CoBases – US Military Bases

Category: Arizona

There are a total of 7 military bases located in Arizona (AZ). They are relatively large, with around five to six thousand military personnel each. Fort Huachuca is one of the most famous and largest, with around 6,500 active duty soldiers.

Arizona plays a significant role in the United States military infrastructure due to its favorable climate, vast desert terrain, and expansive airspace conducive to year-round training and testing activities. The state is home to multiple military installations serving various U.S. Armed Forces branches, including the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps.

The military presence in Arizona is focused largely on air combat training, drone operations, intelligence, communications, and testing of military hardware in desert conditions. The state’s installations are equipped to handle the rigorous demands of preparing military personnel and equipment for the challenges of modern warfare, particularly in similar arid and harsh environments worldwide.

Arizona’s military bases are strategically important for their role in ensuring the combat readiness of U.S. forces. They provide unique training opportunities that are difficult to replicate elsewhere, such as large-scale live-fire exercises and air-to-ground combat training. The state’s installations are also involved in cutting-edge research and development, particularly in areas related to military intelligence and unmanned aerial systems.

In addition to their military functions, the installations contribute significantly to Arizona’s economy. They create jobs, directly and indirectly, and often become intertwined with local communities through various partnerships and support activities.

Overall, Arizona’s military installations are integral to the operational capabilities of the U.S. military, providing essential training and testing environments that help maintain the nation’s defense readiness.

  • Yuma Proving Ground

    Yuma Proving Ground Facts

    • Location:
      Southwestern La Paz County and western Yuma County in southwestern Arizona
    • Website:
      Visit Yuma Proving Ground Website ›
    • Phone: (928) 328-3287
    • Longitude:
      -114.429131
    • Latitude:
      33.1456
    • DSN:
      899-3287

    Yuma Proving Ground was established in 1943 and considered as one of the largest military bases in the whole world with an area of 1,300 square miles in the Sonoran Desert. Yuma Proving Ground plays a major impact in the maintenance of the quality of U.S. military forces and the largest employers in the country.

    This proving ground performs military tests on all kinds of ground combat arsenal in its 2,000 square miles of restricted air space, As part of their primary mission to conduct tests, annually, they fire half a million of mortars and missiles, almost 200,000 miles of vehicles are driven, around 36,000 parachutes are flown, and about 4,000 of different kinds of aircraft are tested with their flight from the base airfield.

    It is considered to be the longest overland artillery range in the country and is proud of the high tech instrumented helicopter range ever. This proving ground has 600 miles of fiber optic cable which provides instantaneous test data feedback. Overall, this is an excellent testing site for the military ammunitions and hardware because the place is very far from the urban communities where noise is a major concern. Yuma’s sunny climate, perfect terrain and range facilities add the quality for excellent testing and training conditions.

    Yuma Proving Ground combat plane

    Yuma Proving Ground Helicopter landing

    Yuma Proving Ground also offers their military testing capabilities in three places: the Cold Regions Test Center in Alaska, Yuma Test Center at the Yuma Proving Ground and the Tropic Regions Test Center which operates in Hawaii, Panama, Honduras and other tropical countries with the headquarters in Yuma Proving Ground. This military base is proud to play a very important role in ensuring the excellence of the military force, equipment and ammunitions of the country which will have a big impact in saving the lives of the Americans.

  • Yuma MCAS

    MCAS Yuma Facts

    • Lodging: Yuma; Arizona
    • Website:
      Visit MCAS Yuma Website ›
    • Phone: (928) 269-2275
    • Longitude:
      -114.618902
    • Latitude:
      32.650216
    • DSN:
      269-1011

    MCAS Yuma is located two miles away from the city of Yuma; Arizona is the third busiest air station in the Marine Corps which was established in 1928 as Flying Field serving the military and civilian aircraft. At present, MCAS is sharing facilities with Yuma International Airport and is commanded by Colonel Mark A. Werth. The 3,000 acre land which is mostly flat desert wilderness is the station of the Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron I and Marine Aircraft Group 13.

    MCAS Yuma Air Force base
    Plains at MCA Yuma

    The civilian airport at Yuma is changed into Yuma Army Airfield with the outbreak of World War II. The construction of the airfield began in June 1 1942 and began its operation on December 15 1942. After the war it was closed for operation and was turned over to the Department of Interior. On January 1954, the United States Air Force Air Defense Command started its operation as training facility then on August 24 it was renamed as Yuma Air Force Base. When Vincent AFB was transferred to the navy it was renamed Yuma Air Base Station and on July 20, 1962, it was called the Yuma Marine Corps Air Station.

    Yuma being the busiest air station in the Marine Corps is the perfect ground for all around flying conditions with thousands of open topography for all the air to ground weapons and airspaces for military flight operations.  Yuma Proving Ground function is to maintain the best of America’s warfare forces. The base has a year round testing consisting of all the military services including the long range artillery, fire control systems, aircraft armament, unmanned aerial systems, armored vehicles, all kinds of technologies for defeating aerial and roadside bombs.

    At present, MCAS Yuma is lined up to become the Marine Corps’ operating base for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike fighter.

  • Fort Huachuca Army Base

    Fort Huachuca Army Base Facts

    • Location: Southeastern part of Arizona
    • Website:
      Visit Fort Huachuca Website ›
    • Phone: (520) 533-2330
    • Longitude:
      -110.34874
    • Latitude:
      31.586432
    • DSN:
      821-2330

    Covering an area of 70,000 Acres, Fort Huachuca is located in the southeastern part of Arizona which is created in 1877 to protect the southern part of Arizona against the Chiricahua Apaches. It is also the base for the 10th Cavalry, the “Buffalo Soldiers” the Army’s black cavalry corps. It became the headquarters for the U.S. Army Strategic Communications Command which was renamed in 1973 as the U.S. Army Communications Command. Then on 1983 it became the U.S. Army Information Systems Command. The Fort Huachuca was then named the National Historic Landmark in 1976.  Fort Huachuca is now a military neighborhood within a small community in a picturesque environment.

    Fort Huachuca main purpose is to provide communication and intelligence center for the U.S. military in the southern part of Arizona. This is the site for the Joint Interoperability Test Command, Army Intelligence Center and the Army Information Systems Command.  They provide facilities for field testing and test ranges for communications systems and equipment like the proving ground complex.

    This has been a popular destination for movie locations like the 1963 film Captain Newman with Gregory Peck as the lead star. The military base has continually taken its popularity as the site for other succeeding movies and television series.  It also serves as the place for the Libby Army Airfield and the site for the Fort Huachuca Museum which is seen three miles from the main entrance of Fort Huachuca.

    Fort Huachuca Army Base Front Gate
    Fort Huachuca Helicopter Landing

    Fort Huachuca is established to offer effective, equitable and efficient management of this military base in order t give support to the mission of the soldiers in their readiness and execution of their promised obligation to the country and helps in the formation of the over all well being of the soldiers, civilian and their families and to safeguard the environment.

  • Luke Air Force Base

    Luke Air Force Base Facts

    • Location: Glendale, Arizona
    • Website:
      Visit Luke Website ›
    • Phone: (623) 856-7411
    • Longitude:
      -112.38036
    • Latitude:
      33.535249
    • DSN:
      896-7411

    Luke Air Force Base is the selected location for the new F-35 Pilot Training Center and home for the 56th Fighter Wing which is manned by Brigidare Gen. Kurt F. Neubauer and located in Glendale, Arizona.  Luke Air Force Base plays a major role in protecting the country’s freedom and security.

    Luke Air Base was completed on 1941 and got its name from the Medal of Honor awardee Lieutenant Frank Luke Jr., defeated four enemy planes and fourteen German Balloons during the World War I. It was closed down for two weeks on 1942 when the air base was destructed by a huge flood.  In early 1990’s, there were considerable realignments that took place which resulted the inactivity of 312th, 426th and 550th TFT.

    At present, it has become the only active F-16 training base in the world and become the finalist to become the major training center for the U.S. Air Forces F-35 Lightning II. Luke Air Force Base together with the Glendale local community of the Arizona has developed modern methods in helping the launching of F-16 mission.  However, the surge of the building of communities around the area of Glendale, Arizona hampers the performance of the present and future missions of the military. The community around the military base exposes the people to the safety and noises that can be trigger annoyance to harm.

    Luke Air Force Entrance Sign
    Luke air force base plane

    Luke Air Force Base has over 7,000 employees and residence to the 22,000 civilian and military personnel together with the 15,000 members of the family and the home for the 80,000 retired military personnel.  Luke AFB gives over $2.1 billion yearly to the State of Arizona economy.

    To show the appreciation, Luke air Force Base celebrates the Luke’s Day which is a popular air show every odd numbered year during the month of March.

  • Davis-Monthan Air Force Base

    Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Facts

    The Davis-Monthan Air Force Base is the home to the 355th Fighter Wing, an active combat wing compose of A-10s and has the mission to train A-10 pilots and support to the ground forces around the world is located near Tucson, Arizona. The airbase is named in honor of Lt. Samuel H. Davis and Oscar Monthan, World War I era pilots.

    In 1925 D-M becomes a military base and in 1927, Charles Lindbergh flew Spirit of St.Loius to Tucson to dedicate Davis-Monthan during his non-stop crossing in the Atlantic. Davis-Monthan serves as an operational training base for various military aircraft during the World War II. After the World War II the military base close its operation and it was then that it was chosen to be the storage site for the decommissioned aircraft.  At present, Col.Bobby J. Wilkes, the Commander of the 355th Wing which grants services to the medical, logistics and operational support to all D-M units.

    The 355th Medical Group sees to it that the army is physically fit to fight; they train medical teams to answer the needs of the patients. The 355th Mission Group educates, offers combat mission support and quality services to deployment of combat support groups. The operations group has war fighters, combat search and rescue and airbase operations and also conduct the necessary education course to all aircraft qualifications.

    Davis-Monthan AirForceBase Arizona
    Davis-Monthan Air Force Base from sky

    In 1940s, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base is in the farther part of the city but now with the continued growth and success of the economy of Tucson, D-M Air Force Base can be found within the boundary and surrounded by residential as well as industrial areas. D-M is now faced with the booming land developers who are building more community structures around the base. It is now the second largest company in the whole of Tucson with 6,000 military and 1,700 civilian employees of D-M and 13,000 military retirees living in Tucson, Arizona.