Colorado Springs Army Air Base

Colorado Springs Army Air Base
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Name	Colorado Springs Army Air Base
Location	Colorado Springs, Colorado
Country	United States
Type	Military air base
Built	1941
Used	1941–1946
Owner	United States Army Air Forces

Colorado Springs Army Air Base was a World War II United States Army Air Forces installation located near Colorado Springs, Colorado that supported pilot training, bombardier instruction, and logistics operations. The base operated in coordination with nearby facilities including Lowry Field, Fort Carson, and Peterson Field, serving as part of the broader Western Flying Training Command network that supplied trained aircrew for campaigns in the European Theater of Operations, the Pacific War, and continental defense efforts. The installation influenced regional development in El Paso County, Colorado and its infrastructure later transferred to various federal, state, and municipal entities.

History

The establishment of the base followed federal mobilization after the Attack on Pearl Harbor and aligned with expansion plans by the Army Air Corps and the Office of the Chief of Air Corps to increase aircrew production under programs advocated by leaders such as Henry H. Arnold and Frank M. Andrews. Site selection considered proximity to United States Air Routes and existing rail lines controlled by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, while local officials from Colorado Springs City Council and the Colorado State Legislature negotiated land transfers with private landowners and regional planners influenced by the National Industrial Recovery Act mobilization ethos. The base’s activation tied into nationwide initiatives like the Arnold Scheme and training reforms championed by the Air Training Command.

Construction and World War II Operations

Construction began under contracts awarded to firms such as Manson Construction and Peter Kiewit Sons' affiliates, supervised by engineers from the United States Army Corps of Engineers and planners influenced by standards from the Civil Aeronautics Authority. Runways, control towers, hangars, and barracks were erected using designs similar to those at Randolph Field and Kelly Field, while utility systems were installed with assistance from the Bureau of Reclamation and Rural Electrification Administration projects. During wartime operations the base hosted flight operations involving aircraft types like the AT-6 Texan, B-17 Flying Fortress, and B-24 Liberator, and coordinated staging for deployment to theaters including the Operation Torch and Operation Overlord supply pipelines. Air traffic control procedures and instrument training on approaches mirrored practices developed at Selfridge Field and Keesler Field.

Units and Training Programs

Assigned units included constituent cadres from the Second Air Force, cadre detachments from Western Flying Training Command, and rotation elements associated with the Air Transport Command. Training programs encompassed primary, basic, and advanced pilot courses, bombardier instruction using the North American B-25 Mitchell and Consolidated B-24, and gunnery training linked to curriculum innovations from Gunnery School (USAAF). Specialized support units such as maintenance squadrons, medical detachments drawn from United States Army Medical Corps, and meteorological sections influenced by the Weather Bureau (United States) provided comprehensive preparation for deployment to units like the 8th Air Force and the 20th Air Force.

Facilities and Infrastructure

Facilities included multiple asphalt and concrete runways comparable to those at Pueblo Army Air Base, steel hangars following plans from the War Department, and technical schools housed in structures similar to those on Lowry Field. On-base utilities tied into regional systems maintained by the Colorado State Highway Department and municipal providers including Colorado Springs Utilities. The installation contained recreational and service facilities aligned with standards from the United Service Organizations and American Red Cross, as well as an airfield control tower, ordnance storage areas, fuel farms meeting War Production Board specifications, and barracks patterned after Standardized Military Construction designs.

Postwar Transition and Closure

With demobilization after Victory in Europe Day and Victory over Japan Day, the base’s mission contracted as the United States Air Force reorganized under the National Security Act of 1947 and surplus property programs managed by the War Assets Administration processed transfers. Portions of the airfield and support buildings were conveyed to El Paso County, Colorado and later adapted for civilian aviation use at facilities akin to Colorado Springs Municipal Airport. Other parcels were repurposed for Fort Carson expansion, industrial parks influenced by Federal-Aid Highway Act access improvements, and institutional uses by organizations such as Colorado College and University of Colorado Colorado Springs affiliates.

Legacy and Commemoration

Remnants of the base’s runways, hangars, and foundations remain in local landscape history interpreted by the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum and commemorated by markers placed by the Colorado Historical Society and National Park Service heritage programs. Alumni associations of former units, veteran groups including the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion, and local preservationists have documented oral histories archived in collections at the Pikes Peak Library District and the Colorado State Archives. The base influenced regional aviation development tied to later installations like Peterson Space Force Base and contributed personnel to campaigns recognized by decorations such as the Distinguished Flying Cross and unit citations from the Department of the Air Force.

Category:Installations of the United States Army Air Forces in Colorado Category:Military installations closed in 1946