The entire base had to be bulldozed and cleared before construction could begin. New water wells were dug and new water lines and sewage pipes were laid. A new water treatment plant, along with upgraded roads were built. A new jet runway was constructed over the existing wartime secondary runway, the primary being resurfaced and used as a taxiway to a new maintenance support site. The design of the airfield was to space park aircraft as far apart as possible by the construction of a circular marguerite system of hardstands that could be revetted later with earth for added protection. Typically the marguerite consisted of fifteen to eighteen hardstands around a large central hangar. Each hardstand held one or two aircraft, and allowed the planes to be spaced approximately 150 feet (50 m) apart. Each squadron was assigned to a separate hangar/hardstand complex. This construction can be seen clearly in the satellite image link at the bottom of this article. By 1954 the base was ready for use by operational Air Force Wings. The first USAF unit to use Laon AB was the activated Air National Guard 126th Bombardment Wing, flying the Second World War vintage Douglas B-26B/C "Invader" light bomber. The wing consisted of the 108th, 168th and 180th Bomb Squadrons (Light). The aircraft were marked by various color bands on the vertical stabilizer and rudder. Black/Yellow/Blue for the 108th; Black/Yellow/Red for the 168th, and Black/Yellow/Green for the 180th. The 126th BW was called to active service on 1 April 1951 and was initially deployed to Bordeaux AB in November 1951. On 25 May 1952 the wing was relocated to Laon, with Bordeaux becoming a support base. A total of 5 B-26Bs, 6 TB-26Bs, and 26 B-26Cs were transferred from Bordeaux, and an additional 48 B-26C's painted black and equipped for night missions were deployed from CONUS to Laon. At Laon, the 126th used its B-26's for training and maneuvers at Laon until December until being relieved from active duty and transferred, without personnel and equipment, back to the control of the Illinois Air National Guard on 1 January 1953. On 1 January 1953, the flying assets of the 126th Bomb Wing were transferred to the 38th Tactical Bombardment Wing. The 38th's squadrons were designated the 71st, 405th, and 822nd Bomb Squadrons.