John Wheatley

Coast Guard Air Station (CGAS) Salem was established in 1935 in Salem, Massachusetts, to provide aerial search and rescue, law enforcement, and maritime patrol along the New England coast. Due to increased operational demands and the need for improved facilities, the station was relocated in 1970 to the former Naval Air Station at Quonset Point, Rhode Island, becoming Coast Guard Air Detachment (CGAD) Quonset Point. This move enhanced the Coast Guard’s ability to respond to maritime emergencies in the busy waters of Narragansett Bay and southern New England. CGAD Quonset Point continued to operate until the base's closure in 1995, after which its missions and assets were transferred to other units in the region.