K . I . Sawyer Air Force Base K . I . Sawyer Air Force Base is a decommissioned U . S . Air Force base in Marquette County , Michigan , southeast of the city of Marquette . The base , near the center of Michigan ' s Upper Peninsula , operated for nearly forty years and closed in 1995 . The county airport , Sawyer International , now occupies a portion of the base and has scheduled airline flights and some general aviation activity . The area of the former base is now an unincorporated community and a census - designated place for statistical purposes known as K . I . Saywer AFB History . The origins of K . I . Sawyer Air Force Base begin in the mid - 1930s when Kenneth Ingalls Sawyer , a Marquette County road commissioner , desired to build an airport which would aid the development of the Marquette , Michigan area . The one factor which most likely influenced the establishment and final location of the airport was the growing mining industry in the local area . As the demand for iron ore increased , the need for travel increased . By 1937 , the demand reached a point of air service necessity . To support this demand , an airport was built near the city of Negaunee , Michigan . The population of the area continued to grow , and , by 1940 , Sawyer realized the new Negaunee airport could not handle its ever increasing demands . Therefore , in 1941 , the then - superintendent of the county highway department stepped out of his role and presented a plan for a new airport . The most significant landmarks on his proposed site were a hill of sand and a wealth of blueberry patches . The board agreed with the idea . Shortly thereafter , the United States was drawn into World War II . Local concern for the protection of the Great Lakes inter - lake navigation locks named Soo Locks at the trans - border area of Sault Sainte Marie prompted area citizens to propose that the U . S . Army Air Forces take over the new airfield . At that time , the proposal was shelved . K . I . Sawyer Airport . In 1944 , Sawyer died , and the following year the airfield , consisting of a single airstrip , was completed and named K . I . Sawyer Airport in his honor . It was used by private fliers until 1948 when Nationwide Airlines became the first commercial airline to operate flights out of the airport . Nationwide flew shuttles to Detroit from Marquette with stops in Escanaba , Iron Mountain and Menominee , Michigan . In February 1954 , the United States Air Force announced plans to enlarge its forces . With this growth . new bases would be needed . The government entered into negotiations with the county for Sawyer ' s lease . The government offered to build a $ 12 million jet base which could be jointly used by the Air Force and Marquette - area citizens . The major stipulation made by the government was no more than 300 landings per month would be made by civilian aircraft . In January 1955 , a public meeting was held in the county courthouse to discuss the proposed lease . Many at this meeting voted to adopt a resolution urging the Marquette City Commission to accept the government ' s offer . K . I . Sawyer Air Force Base . On 24 Jan 1955 , the United States government signed a 99 - year lease . Almost immediately , construction of military support facilities began . About 850 people were employed during the construction of the base and another 262 were actively employed during the winter months . A letter from Secretary of the Air Force Harold E . Talbott to U . S . Senator Homer S . Ferguson was printed in " The Mining Journal " and reported more than 900 military personnel were to be stationed at K . I . Sawyer Air Force Base with an annual income in excess of $ 3 million . K . I . Sawyer Airport officially opened as a joint civil - military facility on 8 April 1956 . It was not long before the Air Force proposed a $ 447 , 000 appropriation for construction of an airport in Negaunee Township which would allow the Air Force sole use of the base . Air Force facilities constructed included a and runway . Additionally , the region ' s wide open airspace offers ease of operations for an extremely safe and delay free air traffic setting . The official opening of K . I . Sawyer AFB occurred on 8 May 1959 , at which time the airfield became a strictly military operation . Air Defense Command . Upon activation , K . I . Sawyer was placed under the Jurisdiction of Air Defense Command ( ADC ) on 8 April 1956 . The 473d Fighter Group was activated as the host unit , under the ADC 4706th Air Defense Wing at O ' Hare International Airport , Illinois . The initial mission of the base was to act as a fighter - interceptor defense against an enemy bomber attack , the 484th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron was activated on 8 June 1956 , and authorized Northrup F - 89D Scorpion interceptors , however the 484th FIS was never equipped or manned as much construction was necessary to bring the airport up to Air Force standards for a military airfield . In 1957 , civilian commercial operations from the base moved to a new Marquette County Airport erected at the site of the old Negaunee Airport . The first aircraft assigned to K . I . Sawyer were F - 102 Delta Dagger s from the 438th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron at Kinross AFB , which were temporarily stationed at K . I . Sawyer during the summer of 1958 . On 8 November 1958 the Sault Sainte Marie Air Defense Sector ( SsmADS ) was established at K . I . Sawyer AFB . The ADC command and control organization ' s mission was to operate the Semi Automatic Ground Environment ( SAGE ) Data Center ( DC - 14 ) , which opened in 1959 . The SAGE system was a network linking Air Force ( and later FAA ) General Surveillance Radar stations into a centralized center for Air Defense , intended to provide early warning and response for a Soviet nuclear attack . SsmADS also supported the Antigo AFS ( P - 19 ) and Calumet AFS ( P - 16 ) ADC Ground - Control Intercept ( GCI ) and warning stations Further expansion of the base occurred in 1959 when the runway was extended to its present 12 , 300 feet . Prior to the expansion , ADC replaced the 473d Fighter Group with the 56th Fighter Wing , along with its 62d Fighter - Interceptor Squadron , to Sawyer as the host unit . The 56th FW received its first aircraft , an F - 101 Voodoo , in 1959 , after the expanded runway was completed . The F - 101s provided the SAGE unit with the required intercept and destroy capabilities that gave the base teeth . In 1961 the 56th Fighter Wing was discontinued and the host unit at K . I . Sawyer became the Sault Sainte Marie ADS . In a reorganization in 1964 , Strategic Air Command assumed jurisdiction of the base and ADC phased down its presence to a tenant organization . The 62d FIS came under the command and control of the Duluth Air Defense Sector and the SsmADS was inactivated . Responsibilities for the SAGE system were switched to the Duluth ADS , ( DC - 10 ) or the Detroit Air Defense Sector ( DC - 06 ) . In 1969 , Air Defense Command was redesignated as Aerospace Defense Command . In 1971 , the 62d Fighter Interceptor Squadron and its F - 101B Voodoo was replaced with a new squadron and aircraft . The new squadron was the 87th Fighter Interceptor Squadron ( 87 FIS ) , the " Red Bulls , " which flew the F - 106A Delta Dart . The 87th maintained four T - 33 aircraft to provide target support for the squadron interceptors , simulating Soviet bomber tactics . In addition , they flew NORAD radar evaluation and logistic support sorties . In 1979 , ADC was disestablished and all ADC aircraft assets were transferred to Tactical Air Command ( TAC ) under a sub - organization known as Air Defense – Tactical Air Command ( ADTAC ) . The 87 FIS and their F - 106 aircraft remained based and maintaining a 24 / 7 / 365 alert status at K . I . Sawyer AFB . The 87th was scheduled to convert to the F - 15 Eagle in 1984 . However , due to budget cuts the conversion was cancelled and the squadron was scheduled for inactivation on 1 October 1985 as the continental air defense mission in the United States was increasingly transferred to the Air National Guard . When inactivated , the 87th FIS was the second - to - last F - 106 squadron on active duty . On 4 September 1985 the last three F - 106 Delta Darts from the 87rh FIS departed K . I . Sawyer for AMARC at Davis Monthan AFB . Most of its aircraft were later converted to QF - 102 target drones and expended as aerial targets over the Gulf of Mexico as part of the " Pacer Six Program " during the late 1990s at Tyndall AFB , Florida by the 82d Aerial Targets Squadron . Strategic Air Command . The Strategic Air Command ( SAC ) became a tenant organization at K . I . Sawyer AFB on 1 August 1958 with the organization of the 4042d Strategic Wing . The 4042d SW was a B - 52H Stratofortress dispersal wing , a part of SAC ' s plan to disperse its big bombers over a larger number of bases , thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike . Before receiving the KC - 135 tanker and heavy B - 52 bomber aircraft of SAC , an all - weather , heavy - duty concrete runway was built , measuring 24 inches ( 61 cm ) thick , 150 feet ( 46 m ) wide . It was extended in 1959 from 6 , 000 feet ( 1828 m ) to over 12 , 300 feet ( 3 , 750 m ) , overruns of 1 , 000 feet ( 305 m ) There are also 75 - foot ( 23 m ) shoulders on each side of the runway , providing a paved width of 300 feet ( 91 m ) . The two operational units to be assigned later to this wing were the 923d Air Refueling Squadron on 1 May 1960 , and the 526th Bombardment Squadron on 1 June 1961 . The refueling squadron ' s first KC - 135A aircraft arrived 4 August 1960 , and the unit was declared fully combat ready in November of that year . In April 1961 , the 923d was inactivated and the 46th Air Refueling Squadron organized and activated as a replacement unit . The first B - 52H aircraft assigned to the 526th arrived at Sawyer August 1961 , On 1 February 1963 , the 4042d Strategic Wing was discontinued and the 410th Bombardment Wing ( Heavy ) organized and activated with no change in mission , personnel or aircraft . Also on that date , the 644th Bombardment Squadron was activated replacing the 526th , and the 46th Air Refueling Squadron was reassigned to the 410th . The majority of the wing ' s present support squadrons were also activated on this date as well . On 1 January 1964 Strategic Air Command assumed jurisdiction of K . I . Sawyer Air Force Base , the 410th Bomb Wing becoming the host unit under the SAC 4th Strategic Aerospace Division . K . I . Sawyer was one of three SAC bases in Michigan that operated the B - 52 . The other two were Kincheloe AFB to the east , near Kinross , south of Sault Ste . Marie , and Wurtsmith AFB , in the northeast of Michigan ' s Lower Peninsula , near Oscoda . The 410th and its subordinate units ' mission was to operate at full readiness , and support activities included aircraft and vehicle maintenance , bombing crew and unit training , and air refueling support . The wing did not deploy bomber aircraft to Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War , as the B - 52H was dedicated to strategic deterrence . However , the tanker aircraft and aircrews participated in the " Young Tiger " TDY effort , and the bomber aircrews went through RTU ( Replacement Training Unit ) training to fly B - 52Ds out of Andersen AFB , Guam and U - Tapao RTAFB , Thailand and were active participants in many of the notable campaigns that took place in Southeast Asia such as Arc Light . One K . I . Sawyer AFB KC - 135A ( AF Serial No . 61 - 0313 ) became famous throughout the SAC community as " the glider " when it ran out of fuel on a short final approach prior to landing at its home base after flying practice approaches at nearby Kincheloe AFB to complete requalification training . The flight crew , with the exception of the instructor pilot , bailed out when the engines went quiet . The instructor pilot , who remained on board , landed the aircraft just short of the runway overrun , bounced and rolled to a stop on the runway . The aircraft was repaired and returned to service quickly and even the crew entry door ( which separated from the aircraft during bailout procedures ) was returned to the Air Force by a local farmer . Other aircraft assigned to Sawyer over the years included HH - 43B and HH - 1H rescue helicopters of the 48th and 39th Air Rescue and Recovery Wings at Eglin AFB , Florida at the K . I . Sawyer Helicopter ( later re - designated Training ) Annex , 14 Mar 1975 – 1 Oct 1977 . SAC FB - 111 bombers assigned to the 509th Bombardment Wing ( Medium ) from Pease AFB , New Hampshire . were on satellite alert at Sawyer in 1974 and 1975 . In the early 1980s , K . I . Sawyers B - 52s were modified to carry the Boeing AGM - 86 Air - Launched Cruise Missile ( ALCM ) . The ALCM was powered by a 600 lb . s . t . Williams F107 - WR - 100 turbofan , which is fed by an inlet which folds out on the top of the missile . The B - 52 could carry six AGM - 86Bs on each of the two underwing pylons . In 1980 , two B - 52H crews assigned to the 644th Bomb Squadron ( S - 21 and S - 31 ) were awarded the Mackay Trophy for " executing a nonstop , around - the - world mission with the immediate objective of locating and photographing elements of the Soviet Navy operating in the Arabian Gulf [ sic ] . The Wing Commander at this time was Col G . Alan Dugard , a great leader and author of the 2011 book about the Linebacker II missions of 1972 entitled " When the Wolf Rises . " Closure . In 1993 , the Base Realignment and Closure Commission of the federal government ( BRAC 1993 ) recommended the base for closure . The KC - 135 tankers departed in October 1993 and the B - 52H ' s were split between the two remaining B - 52 bases at Barksdale and Minot ; Sawyer ' s final B - 52 left for Minot in November 1994 . The last aircraft assigned to Sawyer were six T - 37 Tweet jet trainers of the 71st Flying Training Wing assigned to " Accelerated Copilot Enrichment Program " in 1977 and were later assigned to the " Companion Trainer Program " under the Air Combat Command . K . I . Sawyer AFB was officially closed at the end of September 1995 . Legacy . K . I . Sawyer AFB was a favorite base among the SAC community . Although isolated and definitely northern , it was an attractive base for its pleasing North Woods location and its proximity to outdoor activities off the base , including hunting , fishing , boating , and winter sports including skiing at Marquette Mountain recreational area , as well as the venues on site ( base lake , ski hill , and others ) . While the base was sometimes referred to as " K . I . Siberia " and there was an abundance of lake effect snow , it was not the bitter sub - zero temperatures and wind chills and hot summers of the tree - sparse North Dakota bases , or the confinement of the bases in the more established communities of the northeastern states . Locals maintained that the K . I . Sawyer runway was built over some of the best blueberry fields in the state . Berry patches remained on many other parts of the base , and families of aircrew members often picked them near the alert barracks and the family center . A portion of the operational section of K . I . Sawyer AFB has been converted into Sawyer International Airport , which opened its passenger terminal for service in September 1999 . It replaced the smaller Marquette County Airport , just southwest of Marquette , as the region ' s primary civilian airport . In recent years , a group of local citizens interested in preserving the historical significance of the base have collected six aircraft of the types used actively at various times through the base ' s history to be displayed near the airport . The program is known as the " Sawyer 6 " project . Geography . The elevation at the passenger terminal is 1 , 190 feet ( 362 m ) above sea level , about 600 feet ( 183 m ) above Lake Superior , fifteen miles ( 24 km ) north of the former base . The former base is located in the southeast corner of Sands Township , with small portions in West Branch Township and Forsyth Township . It is a census - designated place ( CDP ) for statistical purposes . As of the 2000 census , the CDP population was 1 , 443 . According to the United States Census Bureau , the CDP has a total area of . of it is land and of it ( 0 . 24 % ) is water . Demographics . As of the census of 2000 , there were 1 , 443 people , 501 households , and 360 families residing in the CDP . The population density was 171 . 0 inhabitants per square mile ( 66 . 0 / km² ) . There were 1 , 659 housing units at an average density of 196 . 6 per square mile ( 75 . 9 / km² ) . The racial makeup of the base was 90 . 23 % White , 0 . 69 % African American , 3 . 47 % Native American , 0 . 35 % Asian , 1 . 18 % from other races , and 4 . 09 % from two or more races . Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2 . 15 % of the population . There were 501 households out of which 55 . 1 % had children under the age of 18 living with them , 45 . 9 % were married couples living together , 19 . 6 % had a female householder with no husband present , and 28 . 1 % were non - families . 17 . 8 % of all households were made up of individuals and 2 . 2 % had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older . The average household size was 2 . 88 and the average family size was 3 . 27 . In the CDP , the population was spread out with 38 . 5 % under the age of 18 , 12 . 3 % from 18 to 24 , 37 . 8 % from 25 to 44 , 9 . 1 % from 45 to 64 , and 2 . 3 % who were 65 years of age or older . The median age was 25 years . For every 100 females there were 92 . 7 males . For every 100 females age 18 and over , there were 93 . 0 males . The median income for a household in the CDP was $ 26 , 550 , and the median income for a family was $ 26 , 979 . Males had a median income of $ 27 , 679 versus $ 18 , 333 for females . The per capita income for the CDP was $ 10 , 029 . About 24 . 4 % of families and 26 . 6 % of the population were below the poverty line , including 30 . 6 % of those under age 18 and 31 . 3 % of those age 65 or over .