Group | |
| HQ 96WG | Headquarters No. 96 Wing | Combat Support Group | |
| 23SQN | No. 23 (City of Brisbane) Squadron | Combat Support Group | |
| HQHSW | Headquarters Health Services Wing | Combat Support Group | |
| 1EHS | Headquarters No. 1 Expeditionary Health Squadron | Combat Support Group | |
| 3AMES DET AMB | No 3 Aero-medical Evacuation Squadron Detachment Amberley | Combat Support Group | |
| HOCU | Health Operational Conversion Unit | Combat Support Group | |
| RAAFSFS | RAAF Security and Fire School | Air Force Training Group | |
| HALSPO | Heavy Air Lift Systems Program Office | Defence Materiel Organisation | |
| SRSPO | Strike Reconnaissance Systems Program Office | Defence Materiel Organisation | |
| ARDU | Aircraft Research and Development Unit Detachment Amberley | Aerospace Operational Support Group | |
| Australian Army |||||
| 6 ESR | 6th Engineer Support Regiment (except 20 EOD Sqn) | 6th Brigade | |
| 9 FSB | 9th Force Support Battalion (except 176 AD Sqn) | 17th Sustainment Brigade | |