Bucholz Army Airfield

Airport in Kwajalein, Marshall Islands

"Bucholz" redirects here. For the German fighter pilot, see Max Bucholz. For other uses, see Buchholz (disambiguation).

Bucholz Army Airfield

* IATA: KWA
* ICAO: PKWA
* FAA LID: KWA

Summary
Airport type| Military
Operator| United States Army
Location| Kwajalein
Elevation AMSL| 9 ft / 3 m
Coordinates| 08°43′12″N 167°43′54″E﻿ / ﻿8.72000°N 167.73167°E﻿ / 8.72000; 167.73167
Map

KWA

Show map of Marshall Islands

KWA

Show map of North Pacific

Runways
| Direction | Length  | Surface

|
|

ft  | m
06/24  | 6,668  | 2,032  | Asphalt

Bucholz Army Airfield (IATA: KWA, ICAO: PKWA, FAA LID: KWA) is a United States Army airfield located on Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands. Its position is ideal for refueling during trans-Pacific flights, and the airport is available to civilians through Air Marshall Islands and United Airlines.

Since the entirety of Kwajalein Atoll is a military base, non-military passengers on commercial flights are transported to and from the neighboring island of Ebeye, the civilian population center of Kwajalein Atoll.

## History

[edit]

30th Bombardment Group B-24 Liberators at Kwajalein Airfield, 1944

Bucholz Army Airfield was initially built by the Japanese in 1943 as part of a large naval base. It came under heavy air attacks in late 1943 to neutralize the island. The atoll was assaulted by American forces on 31 January 1944. Employing the battle-hardened tactics developed under fire during the Battle of Tarawa, the United States launched a dual assault on the main islands of Kwajalein in the south and Roi-Namur in the north. Despite being outnumbered and under-prepared, the Japanese resisted and were subsequently defeated. The battle left only 4 Japanese survivors of an original garrison of 3,500.[citation needed]

After the defeat of the Japanese, Kwajalein was developed into a major United States Military airbase and staging area for further operations by Seabees of the 109th Naval Construction Battalions [1] with CBs 74, 107, and 3rd Bn 20th Marines) assisting. After repairing and expanding the captured Japanese airfield, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) moved Headquarters, Seventh Air Force from Nanumea to the airfield in April 1944, and moved the B-24 Liberator-equipped 11th Bombardment Group from Tarawa and 30th Bombardment Group from Abemama to Bucholz at the beginning of April. From Kwajalein, the heavy bombers struck at enemy targets in the Marshall Islands. Along with the heavy bomber groups, the USAAF reassigned the F-5 (P-38 Lightning)-equipped 28th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron to Kwajalein to fly long-range photographic missions over the Marshalls and reported directly to Headquarters, Seventh Air Force. The USAAF combat units remained until late 1944 until being moved forwards into the Marianas, being assigned to airfields on Guam and Saipan. The United States then used Kwajalein as a maintenance and supply hub, supplying forward bases with supplies and equipment.[citation needed]

After the war, the United States used Kwajalein as a main command center and preparation base for Operation Crossroads and an extensive series of nuclear tests (comprising a total of 67 blasts) at the Marshalls' atolls of Bikini and Enewetak. Later, in the 1950s and 1960s, Bucholz became part of the Atomic Energy Commission Pacific Testing Area.[citation needed]

Marshall Islands were officially made a Territory of the United States, and became an independent republic in 1986. Kwajalein atoll is still used by the United States for missile testing and various other operations. Although this military history has deeply influenced the lives of the Marshall Islanders who have lived in the atoll through the war to the present, the military history of Kwajalein has made tourism almost non-existent and has kept the environment in relatively pristine condition. American civilians and their families who reside at the military installations in Kwajalein are able to enjoy this environment with few restrictions.[citation needed]

As of 2009, Bucholz Army Airfield is still operated by the United States Army. All civil and military operations require 24 hours' prior permission, and passengers transiting through Kwajalein on the same aircraft are not permitted to deplane.[citation needed]

## Airlines and destinations

[edit]

Airlines| Destinations

|

Air Marshall Islands |  Airok, Bikini, Elenak, Enewetak, Jeh, Lae, Likiep, Majkin, Majuro, Rongelap, Ujae, Woja, Wotho
Air Transport International | Military Charter: Honolulu[2]
United Airlines |  Chuuk, Guam, Honolulu, Kosrae, Majuro, Pohnpei

## See also

[edit]

* Aviation portal

* List of United States Army airfields
* USAAF in the Central Pacific
* Island Hopper scheduled air service

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Building the Navy's Bases Online, Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands [1]
2. ^ "Air Transport International Flight 440". FlightAware. Retrieved 22 November 2017.

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

## External links

[edit]

* USAKA Airfield Services
* Bucholz Army Airfield
* Pictures of Airport
* AirNav airport information for PKWA
* pacificwrecks.com
* Maurer, Maurer (1983), Air Force Combat Units Of World War II, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Office of Air Force History ISBN 0-89201-092-4

* v
* t
* e

Marshall Islands articles

History|

* John Marshall
* German New Guinea
* Naval Base Marshall Islands
* South Seas Mandate
* Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
* Pacific Proving Grounds
* Nuclear testing at Bikini Atoll
* Colonial governors

Geography|

* Administrative divisions
* Climate
* Climate change
* Islands
* Seamounts
* Towns and villages

| Ratak Chain (Sunrise, Eastern)|

* Bokak (Taongi)
* Bikar
* Utirik
* Toke
* Mejit
* Ailuk
* Jemo
* Likiep
* Wotje
* Erikub
* Maloelap
* Aur
* Majuro
* Arno
* Mili
* Knox (Nadikdik)
* (Limalok)

|

Ralik Chain (Sunset, Western)|

* Enewetak
* (Lo-En)
* (Lomilik)
* Ujelang
* Bikini
* (Wōdejebato)
* Rongerik
* Rongelap
* (Ruwitūntūn)
* Ailinginae
* Wotho
* Ujae
* Lae
* Kwajalein
* (Lemkein)
* Lib
* Namu
* Jabat
* Ailinglaplap
* Jaluit
* Kili
* Namdrik
* Ebon

Politics|

* Constitution of the Marshall Islands
* Compact of Free Association
* Elections
* Foreign relations
* Law enforcement
* Legislature
* LGBT rights
* Military
* Political parties
* President

| U.S. government|

* Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site

|

Economy|

* Telecommunications
* Transport
* Exports

Culture|

* Anthem
* Demographics
* Flag
* Language
* Music
* Public holidays
* Religion
* Seal

| Education|

* College of the Marshall Islands
* Public School System

* Jaluit HS
* Kwajalein Atoll HS
* Laura HS
* Marshall Islands HS
* Northern Islands HS

* Kwajalein Jr./Sr. HS (USAF)
* Majuro Cooperative School
* Delap SDA School

|

NRHP listings|

* Debrum House
* Marshall Islands War Memorial Park
* Roi-Namur

* Bold indicates populated islands
* Italics indicate single island
* (parenthesis) indicates a submarine feature

* v
* t
* e

USAAF Seventh Air Force in World War II

Previously: Hawaiian Air Force (1940-1942)

Airfields|

| Hawaii|

* Bellows
* Hickam
* Wheeler

|

Okinawa|

* Ie Shima
* Yontan

Pacific|

* USAAF in the Central Pacific
* USAAF in the Southwest Pacific

Units|

| Commands|

* VII Bomber
* VII Fighter

|

Wings|

* 7th Fighter

Groups|

| Bombardment|

* 5th Bombardment
* 11th Bombardment
* 30th Bombardment
* 41st Bombardment
* 307th Bombardment
* 494th Bombardment

|

Fighter|

* 15th Fighter
* 18th Fighter
* 21st Fighter
* 318th Fighter
* 508th Fighter

Troop Carrier|

* 419th Troop Carrier

Squadrons|

| Reconnaissance|

* 28th Reconnaissance
* 41st Reconnaissance
* 43d Reconnaissance

|

Transport|

* 9th Troop Carrier
* 311th Troop Carrier
* 316th Troop Carrier

Night Fighter|

* 6th Night Fighter
* 548th Night Fighter
* 549th Night Fighter

* United States Army Air Forces

* First
* Second
* Third
* Fourth
* Fifth
* Sixth
* Seventh
* Eighth
* Ninth
* Tenth
* Eleventh
* Twelfth
* Thirteenth
* Fourteenth
* Fifteenth
* Twentieth

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template