Beale’s Bovines enjoy our Reconnaissance Published Dec. 11, 2018 By Airman 1st Class Tristan D. Viglianco 9th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif -- One of the things that makes Beale unique is the U-2 Dragon Lady, another is the presence of cows on the base. The cows are such a fixture there is actually a running cow count, which currently stands at 1881. The cows are here due to a grazing program where the base leases approximately 12,000 acres to ranchers for their cattle to graze from November through May. In addition to money brought in from the leases, the bovines help reduce the number of invasive species and aid in fire suppression.