Established in 1942, the airfield served as a training base for medium-range C-46 Commando and C-47 Skytrain troop carrier planes and glider pilots.

Reactivated during the Cold War, it was used as an Air Force Reserve training base for troop carrier, tactical airlift, and special operations flying units.

[4] Captain Stratton Hammon, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, supervised the construction, which began on 13 August 1942.

[5][6] Structures included barracks, mess halls, a post exchange (PX), recreation and administration buildings, airplane hangars, repair facilities, and warehouses.

Most of the one-story, temporary buildings were constructed of fiberboard materials over a wooden frame, tarpaper, and non-masonry siding.

[8][9] In order to finish base on time, Captain Hammon needed a railroad spur to transport ten carloads of cement per day to the construction site.

[10] Established as a U.S. Army Air Forces installation during World War II, the first large contingent of military personnel arrived at the new airfield in February 1943.

[8][14] By late summer 1943, most of I Troop Carrier command's transport and glider training was being phased down at Atterbury.

The unit flew B-26 Marauders from Atterbury until early 1944, when it moved to Hunter Field, Georgia, prior to their overseas deployment and reassignment to the Ninth Air Force at RAF Gosfield (AAF-154), England.

Throughout World War II, continued pressure from African-American civilian leaders led the U.S. Army to begin training blacks airmen as members of bomber crews, a step that opened many more skilled combat roles to them.

After the departure of the 477th, most facilities at Atterbury were vacant; however it continued to operate as a communications site until December 1945, when it was closed and turned over to the War Assets Administration for disposal.

Initially, it served as a summer training headquarters for two-week active duty tours of 5,000 to 10,000 Air Force Reservists from thirteen north-central states, as well as a maintenance center.

The Indianapolis-based 434th Troop Carrier Group, Medium, moved to Atterbury on 1 July 1949, and was assigned as the wing's operational component.

Bakalar, a Hammond, Indiana, native was killed in action 1 September 1944, over France when his P-51D-5 Mustang (AAF Ser.

The 2466th Air Force Reserve Combat Training Center was inactivated on 1 July 1959, due to budget reductions, and its mission was folded into the 434th's.

The wing's C-119 squadrons began transporting supplies, equipment and U.S. Army personnel to Homestead Air Force Base, Florida.

The 73d Troop Carrier Squadron was deployed to Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, from which it operated from during the crisis.

[16][21] On 1 October 1966, the 932d TCG was released from its assignment to the 434th TCW and reassigned to the 442d Military Airlift Wing at Richards-Gebaur AFB, Missouri, in preparation for heavy cargo operations.

[16][18] On 13 May 1968, the 930th Tactical Airlift Group was activated for combat duty in the Vietnam War, and the 71st TAS's C-119 aircraft were selected for modification to the AC-119G gunship configuration.

The group went through a number of changes over the years, but remains active as the 931st Air Refueling Wing at McConnell AFB, Kansas.

[22] Some of its original World War II-era USAAF and Cold War-era USAF buildings remain in use at the facility.

In addition, the Atterbury/Bakalar Air Museum on the grounds of the municipal airport is "dedicated to the memory of all military and civilian personnel who served there.

The Atterbury Army Airfield's chapel was restored and named in honor of Women Airfare Service Pilot (WASP) Jean Lewellen Norbeck.