The Air Force, which became a separate service on two months before, initiated a re-organization program that decentralized operations and provided for easier and quicker mobility of tactical units.

That day, the 502 ABW inactivated once again and the 42d Air Base Wing took over installation support for Maxwell and Gunter.

On 9 November 2005, President George W. Bush endorsed the recommendations of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission and signed them into law.

Joint basing involved a single entity that managed the support functions of two or more adjacent DoD installations.

The commission felt that combined support functions eliminated duplicated efforts and created a single efficient organization.

Because of its central location in San Antonio and Bexar County, Texas, the Air Force activated the wing at Fort Sam Houston.

At Fort Sam Houston, the wing assumed IOC on 30 April 2010 when the 502d Mission Support Group (502 MSG) activated.

The U.S. Army Garrison at Fort Sam Houston remained active alongside the 502 MSG until JBSA achieved Full Operational Capability (FOC) on 1 October 2010.

While all three installations and Camp Bullis (supported by Fort Sam Houston) make up JBSA, none share a fence line, and each maintains its historical identity.