During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

(USAAF) established numerous airfields in

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Most of these airfields were under the command of

Second Air Force The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defended ...

or the

Army Air Forces Training Command The United States Army Air Forces during World War II had major subordinate Commands below the Air Staff level. These Commands were organized along functional missions. One such Command was the Flying Training Command (FTC). It began as Air Corp ...

(AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

Air Education and Training Command Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF), reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force. It was established 1 July 1993, with the realignment of Air Training ...

). 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 support roles. It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields. Many were converted into municipal airports, returned to agriculture, or retained as

installations that served as front-line bases during the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

. Hundreds of the temporary buildings that were used survive today, and are being used for other purposes.

Major Airfields

Second Air Force * Cut Bank Army Airfield,

Cut Bank A cut bank, also known as a river cliff or river-cut cliff, is the outside bank of a curve or meander in a water channel (stream), which is continually undergoing erosion.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Ed, Stephen Marshak Cut banks are found in abu ...

II Fighter Command 02 may refer to: * The year 2002, or any year ending with 02 * The month of February * 2 (number) * ''02'' (Son of Dave album), 2006 * ''02'' (Urban Zakapa album), 2012 * The number of the French department Aisne * 0², the secret final boss ...

: Now: Cut Bank Municipal Airport * Glasgow Army Airfield,

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

: II Fighter Command : Now:

Glasgow International Airport gd, Port-adhair Eadar-nàiseanta Ghlaschu , image = Glasgow Airport logo.svg , image-width = 200 , image2 = GlasgowAirportFromAir.jpg , image2-width = 250 , IATA = GLA , ICAO = EGPF , type = Public , owner = AGS Airports , hub = *easy ...

:: Note: Glasgow Air Force Base (1957-1976) is NOT the World War II Airfield. * Great Falls Army Airfield,

Great Falls Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...

352d Army Air Force Base Unit 35 or XXXV may refer to: * 35 (number), the natural number following 34 and preceding 36 * one of the years 35 BC, AD 35, 1935, 2035 * ''XXXV'' (album), a 2002 album by Fairport Convention * '' 35xxxv'', a 2015 album by One Ok Rock * "35" (s ...

: Was: Great Falls Air Force Base (1947-1955) : Now: Roundel of the USAF

Malmstrom Air Force Base Malmstrom Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place (CDP) in Cascade County, Montana, United States, adjacent to the city of Great Falls. It was named in honor of World War II POW Colonel Einar Axel Malmstrom. ...

(1955-Present; runway inactive since 1997, limited to rotary-wing ops) * Lewistown Army Airfield, Lewistown :

II Bomber Command The II Bomber Command is a disbanded United States Air Force unit. It was established in September 1941, shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor to command heavy bomber units assigned to Second Air Force. Following the entry of the United St ...

: Now:

Lewistown Municipal Airport Lewistown Municipal Airport is two miles southwest of Lewistown, in Fergus County, Montana. It is owned by the city and county. Federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 596 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar yea ...

Air Transport Command * Gore Army Airfield,

: Joint use USAAF/Civil Airport :

7th Ferrying Group 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube (algebra), cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion ...

: 385th Army Air Force Base Unit : Now:

Great Falls International Airport Great Falls International Airport is a public/military airport in city limits three miles southwest of central Great Falls in Cascade County, Montana, United States. The airport has also been called Great Falls Municipal Airport. The Natio ...

: And:

Great Falls Air National Guard Base Great Falls International Airport is a public/military airport in city limits three miles southwest of central Great Falls in Cascade County, Montana, United States. The airport has also been called Great Falls Municipal Airport. The Nat ...

Helena Army Airfield Helena may refer to: People *Helena (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Katri Helena (born 1945), Finnish singer * Helena, mother of Constantine I Places Greece * Helena (island) Guyana * ...

, Helena : Joint use USAAF/Civil Airport : Now:

Helena Regional Airport Helena Regional Airport is a public airport two miles northeast of Helena, in Lewis and Clark County, Montana, United States. It is owned by the Helena Regional Airport Authority. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011– ...

References

* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. . * Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. . * 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 - Montana

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Montana World War Ii Army Airfields 01

Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in the United States by state United States World War II army airfields