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The Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS),  Yuma, is said to be the busiest air station in the Marine Corps, the third busiest in the Naval Service and a major contributor to the Yuma economy. The facility primarily supports aerial weapons training for the Atlantic and Pacific Fleet Marine Forces and Navy, and serves as a base of operations for Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron-1, and Third MAW units, to include Marine Aircraft Group-13.
As the scheduling authority for the Yuma Training Range Complex, MCAS provides fleet squadrons access to 10,000 square miles of special-use airspace designated for military aviation training and almost 2,000 square miles of underlying land reserved as aerial bombing and gunnery ranges, constituting the largest tactical aviation training range utilized by the Marine Corps.
MCAS is also the only joint-use air station in the Marine Corps. Approximately 50 aviation units deploy to train at Yuma's 2.8 million-acre range complex each year. These deployments range from a few days to a few weeks and bring 13,000 personnel and 1,000 aircraft to Yuma annually. The Marine Corps and Yuma County have also made an agreement - MCAS provides all the air traffic control, crash crew services and security, and maintains the runways and taxiways for both MCAS and Yuma International Airport.
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Founded: 1928
Population: 5,672
Base Activity:
• 2.8 Million-Acre Range
• Busiest Air Station in Marine Corps and Third Busiest in Naval Service
• MCAS Supports 80% of Corps Air-to-Ground Training
• 10,000 Square Miles of Special-Use Airspace for Training
• 2,000 Square Miles for Aerial Bombing and Gunnery Ranges
• Largest Tactical Aviation Training Range In Corps
• Shared Use Airfield with FAA certified Yuma International Airport
• Only Joint-Use Airstation in the Corps
• Ideal Training Climate; average of 88.2 degrees annually
• Grosses Over $283 million in Income for County per year
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Click here to visit the MCAS Web site:
http://www.yuma.usmc.mil
The U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG)  is the principal non-agricultural employer in Yuma County, significantly contributing to the Arizona economy. Of all the government organizations in the county, YPG is the single largest employer of civilians in the area and one of the largest consumers of local goods and services. In addition, federal funding is provided to the local community to supplement educational costs for dependents of civilian and military employees. YPG plays host to several tenants from military organizations nationwide, including the Military Free Fall School, part of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center at Fort Bragg, N.C. The school has nearly 100 permanent instructors who annually train approximately 1,000 students from all military services in free fall parachute techniques.
Click here to visit the YPG Web site:
http://www.yuma.army.mil
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Established: 1942
Labor Force: 1,900
Satellite Locations: Hawaii & Alaska
Primary Functions:
• Multipurpose Test Facility
• Able to Test Every Weapon System in Ground Combat Arsenal
• 1,300 miles of Testing Land
• 2,000 Square Miles of Controlled Airspace
• Longest Artillery Range in Nation
• Most Highly Instrumental Helicopter Armament Test Range in the Department of Defense
• Most Modern Mine and Demolition Test Facility in Western Hemisphere
• Completely Removed from Urban Encroachment
• Responsible for Testing 3 of the 4 Extreme Natural Enviroments in the U.S.
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As it meets the challenges of the new century, Yuma Proving Ground and the Yuma Test Center will play a vital role in partnering with other government agencies, private industry and academic organizations to enhance the technical excellence and high quality of AmericaÕs military arsenal.
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