Following the war, many bases and auxiliary fields were given to local governments or returned to service as municipal airports.

Often, budget constraints caused the new owners to close or even remove the "extra" runways, retaining only those that faced into the prevailing winds.

In at least one case (Orland), large portions of a landing mat were removed, leaving a conventional runway and ramp.

A number of fields were simply abandoned, due to their remote locations, and the remains of these can still be found, especially in the Mojave Desert.

Santa Ana AAB provided basic indoctrination training to new enlisted personnel and also pilot qualification screening for prospective air cadets.

Provided aircraft modification prior to overseas deployment and also depot-level repair and maintenance services.

[1] This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency