History of Clark Air Base - Closure

Closure

With the end of the Cold War, operations at the base were scaled back with many of the men and equipment moving to other bases, including returning to the U.S. In 1990, the last combat aircraft, a squadron of F-4 fighter-bombers, were transferred to Alaska. Then on June 10, 1991, two days before Mount Pinatubo began the summer-long series of eruptions which destroyed the upper 1000 feet of its peak, Clark Air Base was completely evacuated of all but mission essential personnel on June 10, 1991, never to return.

In July 1991, the U.S. and Philippine government agreed to a new treaty regarding the lease of the Subic Bay Naval Base, Clark, and several other U.S. military installations in the Philippines. Under the agreement, the U.S. was to clean up Clark and turn the base over to the Philippine government in 1992 while leasing Subic Bay for another 10 years. The Philippine Senate rejected this extension of the Military Bases Agreement in September 16, 1991. On November 26, 1991, the U.S. government formally turned Clark over to the Philippine government, which transformed the airfield into the Clark International Airport.