, ▁with ▁P - 3 8 ▁Light ning ▁O T U ▁training ▁for ▁the ▁ 7 8 th ▁and ▁ 8 1 st ▁F ighter ▁Gr oups . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁the ▁ 3 6 0 th ▁F ighter ▁Group ▁and ▁ 3 8 2 d ▁Bomb ard ment ▁Gr oups ▁were ▁assigned ▁perman ently ▁to ▁M uro c ▁for ▁P - 3 8 ▁Light ning ▁and ▁B - 2 4 ▁Liber ator ▁Rep lacement ▁Training ▁( RT U ) ▁of ▁personnel . ▁ ▁In ▁spring ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁the ▁M oj ave ▁Des ert ▁station ▁was ▁chosen ▁as ▁a ▁se cluded ▁site ▁for ▁testing ▁America ' s ▁first ▁jet , ▁the ▁super - secret ▁Bell ▁A ircraft ▁P - 5 9 ▁A ira com et ▁jet ▁f ighter . ▁The ▁immense ▁volume ▁of ▁flight ▁test ▁being ▁conducted ▁at ▁Wright ▁Field , ▁in ▁Ohio , ▁helped ▁drive ▁a ▁search ▁for ▁a ▁new , ▁isolated ▁site ▁where ▁a ▁" Top ▁Secret " ▁air plane ▁could ▁under go ▁tests ▁" away ▁from ▁pr ying ▁eyes ." ▁The ▁ur gent ▁need ▁to ▁complete ▁the ▁P - 5 9 ▁program ▁without ▁delay ▁dict ated ▁a ▁location ▁with ▁good , ▁year - round ▁flying ▁weather , ▁and ▁the ▁ris ks ▁inher ent ▁in ▁the ▁radical ▁new ▁technology ▁to ▁be ▁demonstrated ▁on ▁the ▁aircraft ▁dict ated ▁a ▁sp a cious ▁landing ▁field . ▁After ▁exam ining ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁locations ▁around ▁the ▁country , ▁they ▁selected ▁a ▁site ▁along ▁the ▁north ▁shore