Beale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base that was established in 1942 and was named for Edward Fitzgerald Beale who was an American Navy Lieutenant and a Brigadier General in the California Militia and also a California explorer and frontiersman. The base is located just 8 miles from Marysville, California. The 9th Reconnaissance Wing is the host unit at the Beale Air Force Base and its mission is to collect intelligence that helps the President and Congress make critical national defense decisions. The unit is in a constant state of readiness for potential deployment at a moment’s notice. The base is in the leader in high technology for the Air Force. The base covers nearly 23,000 acres and is home to approximately 4,000 military personnel. During World War II, it served as a POW camp and still has the prison cells from that time which are now considered historical sites. The units based at Beale Air Force Base include the 9th Operations Group, the 9th Maintenance Group, the 9th Mission Support Group, and the 9th Medical Group.

Weather in the Beale Air Force Base area tends to be warm in the summer with temperatures in the 70s and cold in the winter with the temperatures in the 40s. Annual rainfall in the area is 22 inches with the wettest month being January. July is the warmest month, and December is the coldest. Local housing options are available nearby in cities such as Yuba City, Marysville, and Linda, CA. Under the BRAC of 205, the Beale Air Force Base will convert to an associate reconnaissance wing mission in partnership with the 9RW, operating the RQ-4 Global Hawk. The base will also be home to the new Air Force Cyber Command which is the newest Air Force major command. The announcement was made in November of 2006.