Inside the U.S. Airpower Reserve

309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group’s vital facility is far more than a ‘boneyard.’

Ryan Ewing

Friday, February 13, 2026 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group facility in Tucson, Arizona [Credit: Connor O'Shea]

Key Takeaways:

The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG), known as "The Boneyard," is a vital strategic asset and logistical engine for U.S. and allied military aviation, not merely a scrapyard.
AMARG functions as a global parts reservoir, providing critical components for active fleets, and can regenerate entire aircraft (such as strategic bombers) for service in a matter of weeks when needed.
With thousands of aircraft and hundreds of thousands of components, the facility employs meticulous preservation processes, aided by the dry desert climate, ensuring long-term readiness and acting as a crucial insurance policy for national security amid aging fleets and strained supply chains.

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From the moment you cross into the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Tucson’s Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, the desert looks like it’s been overrun by aluminum. Aircraft stretch to every horizon—jets, transporters, helicopters, shapes both familiar and forgotten—lined with geometric precision in the sun-bleached earth.

It feels, at first glance, like an enormous scrapyard.