History
The base was first established as K.I. Sawyer County Airport in 1949, as Marquette County's municipal airport. It was named in honor of Kenneth Ingalls Sawyer, a former County Highway Department employee.

On January 24, 1955, the U.S. Government signed a 99-year lease establishing K.I. Sawyer AFB at the site of the County Airport and agreed to joint use. However, the site was transferred to total Air Force control in 1956 and non-military operations ended in 1957.

In January 1956, K.I. Sawyer AFB became the home of the 473rd Fighter Group, a unit of the Eastern Air Defense Command. But in 1959, the 473rd FG became the 56th Fighter Group and was host for the Sault Ste. Marie Air Defense Sector and the 4042nd Strategic Wing, a Strategic Air Command unit. In February 1963, the 4042nd SW was discontinued and the 410th Bombardment Wing or 410th Bomb Wing was activated.

In 1963, the Wing began conducting flying operations with the B-52H Stratofortress and the KC- 135 Stratotanker. With the disestablishment of SAC, the base came under control of the Air Combat Command in June 1992.

In 1993 the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission announced K.I. Sawyer was on the closure list, and in September 1995, K.I. Sawyer AFB officially closed. 

Environmental Activities
Prior to 2010, environmental actions were conducted on a site-by-site, contract-by-contract basis, and occurred as needed. Since the Air Force moved to performance-based remediation contracts, one contractor has been responsible for remediating the land in and around the former K.I. Sawyer AFB.

The Air Force has invested more than $90.5 million on cleanup actions at the former K.I. Sawyer AFB as of 2023 and the cost to complete cleanup is another $84.42 million. Site closeout has been achieved at all but 11 sites. The remaining sites include closed landfills, an explosive ordinance disposal range, locations of fuel spills, and former fire training areas.

For the past two decades, USAF has been actively investigating and addressing environmental concerns at the former installation. Since 2014, the USAF has collaborated with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to conduct a series of detailed assessments and inspections focusing on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, a group of over 5,000 man-made chemicals utilized in firefighting foams. In 2015, the Air Force identified 15 potential PFAS sites on the base. Subsequent investigations revealed PFAS contamination at 13 of these sites, with the highest levels detected at a former fire training area, FT007. 

A multi-year contract for the remedial investigation of PFAS was awarded in 2021 and the investigation process is ongoing, with continuous efforts aimed at understanding and mitigating the impact of PFAS in the area. Sampling has included groundwater, surface water, and private drinking wells within proximity to the identified sites to identify the nature and extent of PFAS contamination and assess the risk to human health and the environment

Significant sampling efforts extending beyond the base boundaries have continued with the sampling of private drinking wells within a four-mile radius downgradient of FT007. In 2017, two private wells were tested, with one showing levels exceeding the DoD action level for PFAS.  The Department of the Air Force immediately provided bottled water and subsequently installed a Granular Activated Carbon and resin treatment system to ensure safe drinking water for the one residence which exceeded the DoD action level. The GAC system is routinely monitored and continues to function effectively.

Throughout the coming years, the Air Force remains committed following all necessary steps of the CERCLA process to address the PFAS contamination at the former KI Sawyer AFB.

Property Transfer
The former K.I. Sawyer AFB, (now referred to as “Sawyer” by the community) is located in Marquette County in the central Upper Peninsula of Michigan, 440 miles northwest of Detroit. The former base is comprised of 4,923 acres. Sands Township has 62.4 percent of the base within its jurisdiction, with Forsyth Township having 30.6 percent, and West Branch Township seven percent. The former base is located about three miles east of the community of Gwinn, and 13 miles south of the city of Marquette.

Whole Base Transfer of former K. I. Sawyer AFB was completed in 2007 and is currently owned by Marquette County and various private industrial or commercial entities; it primarily functions as an active commercial airport. 

Telkite Technology Park now exists at the former KI Sawyer AFB. Comprised of 5,200 acres, the area is known as a high-tech, aviation and commercial development. Located within the park is Sawyer International Airport, boasting the longest single runway in Michigan at 12,300 feet.