Douglas Army Airfield: A Legacy of B-25 Training in Cochise County

During World War II, the open skies of southeastern Arizona became an important training ground for military aviators. Douglas Army Airfield (DAAF) and its five auxiliary fields were constructed as part of the war effort to train pilots on the North American B-25 Mitchell, a medium bomber that was one of America's most famous airplanes of World War II.

Douglas Army Airfield

Before its military use, the site where Douglas Army Airfield would be established was already being developed as an airfield for civilian purposes. In February 1942, construction officially began to build the new airport intended for commercial airlines and civilian pilot training since extensions to the Douglas Municipal Airport was not feasible. However, with the growing need for military training facilities, the Army Air Corps surveyed the property as a site for the Army Air Forces Advanced Flying School. A lease was negotiated with the Army to allow commercial aircraft to operate, and by July, the school was established.

Five auxiliary fields were constructed to support the Douglas Airfield

• McNeal Auxiliary Field

• Forrest Auxiliary Field, next to where Cochise College is now in Douglas

• Web Auxiliary Field, north of Elfrida

• Hereford Auxiliary Field, off Highway 92

• Unidentified location

  
  

In the image below, the remnants of the Douglas Army Airfield can be seen across the current runways with parts of the original layout still used.

Douglas Army Airfield was selected as a primary training base for Advanced Twin Engine Procedure Training, which started in the fall of 1942.

A photo from the 1943 graduation class book of the Grand Theater and G Ave in Douglas

Aeronaut 1943

Supporting Douglas Army Airfield were five auxiliary fields scattered across Cochise County, including Hereford Field. These fields served as extensions of the main airfield, allowing for dispersed operations that reduced congestion and improved training efficiency. The auxiliary fields provided essential practice areas where pilots could perfect their techniques in simulated wartime conditions, including low-level attack runs and instrument navigation.

Below is the former site of the Hereford Army Airfield off 3 Canyons Rd in Hereford. The site is now developed with housing. On the right, the main taxiway ran north to south with a main entrance from Palominas Rd.

Remnants of Forrest Airfield can be seen crossing the agricultural area, next to the current Cochise College Douglas Campus.

The McNeal Auxiliary Field off W. Davis Road in McNeal

At its peak, Douglas Army Airfield was a bustling hub of military activity. It hosted thousands of personnel, including pilots, navigators, and ground crews who worked around the clock to ensure the success of the training missions. The B-25 training program played a pivotal role in preparing crews for deployment to the Pacific and European theaters, where the aircraft would be used in bombing raids against enemy positions.

With the conclusion of World War II in 1945, many military airfields were deemed surplus to requirements and decommissioned. Douglas Army Airfield was among those facilities no longer needed by the military. In the late 1940s, the federal government turned over the airfield to the local government, paving the way for its transition into a civilian airport.

Today, the former Douglas Army Airfield is known as Douglas Bisbee International Airport. While no longer serving as a military installation, the airport continues to be an important regional asset, supporting general aviation, emergency services, and business-related air traffic.

Learn more about the history of aviation in Cochise County at the Douglas Border Air Museum.

520-417-7354

Map