The airfield was completed in 1943 by the Seabees from the Naval Base Hawaii, and used from that time into the 21st century supporting a wide variety of activities at the French Frigate shoals.

[1] During World War 2, the facilities included a barracks, radar tower, and fuel tanks as well as others buildings to support operations there.

They built a 3,100-foot (940 m) x 275-foot (84 m) runway and a ramp area sufficient for 24 single-engine aircraft, dredging coral to expand the island.

[5] In 1952, the United States Coast Guard built a Long Range Navigation (LORAN) beacon tower on the island alongside a 20-man supporting facility.

[8] In 2012 a Typhoon struck the French Frigate Shoals, and the NFWS facilities were damage and the permanent field station was closed down leaving the airstrip to the elements.