Bucholz Army Airfield
Airport in Kwajalein, Marshall Islands
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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, mostly for the Island Hopper.
Bucholz Army Airfield | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||
| Operator | United States Army | ||||||||||
| Location | Kwajalein | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 9 ft (2.7 m) | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 08°43′12″N 167°43′54″E | ||||||||||
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  KWA Location within Marshall Islands  KWA Location within North Pacific | |||||||||||
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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
After the defeat of the Japanese, Kwajalein was developed into a United States military airbase and staging area for further operations by Seabees of the 109th Naval Construction Battalion.[1][self-published source?]
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.[citation needed]
On Memorial Day 1967, Kwajalein Airfield was renamed Bucholz Army Airfield after PFC Fred Henry Bucholz (1907–1944), posthumous recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism in the Battle of Kwajalein.[2]
Passengers on United's Island Hopper service may not disembark the aircraft at Kwajalein unless they have prior authorization from the U.S. government. Photography and videography while at the airport are also restricted.[3]
Airlines and destinations
See also
- Island Hopper scheduled air service
- List of United States Army airfields
- USAAF in the Central Pacific
