Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center, David-Monthan AFB, Tucson, Arizona

• Origins in the Post-WWII Era: The Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center (MASDC) was established in 1946 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, to store surplus aircraft after World War II. • Ideal Location: Tucson's dry desert climate and alkaline soil help prevent corrosion, making it the perfect environment for long-term aircraft storage. • The "Boneyard": MASDC, now officially known as the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG), is commonly referred to as "The Boneyard" and is the world’s largest aircraft storage facility. • Vast Size: The facility covers approximately 2,600 acres and stores around 4,000 aircraft from the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Coast Guard, and federal agencies. • Aircraft Types: The Boneyard has housed everything from B-52 Stratofortresses and F-14 Tomcats to C-130 Hercules transports and even NASA's space shuttle parts. • Parts Cannibalization: Many aircraft are stored for the purpose of being "cannibalized," meaning their parts are removed and reused to keep other planes flying. • Hollywood Fame: The Boneyard has been featured in movies and television shows, including "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and "Airplane II: The Sequel." • International Visitors: The center supports not only U.S. military needs but also foreign military sales, with parts and even whole aircraft being sold to allied nations. • Nuclear Disarmament Role: MASDC played a key role in arms reduction, notably dismantling B-52 bombers under the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) with the Soviet Union, which were cut up in view of Russian satellites. • Public Tours: The Pima Air & Space Museum, located next door, offers guided bus tours through the Boneyard, making it a unique tourist attraction and a window into U.S. military aviation history.