Soesterberg Royal Netherlands Air Force Base Soesterberg Air Base was a Royal Netherlands Air Force military airbase located in Soesterberg , east - northeast of Utrecht . It was first established as an airfield in 1911 , and in 1913 , the Dutch Army bought the field and established the Army Aviation Division . For almost 40 years , United States Air Force facilities at Soesterberg , named Camp New Amsterdam was a major front line USAFE airbase during the Cold War . The base was closed on 31 December 2008 , due to budget cuts in the Dutch Army . The airbase ceased flying operations on 12 November 2008 , when the command was transferred from the Dutch Air Force to Dutch Defense who will take care of the base until it will be given back to nature . The last fighter ever to depart , delayed due bad weather at Aviano AB , was a Greek F - 4E . The former USAFE part stays in military hands , and will now officially be called Camp New Amsterdam . Early history . During World War I , the Netherlands was a neutral country , and flew border patrol missions from Soesterberg airfield . The Dutch confiscated all foreign aircraft landing inside the borders of their country during the war , and added the operational ones to their inventory to be used for pilot training at Soesterberg . At the beginning of World War II , the Dutch again declared neutrality , but the German force ' s blitzkrieg overran the country in five days , and Soesterberg was occupied by the German Luftwaffe on 15 May 1940 . A variety of German aircraft was stationed there during the war , flying anti - shipping missions along British convoy routes in the North Sea , bombing missions over England , and fighter defence against Allied bombing missions . Throughout the war , Allied Air Forces caused enormous damage to the airfield , and by September 1944 the Luftwaffe acknowledged Soesterberg airfield to be more or less useless . In May 1945 , Canadian forces liberated the airfield . After the War , an extensive Dutch construction programme was started - to build , new hangars , extending the runways and several locations around the base , used as service areas during the War , were upgraded . On 5 August 1951 , the Royal Netherlands Air Force ( RNLAF ) declared it operational and gave it an air defence role . The RNLAF has maintained flying units at Soesterberg since then . On the base two monuments were erected . The monument for Fallen Aviators ( Monument voor Gevallen Vliegers ) is the official Royal Netherlands Air Force Memorial , and located near the main entrance of the base . On Memorial Day , 4 May the Royal Netherlands Air Force holds a ceremony to remember and commemorate the fallen of World War II . The other monument at the base is for Executed Resistance Fighters . It is the symbol for the sacrifice that 33 resistance fighters gave for freedom . Every year on 19 November , there is a memorial service . During World War II , the German Army ( Wehrmacht ) secretly executed the 33 resistance fighters in the woods of the base . The resistance fighters were part of several resistance groups and most of them were caught due to betrayal . Although the execution was held in secret , there were rumours about it , and after the War the base was minutely searched . The mass grave , camouflaged by buried trees , was located by Major A . Siedenburg . His son was one of the victims . USAF use . In 1954 , the Dutch government agreed to the stationing of a US Air Force fighter squadron to augment air defence . The USAF forces operated from a part of Soesterberg Air Base which was named Camp New Amsterdam , in honour of the first Dutch settlement in America , Nieuw Amsterdam , later renamed New York City . 512th Fighter - Day Squadron . The first U . S . Air Forces in Europe ( USAFE ) unit to operate from Soesterberg was the 512th Fighter - Day Squadron , which arrived with North American F - 86F " Sabre " on 16 November 1954 from RAF Manston in the UK . By July 1955 , the 512th reached full operational status . The squadron markings of the F - 86s were with three green bands at the vertical tail . It was a tradition in the U . S . Air Force that a squadron , which was stationed in a foreign country , have a historical tie with it . Because the 512th had no historical ties with the Netherlands , the Americans started a search for their traditional historical link between the two countries . It was found that the World War II 32d Fighter Squadron had been stationed on the Dutch islands Curaçao and Aruba in the Caribbean Sea , which then gave the squadron its historical ties . 32d Fighter - Interceptor Squadron . In September 1955 , the designation of the 512th was transferred to RAF Shepherds Grove , where it replaced the 78th FIS . Its aircraft , personnel and equipment however stayed in the Netherlands , and made up the newly activated 32d Fighter Day Squadron , which was operated at Soesterberg as a detachment of the 36th Fighter Wing at Bitburg Air Base West Germany . In 1956 , the squadron transitioned to North American F - 100 " Super Sabres " . The 32d sent five instructors pilots to Sidi Slimane AB in Morocco to complete transition training for the F - 100 . At the same time , the squadron began ferrying the F - 86s to Prestwick , Scotland , and Châteauroux - Déols Air Base in France for disposal . On 18 July 1958 , USAFE redesignated the unit as the 32d Tactical Fighter Squadron , as part of the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing . Due the requirement of a longer runway for landing and take offs , the runway of the base was extended to over . In 1957 , the squadron ’ s operational strength was increased to 24 aircraft . In 1959 , the 32d received the signature " Royal " , the crown and wreath of the Dutch Royal Family ( the House of Orange ) were added to the emblem , giving it its unique look . This unique honour was granted in recognition of the unit ' s contribution to the defence of the Netherlands , and graphically illustrates the 32d ' s close ties with the Royal Netherlands Air Force . The 32 TFS had the unique distinction of being the only unit in the USAF whose emblem included the royal crest of another nation . This addition was only authorised as long as the 32d TFS remained in the Netherlands . In January 1959 , the 525th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Bitburg received the first Convair F - 102 " Delta Dagger " , designed to upgrade the air defence capabilities of Western Europe . As part of this upgrade , the 32d was redesignated as the 32d Fighter Interceptor Squadron , and also received F - 102s and acquired a 24 - hour alert commitment flying alert interceptor mission from Soesterberg supporting NATO ’ s Second Allied Tactical Air Force ( 2d ATAF ) . The 32 FIS was assigned to the USAFE 86th Air Division ( Defense ) at Ramstein Air Base West Germany on 1 July 1960 . This transfer was made in order that all USAF fighter assets in Europe could be concentrated in one command . The 32d flew 18 F - 102s , with the aircraft , were divided into three flights red , white and blue . Through the years , the markings were altered several times . From a red - white - blue tailplane , red - white and blue flaps and a green band on , again , the tailplane into a green / brown camouflage painting . 32nd Tactical Fighter Squadron . As a result of the 1968 Soviet intervention in Czechoslovakia , the USAF announced that its F - 102 squadrons would be re - equipped with the modern McDonnell Douglas F - 4 " Phantom II " . The 32nd squadron was first in line to undergo the conversion , and the F - 102s were flown back to the United States and were placed in service with the Air National Guard . On 1 July 1969 , the USAF redesignated the unit as the 32nd Tactical Fighter Squadron ( 32nd TFS ) . On 6 August 1969 , the first two , brand new , Phantoms arrived . Flying the F - 4 Phantom meant some drastic changes for the squadron and the base . Personnel had to be increased , and the squadron ' s task was extended to include lending air support to ground troops . Also , USAFE wanted to upgrade the headquarters element of the 32d to group status , and establish itself as a separate organisation from the 36th TFW at Bitburg . However , the Dutch and American governments had agreed that the US Air Force would only station a " squadron " at Soesterberg , and this fact hindered the American attempt to upgrade the squadron ' s status . Also in 1969 , the USAF decided to assign the 32nd with the " CR " tailcode . During the Vietnam War , it was found that a camouflaged aircraft was hard to identify . That was why the tailcode concept was introduced . The tails of 32d TFS ' s F - 4s were also provided with a green and orange band ( green being the squadrons ' color and orange of the Royal House of Orange ) . In 1978 , the F - 4s were flown to Ramstein Air Base in Germany , where they were assigned to the 86th TFW . The 32d was upgraded to the McDonnell Douglas F - 15A " Eagle " as part of Project Ready Eagle which brought F - 15s to Bitburg in 1977 . However , after flying the F - 15A and F - 15B for just 18 months , the USAF exchanged these models for the new F - 15C and F - 15D Eagles . In May 1980 , the 32d flew five of its Eagles to Eglin Air Force Base Florida , to participate in the weapons systems evaluation program . While at Eglin , the unit swapped its aircraft for the newer models . These planes arrived at Soesterberg on 13 June , making the 32nd the first unit in the USAFE to be equipped with the latest versions of the F - 15 . The 32nd completed the upgrade on 25 November 1980 . At that time , the squadron possessed 18 F - 15Cs and two F - 15Ds fighter aircraft . In 1989 , the Dutch government allowed USAF to upgrade its headquarters unit at Soesterberg AB from squadron to group status . The 32d Tactical Fighter Group was activated at Soesterberg on 16 November 1989 , with the 32 Tactical Fighter Squadron as a subordinate unit and much reduced in size . During the 1991 Gulf War , after more than forty years , the 32d saw combat . Aircrew and ground support personnel were deployed , during the operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM at Incirlik Air Base , Turkey . On 28 January 1991 , one of the team members actually killed an Iraqi MiG . After the War they continued their air activities in theatre as a part of operation PROVIDE COMFORT from April 1991 until April 1993 . In November 1991 , with the force structure reorganization , both units dropped tactical from their name . In the fall of 1991 , the 32d became fully equipped with F - 15C / D Multi - Stage Improvement Program ( MSIP ) Eagles . Dutch use . On the Dutch side , the airfield was used by 334th squadron flying the venerable Fokker F . 27 beginning in 1968 , and by the 298th squadron flying the SA 316 since 1969 . In August 1981 however , the 336th squadron was reborn at Soesterberg . The task this time : Patrolling the skies over and around the islands of the Netherlands Antilles in the Caribbean . For the job , two new Fokker F . 27 Mk . 200 Maritime Patrol Aircraft were ordered . In September 1981 , the first aircraft was delivered to the Royal Netherlands Air Force , and received the registration M - 1 . This aircraft departed to Curaçao in early November 1981 , and the first pilot was Mayor G . W . G . F . Rijnders . The aircraft arrived on the island on 13 November 1981 . The second Maritime registered M - 2 arrived in March 1982 . In 1992 the 334th squadron moved to Eindhoven Airport . With this departure , the 298th squadron was the only flying unit at the base until 1995 , when the 300rd squadron joined the 298th squadron . In the same year , the 298th squadron converted to the CH - 47 Chinook , and passed the SA 316 to Gilze - Rijen Air Base , while the 300th squadron received the AS 532 U2 Cougar . Later the SA 316 returned to Soesterberg and joined 300th Squadron . USAF departure . With the end of the Cold War , a major force draw - down occurred in Europe , the USAF reduced its fighter force structure . These changes affected the 32nd , as part of the draw - down , the squadron ' s F - 15 Eagles returned to the United States . The original intent of USAFE was to inactivate the 32d Fighter Group , and orders were so issued inactivating the group ' s subordinate units on 1 July 1994 and the group on 1 October . On 19 April , the group furled its colors in formal ceremonies attended by members of the Royal Family , and the American ambassador . Later in the spring , however , HQ USAFE received permission from HQ USAF to use the 32d designation for the new 32d Air Operations Group . HQ USAFE created this unit on 1 July , and activated the 632d Air Base Squadron the same day to replace the 32d Fighter Group at Soesterberg to complete closure actions . The same order redesignated the group ' s 32d Fighter Squadron as the 32d Air Operations Squadron , with assignment to the 32d Air Operations Group . All actions were effective 1 July 1994 . In this way , USAFE was able to preserve the lineage of these two distinguished units . The American part of Soesterberg was returned to the Netherlands government on 27 September 1994 . Only one F - 15A remains in the Netherlands , and is displayed at the Military Aviation Museum . Soesterberg then became a Royal Netherlands Air Force transport helicopter base with 298th squadron ( CH - 47 Chinook ) and 300th squadron ( AS 532 U2 Cougar and SA 316 ) stationed at the base . Flying officially ended on 12 November 2008 . The last jet ever to take off was a Hellenic AF F - 4E . The base formally closed on 31 December 2008 . The 298th and 300th squadron have been moved to Gilze - Rijen Air Base . A part of the base remains in use as a glider field however . Also , the former USAFE side will be in use by ground units and will be called " Camp New Amsterdam " . Finally , the AF museum returned to the base and will use most of the existing hangars .