Iraklion Air Station was a United States Air Force facility located 16 km east of the city of Iraklion near the village of Gournes, in the north central section of the Greek island of Crete.

History

Major commands to which assigned

Detachment 2, 34 Radio Squadron Mobile, USAFSS, 1953–1955

Major units assigned

Operational history

A non-flying facility, Iraklion Air Station (Iraklion AS) began operations in support of activities of the 1603rd Air Transport Wing and other USAFE liaison operations in Crete beginning on 5 October 1954. The base also supported units of USAFSS, USAFE and NATO as directed. The base provided administrative and logistical support to the 6931st Electronic Security Squadron, as well as policy guidance in administrative, logistical and support matters for all regular and other tenant organizations at Iraklion AS, and as well as other dispersed U.S. Department of Defense units located on the island of Crete from October 1, 1978, until the closure of the base in 1994. Iraklion AS also provided liaison and base support services for the Embassy of the United States, Athens. Since the station's closure in 1994, the facility has been abandoned and appears to have been looted and vandalized. It is in an unkempt state being taken over by weeds. Currently, an aquarium known as the Cretaquarium, a dinosaur park and an animal shelter are housed at the site.

Future

In 2020, it was reported that the United States and Greece were considering the reactivation of the station as a base for U.S. Air Force combat and strategic assets, in lieu of Incirlik Air Base in Turkey.

External link