Through the joint efforts of the City Commission and the Federal Government, a Service Center opened in Gainesville July 1943 for dances and other recreation for the soldiers.

The Air University training mission ended in late June 1944, when Alachua was officially reassigned to III Fighter Command.

Air Commando units were formed to be part of the invasion force to operate from captured Japanese airfields behind the main battle lines in India.

In each case the pattern had been the same: spot open spaces from the air, send in glider-borne engineers and equipment to hack an airstrip from the brush, and within a matter of hours, fly in troops to harass the enemy and his lines of communication with P-51 Mustang fighter and B-25 medium bomber units.

The 3d Air Commando Group arrived for training in late June 1944 after being formed and organized at Drew and Lakeland Army Airfield.

The number of personnel were reduced, being reassigned to other bases, and with the end of the European War, in mid-May 1945 orders were received from Third Air Force that Alachua Army Airfield would be closed.