[3] The Department of Defense (DOD) has owned the Bolling grounds since 1917, when the tract of land was scouted by William C. Ocker at the direction of General Billy Mitchell.

Colonel Bolling was the Assistant Chief of the Air Service, and was killed in action near Amiens, France, on 26 March 1918 while defending himself and his driver, Private Paul L. Holder, from German soldiers.

[4] Bolling AFB has served as a research and testing ground for new aviation equipment and its first mission provided aerial defense of the capital.

On 15 July 1994, AFDW was inactivated, but was reactivated 5 January 2005 to "provide a single voice for Air Force requirements in the National Capital Region" according to the base's website.

[4] Between 19 and 23 December 2000, representatives from the Israeli government and Palestinian Authority convened at Bolling to negotiate a final-status agreement to end the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.