Reese Air Force Base, Lubbock Texas
Longitude: -101.8228
Origin of current name: Named in honor of 1st Lt Augustus Frank Reese Jr (1917-1943). Lieutenant Reese was killed on 14 May 1943 near Cagliari, Sardinia, when his P-38 struck the ground after a strafing run on a train.
Date current name was assigned to base: 5 Nov 1949
Previous Names: Air Corps Advanced Flying School, Lubbock, 11 Aug 1941; Lubbock Army Flying School, 6 Feb 1942; Lubbock Army Airfield, 26 Apr 1943; Lubbock Air Force Base, 13 Jan 1948
Changes in Capability: Air Corps Advanced Flying School established 26 Jun 1941; Lubbock Sub-Depot activated 25 Nov 1941 (rdsgd 60th Sub-Depot, 16 Sep 1942); flying activity on new runway commenced 8 Feb 1942; major construction of buildings and facilities, including three 6,450-foot runways and taxiways, completed mid-1944; during inactivation, Dec 1945-fall 1949, base used as a reserve center and veteran's housing area; all-jet training program replaced propeller aircraft training mid-1951; 418-unit Wherry housing project occupied Mar 1953; major runway added, other concrete areas rehabilitated 1953-1954; TB-25 training 1955-1959, T-33 training 1958; supersonic training, T-38 (1963), T-41 (1965); new hospital dedicated 29 Aug 1971; base participated with Cannon AFB in Low Cost Aircraft Training (LCAT) program 1 Oct 1975; Instrument Flight Simulator accepted 27 Apr 1978; 260 acres added to base area mid-1978; Wherry housing upgraded and runway resurfaced Oct 1980.
Major Changes in Status: Temporarily inactive, 31 Dec 1945; assigned to Goodfellow Field, 31 Dec-1 May 1947; transferred to Randolph Field, 1 May 1947; transferred to Army Division Engineers, 22 Oct 1947-31 Jul 1949. Activated, 1 Aug 1949
Lubbock Army Air Field was a World War II-era United States Army Air Forces training installation located near Lubbock, Texas. Established in 1941, it served as a major pilot and navigation training base that contributed to the rapid expansion of the U.S. air power during the war.
Built as part of the U.S. Army Air Forces' wartime training program, the base opened in 1941 to prepare pilots and navigators for combat. It operated under the Central Flying Training Command, using single-engine trainers and nearby auxiliary fields to support large-scale instruction.
After the war, Lubbock Army Air Field was briefly inactive before being reactivated in 1949 under the newly formed U.S. Air Force. It was renamed Reese Air Force Base in honor of First Lieutenant Augustus F. Reese Jr., a Texas pilot killed during training. The installation then shifted its focus to undergraduate pilot training for Air Force and allied officers.
During the Cold War, the base became a key site for jet-era flight instruction and advanced navigation courses. It supported NATO and U.S. training missions and helped develop standardized procedures for modern flight operations, contributing to America's strategic air readiness.
Reese Air Force Base was closed in 1997 following post-Cold War military realignments. The site was redeveloped as Reese Technology Center, a civilian research and business park.
