The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (309th AMARG), often called The Boneyard, is a United States Air Force aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility in Tucson, Arizona, located on Davis–Monthan Air Force Base. The 309th AMARG was previously Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center, and the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center.
The 309th AMARG takes care of nearly 4,000 aircraft, which makes it the largest aircraft storage and preservation facility in the world. An Air Force Materiel Command unit, the group is under the command of the Ogden Air Logistics Complex at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The 309th AMARG was originally meant to store excess Department of Defense and Coast Guard aircraft, but has in recent years been designated the sole repository of out-of-service aircraft from all branches of the US government. The facility has also received US-made foreign military aircraft...Read more
The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (309th AMARG), often called The Boneyard, is a United States Air Force aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility in Tucson, Arizona, located on Davis–Monthan Air Force Base. The 309th AMARG was previously Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center, and the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center.
The 309th AMARG takes care of nearly 4,000 aircraft, which makes it the largest aircraft storage and preservation facility in the world. An Air Force Materiel Command unit, the group is under the command of the Ogden Air Logistics Complex at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The 309th AMARG was originally meant to store excess Department of Defense and Coast Guard aircraft, but has in recent years been designated the sole repository of out-of-service aircraft from all branches of the US government. The facility has also received US-made foreign military aircraft such as the Boeing CC-137 (from RCAF for use in the E-8 JSTARS program) and the Lockheed CP-140A Arcturus (2 from RCAF). The arid climate of the region makes the 309th AMARG an ideal location for storing aircraft, as there is very little humidity in the air that would corrode metal. Furthermore, the surface is hard so that the aircraft do not sink into the ground.
Aircraft storage at Davis-Monthan Field began when the 4105th Army Air Forces Base Unit (Aircraft Storage) was organized in 1945, to house Boeing B-29 Superfortress and Douglas C-47 Skytrain aircraft.[1] Davis–Monthan Field was chosen because of Tucson's low humidity, infrequent rainfall, alkaline soil, and high altitude of 2,550 feet (780 m), reducing rust and corrosion.[2][3] The hard soil makes it possible to move aircraft around without having to pave the storage areas.
In 1949, after the Air Force's creation as a separate service, the unit was redesignated as the 3040th Aircraft Storage Depot, and later 3040 Aircraft Storage Squadron. On 1 Jun 1956, the 3040 Aircraft Storage Squadron was discontinued. In 1965, the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center was organized and tasked with processing aircraft for all the United States armed forces, not just the Air Force. The Navy had operated its own boneyard at Naval Air Station Litchfield Park at Goodyear, Arizona, for Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard aircraft. In February 1965, some 500 aircraft were moved from Litchfield Park to Davis–Monthan. NAS Litchfield Park was finally closed in 1968.[4]
In the 1980s, the center began processing intercontinental ballistic missiles for dismantling or reuse in satellite launches, and was renamed the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center (AMARC) to reflect the expanded focus on all aerospace assets.[5]
In the 1990s, in accordance with the START I treaty, the center was tasked with eliminating 365 Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers.[6] The progress of this task was to be verified by Russia via satellite and first-person inspection at the facility. Initially, the B-52s were chopped into pieces with a 13,000 pound guillotine winched by a steel cable supported by a crane.[7] Later on, the tool of choice became K-12 rescue saws.[citation needed] This more precise technique afforded AMARC with salvageable spare parts.
In May 2007, the AMARC was transferred to the 309th Maintenance Wing, and the center was renamed the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG).[8]
McDonnell F-4C-20-MC Phantom II AF Serial No. 63-7602 of the 4455th CCTS/4453d Combat Crew Training Wing, 16 July 1970. Aircraft was scrapped at Hill AFB, UT November 1986Lineage
Constituted on 7 October 1964 as The Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center
Activated on 1 February 1965
Redesignated Aerospace Maintenance & Regeneration Center on 1 October 1985
Redesignated 309th Aerospace Maintenance & Regeneration Group on 2 May 2007[9]Predecessors
3040th Aircraft Storage SquadronDesignated as the 4105th Army Air Forces Base Unit (Aircraft Storage) and organized on 15 November 1945
Redesignated 4105th Air Force Base Unit (Aircraft Storage) on 26 September 1947
Redesignated 3040th Aircraft Storage Depot on 28 August 1948
Redesignated 3040th Aircraft Storage Squadron
Discontinued on 1 June 1956[10]Arizona Aircraft Storage SquadronDesignated as the Arizona Aircraft Storage Squadron and organized on 1 June 1956
Discontinued on 1 August 1959[11]2704th Air Force Aircraft Storage and Disposition GroupDesignated as the 2704th Air Force Aircraft Storage and Disposition Group and organized on 1 August 1959
Discontinued on 1 February 1965[10]Assignments
Air Force Logistics Command, 7 October 1964
Air Force Materiel Command, 1 July 1992
309th Maintenance Wing, 2 May 2007 (attached to Ogden Air Logistics Complex after 12 July 2012)
Ogden Air Logistics Complex, 1 October 2012 – present[9]
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