During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in New Mexico 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). 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 Second Air Force Alamogordo AAF, AlamogordoMueller, p. 248 Now: Holloman Air Force Base Clovis AAF, Clovis Now: Cannon Air Force BaseMueller, p. 60 Kirtland Field, Albuquerque Now: Albuquerque International Sunport and Kirtland Air Force Base
Air Technical Service Command Albuquerque Army Airfield, Albuquerque, New Mexico (merged into Kirtland Field in 1944)
Army Air Forces Training Command Carlsbad AAF, Carlsbad Now: Cavern City Air Terminal Deming AAF, Deming (reassigned to Second Air Force in 1944) Now: Deming Municipal Airport Fort Sumner AAF, Fort Sumner Now: Fort Sumner Municipal Airport Hobbs AAF, Hobbs Was: Hobbs Army Airfield (1942-1948) Now: Hobbs Industrial Air Park
Roswell AAF, Roswell Was: Walker Air Force Base (1947-1967) Now: Roswell International Air Center (RIAC)
References
Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Pictorial Histories Pub . Military Airfields in World War II - New Mexico
External links "Keep 'Em Flying: The Story of the Hobbs Army Air Field" "Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: New Mexico"