United States Forces Azores Management Command Azores Detachment and the base's resident officer in charge of construction. There are approximately 425 U.S. military and 10 Department of Defense civilians assigned to the group. The total U.S. population, including dependents, is about 2,170. Department of Defense employs approximately 930 Portuguese civilians at Lajes Field. An Air Force colonel serves jointly as U.S. Forces Azores commander and as commander of the 65th Air Base Group, Air Combat Command. United States Forces Azores United States Forces Azores (USAFORAZ) is based at Lajes Field, Portugal near Lajes on Terceira Island in the Azores. In 1953, the U.S. Forces
Sabrina Island (Azores) meters in height (similar in respects to the Islet of Vila Franca do Campo) with an open ring to the northwest. From the central ring debris escaped into the sea. On June 12, the eruption was visible by the British sloop "Sabrina", which was patrolling the Azores. Commander James Tillard, thinking that the grey clouds in the area were from a naval battle, sailed to the area but found a situation that was quite different than he originally imagined. He later wrote a description of the eruption and his visit to the island for the "Philosophical Transactions of the Royal