Editing Davis–Monthan Air Force Base (section)

===World War II===
Davis–Monthan Airport became Tucson Army Air Field in 1940, as the United States prepared for [[World War II]]. The first assigned [[U.S. Army Air Corps]] units were the 1st Bomb Wing, 41st Bomb Group and 31st Air Base Group, activating on 30 April 1941 with Lieutenant Colonel Ames S. Albro Sr. as commanding officer.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://azstarnet.com/news/local/street-smarts-man-who-built-davis-monthan-air-force-base/article_c5ba11d4-d540-511a-b143-c77c8f33501d.html | first=David | last=Leighton | title=Street Smarts: Man who built Davis–Monthan Air Force Base among oldest enlisted men ever | newspaper=Arizona Daily Star | date=12 November 2013 | access-date=12 November 2013 | archive-date=12 November 2013 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20131112072715/http://azstarnet.com/news/local/street-smarts-man-who-built-davis-monthan-air-force-base/article_c5ba11d4-d540-511a-b143-c77c8f33501d.html | url-status=live }}</ref> In its military role, the base became known as '''Davis–Monthan Army Air Field''' on 3 December 1941. [[U.S. Army Air Forces]] leaders then utilized the airfield for heavy bomber operation, sending [[Douglas B-18 Bolo]], [[Consolidated B-24 Liberator]], and [[Boeing B-29 Superfortress]] bombers, for training and observation missions.

Among the bombardment groups trained at the base during the war:
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* [[34th Training Wing|34th Bombardment]] (Heavy) 13 May – 4 July 1942
* [[94th Airlift Wing|94th Bombardment]] (Heavy) August – 1 November 1942
* [[302d Airlift Wing|302nd Bombardment]] (Heavy) 23 June – 30 July 1942
* [[308th Strategic Missile Wing|308th Bombardment]] (Heavy) 20 June – 1 October 1942
* [[380th Air Expeditionary Wing|380th Bombardment]] (Heavy) 4 November – 2 December 1942
* [[382d Bombardment Group|382nd Bombardment]] (Heavy) 23 January – 5 April 1943
* [[389th Strategic Missile Wing|389th Bombardment]] (Heavy) 24 December 1942 – 1 February 1943
* [[392nd Bombardment Group|392nd Bombardment]] (Heavy) 26 January – 1 March 1943
* [[399th Bombardment Group|399th Bombardment]] (Heavy) 1 March – 10 April 1943
* [[400th Bombardment Group|400th Bombardment]] (Heavy) April – 2 May 1943
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* [[446th Airlift Wing|446th Bombardment]] (Heavy) 1 April – 8 June 1943
* [[449th Bombardment Wing|449th Bombardment]] (Heavy) 1 May – 5 July 1943
* [[451st Air Expeditionary Group|451st Bombardment]] (Heavy) 1 May – 3 June 1943
* [[459th Air Refueling Wing|459th Bombardment]] (Heavy) 20 September – 1 November 1943
* [[466th Bombardment Group|466th Bombardment]] (Heavy) 15 August – 17 October 1945
* [[486th Air Expeditionary Wing|486th Bombardment]] (Heavy) 9 November 1943 – March 1944
* [[489th Bombardment Group|489th Bombardment]] (Heavy) 3 April – 13 July 1945
* [[491st Bombardment Group|491st Bombardment]] (Heavy) 1 October – 11 November 1943
* [[444th Bombardment Group|444th Bombardment]] (Very Heavy) 1 March – 29 July 1943
* [[499th Air Refueling Wing|499th Bombardment]] (Very Heavy) 20 November – 1 December 1943
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Training at the airfield came to a halt on 14 August 1945, when the Japanese surrendered. Davis–Monthan played a post-war role by housing German [[Prisoner of war|POWs]] from June 1945 to March 1946. It also served as a separation center, which brought the base populace to a high of 11,614 in September 1945.

With the end of the war, operations at the base came to a virtual standstill. It was then that the base was selected as a storage site for hundreds of decommissioned aircraft, with the activation of the [[309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group|4105th Army Air Force Unit]]. The 4105th oversaw the storage of excess B-29s and [[Douglas C-47 Skytrain|C-47]] "Gooney Birds." Tucson's low humidity and [[alkali soil]] made it an ideal location for aircraft storage and preservation, awaiting cannibalization or possible reuse—a mission that has continued to this day.