Arizona World War II Army Airfields

During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (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
Air Transport Command
 * Coolidge Army Airfield, 6 mi southeast of Coolidge
 * Now: Coolidge Municipal Airport


 * Winslow Municipal Airport, Winslow
 * Now: Winslow-Lindbergh Regional Airport

Fourth Air Force
 * Davis-Monthan Field Army Airfield, Tucson
 * 32d Army Air Force Base Unit
 * Now: Roundel of the USAF.svg Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

Air Technical Service Command
 * Tucson Army Airfield, Tucson
 * Joint Use USAAF/Civil Airport
 * Now: Tucson International Airport and Roundel of the USAF.svg Tucson Air National Guard Base, home to the 162d Fighter Wing, Arizona Air National Guard

Army Air Forces Training Command
 * Douglas Army Airfield, 8 mi north-northwest of Douglas
 * Western Flight Training Center
 * 461st Army Air Force Base Unit
 * Now: Douglas Municipal Airport
 * Hereford Army Airfield, two miles west-southwest of Hereford
 * Auxiliary of Douglas Army Airfield
 * Now: Airfield closed and abandoned


 * Falcon Field Army Airfield, Mesa
 * Western Flight Training Center
 * Now: Falcon Field Airport


 * Kingman Army Airfield, 7 mi northeast of Kingman
 * Western Flight Training Center
 * 460th Army Air Force Base Unit
 * Now: Kingman Airport and Industrial Park
 * Yucca Army Airfield, one mile west of Yucca
 * Sub-base of Kingman Army Airfield
 * Now: Ford Motor Co-AZ Proving Grd Airport (P17)


 * Luke Army Airfield, Glendale
 * West Coast Training Center, 1941
 * Western Flight Training Center
 * 66th Army Air Force Base Unit
 * Now: Roundel of the USAF.svg Luke Air Force Base
 * Ajo Army Airfield, five miles north of Ajo
 * Sub-base of Luke Army Airfield
 * 472d Army Air Force Base Unit
 * Now: Eric Marcus Municipal Airport (P01)
 * Gila Bend Army Airfield, three miles southeast of Gila Bend
 * Sub-base of Luke Army Airfield
 * 492d Army Air Force Base Unit
 * Now: Roundel of the USAF.svg Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field

Army Air Forces Training Command
 * Marana Army Airfield, 7 mi northwest of Marana
 * Western Flight Training Center
 * Now: Pinal Airpark


 * Ryan Field, Tucson
 * Contract Flight Training
 * Today: Ryan Field Airport


 * Thunderbird Field No 1, Glendale
 * Contract Flight Training
 * Now: Thunderbird School of Global Management (Non flying facility)


 * Thunderbird Field No 2, Scottsdale
 * Contract Flight Training
 * Now: Scottsdale Airport


 * Williams Army Airfield, 10 mi east of Chandler
 * West Coast Training Center, 1942
 * Western Flight Training Center
 * 389th Army Air Force Base Unit
 * Was Williams Air Force Base (1947-1993)
 * Now: Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport


 * Yuma Army Airfield, 4 mi south of Yuma
 * Western Flight Training Center
 * 403d Army Air Force Base Unit
 * Was: Vincent Air Force Base (1951-1959)
 * Now: USMC logo.svg Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.
 * Dateland Army Airfield, 40 miles East of Yuma
 * Sub-base of Yuma Army Airfield
 * Now: Airfield closed and abandoned.

Known Secondary Facilities

 * Ernest Love Field 34.65444°N, -112.37583°W
 * (8 mi north-northeast of Prescott); USAAF Limited Usage


 * Laguna Army Airfield 32.86°N, -114.39667°W
 * (6 mi northeast of the Laguna Diversion Dam); USAAF Limited Usage


 * Sahuarita Flight Strip 31.97°N, -110.92°W (2 mi east of Sahuarita); Aux to Davis-Monthan AAF