Eagle Pass Army Airfield

Eagle Pass Army Airfield Laughlin AF Aux #1
Eagle Pass Army Airfield - Texas, 28 October 1943
IATA: none ICAO: none
Summary
Built	1942
In use	1942-1945; 1962-1994
Coordinates	28°51′35″N 100°31′00″W
Map
' Eagle Pass Army Airfield, Texas
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 05/23 5,500 1,676 Bituminous 09/27 5,500 1,676 Bituminous 14/32 5,500 1,676 Bituminous
Runway information from: Military Airfields in WW2, Texas

for the civilian airport established in 1946, see Maverick County Memorial International Airport

Eagle Pass Army Airfield is a former World War II military airfield complex. It is located 10.6 miles (17.1 km) north of Eagle Pass, Texas. It operated as a training site for the United States Army Air Forces from 1943 until 1945.

Later, during the Cold War, Eagle Pass Air Force Station' (ADC ID: TM-188) is a closed United States Air Force Radar facility. It was operated by Air Defense Command on the site of the World War II air base. Opened in 1957, it was closed in 1963.

History

World War II

The airport was activated on 30 June 1942 as Eagle Pass Army Air Field as part of the Army Air Forces Training Command. It was assigned to the Central Flying Training Command (CFTC), being under the jurisdiction of the 57th Basic Flying Training Group, 33d Flying Training Wing (Advanced, Single-Engine).

The airfield consisted of three 5,500' concrete runways. During the summer of 1942 three runways were laid down along with a large parking ramp and taxiway system. Four large hangars along with support buildings, barracks a street network, electric, sewer and water lines were constructed.

In addition Eagle Pass controlled three auxiliary fields.

• Cueves Field Aux #1 29°01′42″N 100°32′05″W
• Pinto Field Aux #2 29°11′58″N 100°19′50″W
• Eagle Pass Aux #3 28°41′23″N 100°20′56″W

The mission of Eagle Pass AAF was advanced flying training in single-engine trainers. It's principal trainer aircraft was the North American T-6 Texan. It was a 3d phase training base, its flying cadets having successfully completed primary and basic flight training. Upon graduation, the flying cadets were commissioned as Second Lieutenants and assigned to one of the numbered air forces for assignment to an operational unit.

The 57th Basic Flying Training Group consisted of the following subordinate units:

• 367th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron
• 1046th Guard Squadron
• 354th Aviation Squadron (Seperate)
• 826th Flying Training Squadron (Single Engine)
• 827th Flying Training Squadron (Single Engine)

On 1 March 1944, aircraft training units in the United States were re-organized and the 57th was inactivated, being taken over by the 2516th Army Air Force Base Unit.

In November 1944, the training at the base was changed to a phase one basic flying school, providing flight training to cadets with little or no previous flying training. All flight training at the field was discontinued in April 1945, with the airfield being determined to be excess by the military and turned over to the local government for civil use.

Air Defense Command

Eagle Pass Air Force Station
Part of Air Defense Command (ADC)
Coordinates	28°51′36″N 100°31′37″W
Type	Air Force Station
Site information
Controlled by	United States Air Force
Site history
Built	1957
In use	1957-1963
Garrison information
Garrison	733d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

In 1953, the United States Air Force Air Defense Command requested a third phase of twenty-five mobile radar sites be constructed to supplement the permanent national network of sites established during the Cold War. In 1957, the Air Force exercised a right of return to the former Eagle Pass Army Airfield, and opened Eagle Pass Air Force Station on a corner of the former station to the west of the civil airport established after World War II as a long-range radar site.

The 733d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron was assigned to Eagle Pass AFS by the 33d Air Division on 3 July 1957. The squadron began operating an AN/FPS-20A search radar and an AN/FPS-6 height-finder, and initially the station functioned as a Ground-Control Intercept (GCI) and warning station. As a GCI station, the squadron's role was to guide interceptor aircraft toward unidentified intruders picked up on the unit's radar scopes.

In addition to the main facility, Eagle Pass operated several AN/FPS-14 Gap Filler sites:

• Carrizo Springs, TX (TM-188A): 28°30′10″N 099°50′01″W
• Laredo, TX (TM-188B/C/TM-189B): 27°43′34″N 099°26′07″W

In March 1963 the Air Force ordered the site to close and operations ceased on 1 August 1963. Following the radar-site closure, the station has been used for county housing. The radar station is abandoned and its buildings are in various states of disrepair.

Air Training Command

Eagle Pass was reopened under the name of Laughlin AF Aux #1 in 1962 for touch and go landings by T-37 training aircraft based at Laughlin AFB. In 1991 a replacement airfield was built in nearby Spofford, and Eagle Pass was closed.

At some point between 1991–94, after the closure of this field by the Air Force, it was apparently operated as a private airfield, named Bowles. It is now operated as Maverick County Memorial International Airport.

See also

• Texas World War II Army Airfields
• List of USAF Aerospace Defense Command General Surveillance Radar Stations

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 - 1980, by Lloyd H. Cornett and Mildred W. Johnson, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
• Winkler, David F. (1997), Searching the skies: the legacy of the United States Cold War defense radar program. Prepared for United States Air Force Headquarters Air Combat Command.
• Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), Locating Air Force Base Sites History’s Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC, 2004.
• Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas ASIN: B000NYX3PC
• Information for Eagle Pass AFS, TX

External links

• Eagle Pass Army Air Field AFHRA Document Search
• Eagle Pass Air Force Station from the Handbook of Texas of the Texas State Historical Association