Washington World War II Army Airfields

During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Washington for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.

Most of these airfields were under the command of Second 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 Force Training Command
 * Yakima Air Base, Yakima
 * Joint use USAAF/Civil Airport
 * Contract Flying School
 * Now: Yakima Air Terminal

Air Transport Command
 * Gray Field, AAF, Fort Lewis
 * 302d Army Air Force Base Unit
 * Now: Active Army Airfield which supports Fort Lewis.

Air Technical Service Command
 * Boeing Field, Seattle


 * Aircraft delivery facility, Joint use USAAF/Civil Airport


 * Moses Lake AAF, Moses Lake
 * 465th Army Air Force Base Unit
 * Was: Moses Lake Air Force Base (1947)
 * Was: Larson Air Force Base (1948-1966)
 * Now: Grant County International Airport


 * Ellensburg AAF, Ellensburg
 * Now: Bowers Airport


 * Spokane AAF, Spokane
 * 498th Army Air Force Base Unit
 * Was: Spokane Air Force Base (1947-1950)
 * Now: Roundel of the USAF.svg Fairchild Air Force Base

Second Air Force
 * Bellingham/Tulip AAF, Bellingham
 * Now: Bellingham International Airport


 * Ephrata AAF, Ephrata
 * 355th Army Air Force Base Unit
 * Now: Ephrata Municipal Airport


 * Geiger/Sunset Field AAF, Spokane
 * 41st Army Air Force Base Unit
 * Now: Spokane International Airport

(7 miles NW of Spokane; may have only been a target field.)
 * Seven Mile Gunnery Range, Spokane
 * Sub-base of Geiger AAF
 * Felts Field, Spokane
 * Auxiliary of Geiger AAF
 * Joint civil and contract AAF pilot training
 * Now: Felts Field Airport


 * McChord Field AAF, Tacoma
 * 43d Army Air Force Base Unit
 * Now: Roundel of the USAF.svg Joint Base Lewis-McChord


 * Olympia AAF, Olympia
 * Now: Olympia Airport

(Joint use USAF/Civil Airport)
 * Paine Field AAF, Everett/Paine
 * 33d Army Air Force Base Unit
 * Was: Paine Air Force Base (1951-1968)
 * Now: Paine Air National Guard Base


 * Port Angeles AAF, Port Angeles, Washington
 * Now: William R. Fairchild International Airport


 * Port Townsend AAF, Port Hadlock
 * Now: Jefferson County International Airport


 * Walla Walla AAF, Walla Walla
 * 357th Army Air Force Base Unit
 * Now: Walla Walla Regional Airport