Where We Started
In 1908, a young Army lieutenant named Thomas Selfridge became the first military fatality of powered flight — a passenger on a demonstration with Orville Wright. Nine years later, a Detroit auto pioneer named Henry B. Joy leased his rural airfield to the military, and the base that would carry Selfridge's name began training pilots for America's entry into the First World War. What grew from that field became one of the longest continuously operating military aviation installations in the United States — a place where Michigan's history and national defense have been inseparable for more than a century. From the First World War through Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan — and through every domestic emergency in between — the men and women of Selfridge have served. They have come from the neighborhoods, the schools, and the families of Macomb County and Southeast Michigan. That has never changed
Where We Are Now
Selfridge is in the middle of its most significant transformation in over a century. Supported by strong, bipartisan commitment from state and federal leaders — and backed by the full partnership of Macomb County — the base is being modernized to welcome the next generation of Air Force aircraft and the missions they carry. Construction is already underway. The 127th Wing — Selfridge's host unit and one of the Air National Guard's most capable — continues to fly and deploy worldwide, even as the base around them is rebuilt for what comes next. These are Michigan's Citizen-Airmen: professionals in their communities and warriors in the air, doing both at once. This is not a transition away from something. It is a transition toward something greater — and Michigan is making it happen.
Where We're Going
The F-15EX Eagle II is one of the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world. The KC-46A Pegasus is the Air Force's next-generation aerial refueling tanker. Selfridge will fly both — giving the Michigan Air National Guard a dual mission that positions this installation among the most capable in the entire Air National Guard. The Airmen who will fly, maintain, and support these aircraft are being recruited today. Many of them grew up within driving distance of this base. Some of them have not yet decided to serve. This transformation is for them — and the careers it creates are as real as the aircraft that will fill these hangars. The next 100 years of Selfridge start now.
