The facility was acquired in June 1942 by the War Department, and site preparation commenced, along with the construction of streets and drainage culverts.

The planned base consisted of administrative buildings, classrooms, barracks, hangars, mess halls, and various recreation facilities.

Construction of the new base took about a year to complete, and the first class of students for navigator training began in June 1943.

A civilian contractor trained pilots for fixed wing aircraft until the summer of 1959, and the base was essentially closed in 1963.

On 20 November 1964, President Johnson announced that the abandoned Camp Gary would be used as a Job Corps facility.