Suffolk County Air Force Base Suffolk County Air Force Base ( Suffolk County Army Air Field in World War II ) is a former air defense military installation collocated to use runways with the Westhampton , New York , municipal airport . Some of the facilities and real estate of Suffolk County AFB , which closed in 1969 , are now part of the renamed Francis S . Gabreski Airport , while other former Air Force facilities , as well as new military construction , are used by the New York Air National Guard ' s 106th Rescue Wing ( 106 RQW ) stationed at Francis S . Gabreski Air National Guard Base . Suffolk County Army Air Field . The Suffolk County Army Air Field was built in 1943 as a United States Army Air Forces sub - base of nearby Mitchel Field . Later assigned to First Air Force , the 437th Army Air Force Base Unit defended the New York City area and flew antisubmarine patrols . Post - war , the airfield was conveyed to Suffolk County for use as a civilian airport , but to include a reversal clause if future military use was ever needed . Renamed when the United States Air Force reclaimed the airport in 1951 , Suffolk County Air Force Base was part of the Eastern Air Defense Force ' s defense of the NYC metro area . The Air National Guard ' s 103rd Fighter - Interceptor Wing ( 103 FIW ) , along with the 118th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron and its F - 47N Thunderbolts , was federalized on March 2 , 1951 and moved from Brainard Field , Connecticut , to Suffolk County AFB on June 1 . The 103 FIW was returned to state control on February 6 , 1952 and remained briefly at Suffolk County until replaced by the 45th and 75th Fighter - Interceptor Squadrons in November 1952 , flying the F - 86 Sabre as part of the 23rd Fighter - Interceptor Group ( 23 FIG ) . In 1955 , the 23 FIG was reassigned to Presque Isle AFB , Maine and replaced by the newly activated 52nd Fighter - Interceptor Wing ( 52 FIW ) , which flew under various designations from Suffolk County AFB until 1969 , with the 2d and 5th Fighter - Interceptor Squadrons flying F - 94 Starfire , F - 101 Voodoo and F - 102 Delta Dagger interceptors . In 1963 , the 52 FIW was renamed the 52nd Fighter Wing ( Air Defense ) and became part of the New York Air Defense Sector ( NY ADS ) , the NY ADS being one of four USAF air defense sectors employing the Semi - Automatic Ground Environment ( SAGE ) system . Suffolk County AFB was also the main support base for the Suffolk County Missile Annex , a nearby USAF CIM - 10 Bomarc surface - to - air missile launch complex for the defense of the New York City metropolitan area under the control of a missile launch control center at McGuire Air Force Base , New Jersey . As a result of funding shortfalls for the Vietnam War that resulted in the closure of numerous stateside air force bases and naval air stations , Suffolk County AFB deactivated in 1969 and the military installation was again transferred to the Suffolk County government for use as a civilian airport . Suffolk County Airport / Air National Guard Base and Francis S . Gabreski Airport / Air National Guard Base . Suffolk County Airport ( Francis S . Gabreski Airport after 1991 ) operated without a military unit until June 1970 when the 102nd Air Refueling Squadron of the New York Air National Guard relocated from Naval Air Station Floyd Bennett Field with its KC - 97 Stratotanker s . In 1972 , the 102d switched to F - 102 Delta Dagger s and became the 102d Fighter - Interceptor Squadron . In 1975 , the unit had another mission change and became an Aerospace Rescue and Recovery squadron , later renamed the 102nd Rescue Squadron in 1995 . Today , the 106th Rescue Wing uses HC - 130P Hercules and HH - 60G Pave Hawk helicopters for both peacetime and combat search and rescue . The book " The Perfect Storm " and the film by the same name detail the crash of one of the 106th ' s HH - 60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters while conducting civilian search and rescue operations from the airport during the 1991 Perfect Storm . References .