Peterson Air Force Base (Peterson AFB) is a base of the United States Air Force located in El Paso County, Colorado near Colorado Springs. Peterson AFB is home to the 21st Space Wing.

History

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Peterson AFB was established on May 6, 1942 at the Colorado Springs Municipal Airport. It was renamed on December 13, 1942 from Colorado Springs Army Air Base to Peterson Field in honor of a fallen airman that lost his life in an aircraft crash on the base.

The base began heavy bomber combat crew training in 1943 utilizing the B-24 Liberator. In June 1944 the mission at the base changed, this time to fighter pilot training employing P–40 Warhawks.

On December 31 1945, the Army inactivated the base, turning the property over to the City of Colorado Springs. During the next six years the base was deactivated and reactivated several times, until it finally reactivated for good in 1951. On March 1 1976, Peterson Field was renamed Peterson Air Force Base.

Strategic Air Command assumed control of the base on October 1 1979. Then, on September 1 1982, the Air Force Space Command was activated at Peterson. The 21st Space Wing was activated to replace two other wings on May 15 1992.

External links

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• Peterson AFB Home Page - official site (source of History)
• GlobalSecurity.org: Peterson AFB

United States Air Force bases | El Paso County, Colorado | Colorado Springs, Colorado | Peterson Air Force Base