Vandenberg Air Force Base present . Today, Vandenberg stands as the third-largest Air Force base after Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, and Edwards Air Force Base in California. On 4 October 1958, Cooke AFB was renamed Vandenberg AFB, in honor of General Vandenberg, the Air Force's second Chief of Staff. The transition from Army camp to missile base solidified on 15 December 1958 when Vandenberg AFB successfully launched its first missile, a PGM-17 Thor IRBM (Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile) The launch from Vandenberg inaugurated the intermediate-range ballistic missile portion of the Pacific Missile Range and was fired by a crew from the 1st
Beane Air Force Base Beane Air Force Base Beane Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located near Vieux Fort, Saint Lucia, in the Caribbean Sea. It is now the site of Hewanorra International Airport. The base was probably named for James Beane, a US Army Air Force World War I flying ace. Beane Field was used as a military airfield by the United States Army Air Forces Sixth Air Force during World War II. Construction was completed on 15 Nov. 1942, with a mission to defend the Panama Canal. The 5th Bombardment Squadron (9th Bombardment Group) and 59th Bombardment Squadron