Arizona World War II Army Airfields

Infobox Military Structure
name=Arizona World War II Army Airfields
partof = World War II
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type=Army Airfields
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built=1940-1944
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used= 1940-Present
demolished=
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events=During World War II, the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Arizona for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.

Most of these airfields were under the command of Fourth Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command) commanded a significant number of airfields in a support roles.

It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields. Many were converted into municipal airports, some were returned to agriculture and several were retained as United States Air Force installations and were front-line bases during the Cold War. Hundreds of the temporary buildings that were used survive today, and are being used for other purposes.

Major Airfields

Army Air Forces Training Command
* Douglas AAF, 8 miles north-northwest of Douglas: Western Flight Training Center: 461st Army Air Force Base Unit: Now: Douglas Municipal Airport
Airport codes|DGL|KDGL|DGL:: Hereford AAF, 2 miles west-southwest of Hereford:: Auxiliary of Douglas AAF:: Now: Airfield closed and abandoned
* Falcon Field AAF, Mesa: Western Flight Training Center: Now: Falcon Field Airport Airport codes|FFZ|KFFZ
* Kingman AAF, 7 miles northeast of Kingman: Western Flight Training Center: 460th Army Air Force Base Unit: Now: Kingman Airport and Industrial Park Airport codes|IGM|KIGM:: Yucca AAF, 1 mile west of Yucca:: Sub-base of Kingman AAF:: Now: Ford Motor Co-AZ Proving Grd Airport (P17)
* Luke AAF, Glendale: Western Flight Training Center: 66th Army Air Force Base Unit: Now: :: Ajo AAF, 5 miles north of Ajo:: Sub-base of Luke AAF:: 472d Army Air Force Base Unit:: Now: Eric Marcus Municipal Airport (P01):: Gila Bend AAF, 3 miles southeast of Gila Bend:: Sub-base of Luke AAF:: 492d Army Air Force Base Unit:: Now:
* Marana AAF, 7 miles northwest of Marana: Western Flight Training Center: Now: Pinal Airpark Airport codes|MZJ|KMZJ
* Ryan Field, Tucson: Contract Flight Training: Today: Ryan Field Airport Airport codes|RYN|KRYN

Army Air Forces Training Command
* Thunderbird Field No 1, Glendale: Contract Flight Training: Now: Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management (Non flying facility)
* Thunderbird Field No 2, Scottsdale: Contract Flight Training: Now: Scottsdale Airport Airport codes|SDL|KSDL
* Williams AAF, 10 miles east of Chandler : Western Flight Training Center: 389th Army Air Force Base Unit: Was Williams Air Force Base (1947-1993): Now: Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Airport codes|IWA|KIWA
* Yuma AAF, 4 miles south of Yuma: Western Flight Training Center: 403d Army Air Force Base Unit: Was: Vincent Air Force Base (1951-1959): Now: .:: Dateland AAF, 40 miles East of Yuma:: Sub-base of Yuma AAF:: Now: Airfield closed and abandoned.

Air Transport Command
* Coolidge AAF, 6 miles southeast of Coolidge: Now: Coolidge Municipal Airport Airport codes|P08
* Winslow Municipal Airport, Winslow: Now: Winslow-Lindbergh Regional Airport Airport codes|INW|KINW

Fourth Air Force
* Davis-Monthan Field AAF, Tucson: 32d Army Air Force Base Unit: Now: .

Air Technical Service Command
* Tucson AAF, Tuscon: Joint Use USAAF/Civil Airport: Now: Tucson International Airport Airport codes|TUS|KTUSand

Known Secondary Facilities

Forrest Aux AF #2 (6 mi west-northwest of Douglas) · Gila Bend Aux AF #1 (15 mi southwest of Gila Bend) · Gila Bend Aux AF #2 (18 mi south-southwest of Gila Bend) · Gila Bend Aux AF #3 (8 mi west-southwest of Gila Bend) · Earnest Love Field (8 mi north-northeast of Prescott) · Luguna Landing Strip (6 mi northeast of Luguna) · McNeal Aux AF #1 (Douglas) · Safford Field (6 mi east-northeast of Safford) · Sahuarita Field (2 mi east of Sahuarita) · Sky Harbor Apt (2 mi east of Phoenix) · Tucson Memorial Apt (6 mi south of Tucson) · Winslow Municipal Apt (2 mi southwest of Winslow)

References

* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
* Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.
* Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Pictorial Histories Pub . ISBN 1575100517
* [http://www.airfieldsdatabase.com/WW2/WW2.htm Military Airfields in World War II - Arizona]

External links

* [http://www.p-38.com/index.html Arizona in World War II]