On 10 February 1942, the United States district engineer (Colonel E. G. Thomas) recommended a "5,450-acre dry farming area in Kearns" for an inland Army training site.

[1] For one of "the eight new technical training installations rushed into operation" during 1942-3, a Kearns, Utah "plot of 1,405 acres was purchased".

[2]: 110  The Kearns Center military unit was activated (designated) 1 May 1942,[3] and "a contract for a theater of operations cantonment was let" on 16 June 1942.

[1] A "Denver and Rio Grande Western" spur was built to the installation's railroad station, and by 21 August all barracks were complete.

[1] "Upon completion of their basic training most of the pre-aviation cadets [were] sent to one of the many college operated [flight schools] under the supervision of the Army Air Corp." [sic].

The base transferred to Second Air Force on 1 October 1943,[citation needed] and the bomb groups all were reassigned by the end of 1943 (e.g., the 461st to Wendover Field).

[3] The base (including Kearns AAF) was inactivated on 15 August 1946 and transferred to the War Assets Administration for disposal.