Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, CO

Buckley Air Force Base, located in sunny Aurora, Colorado, aides all branches of the US Government. The base was established in 1942 and now serves more than 92,000 active duty, National Guard, Reserve and retired military personnel. It was named after 1Lt. John Harold “Buck” Buckley who died in service when his plane crashed with another during Argonne Offensive. Buck was from Longmont, Colorado, not far from Aurora.

History

Buckley Field was purchased in 1942 by the city of Denver. It covered 5,740 acres and it was originally donated to the War Department as an auxiliary landing field during WWII. As time wore on  and the US got more involved in the war effort, the Army Air Corps Technical School was built on the field to train 55,000 additional troops a year. Opening on July 1st, 1942, Buckley AFB taught B-17 and B-24 bombardier and armorer skills.

World World II

In 1946 after WWII Buckley Field became an auxiliary field for Lowry Air Force Base. Colorado Air National Guard (COANG) took over the site in December 1946 to train service members. In 1947 Buckley Field was renamed Naval Air Station- Denver (NAS-D) and taken over by the department of the Navy. In 1960 Air National Guard controlled Buckley for the next 30 years. In 2000 the Air Force took control of what is today, Buckley Air Force Base.

Airman and Family Readiness Center

The Airman and Family Readiness Center is available to serve airmen and their families. The center includes: career support, education, referral, and general information/family services. The program has family readiness support with these helpful resources:

• Bundles for Babies: Workshop to prepare parents for the financial responsibilities of having children. Free  SWAG for attending.
• Give Parents a Break: 1 free babysitting session at Crested Butte CDC
• Heart and Link: For spouses to get acclimated to military life
• Heart Apart: Support for spouses and families when family members are deployed

Call 720-847-6618 For Family Services, Building 606 room 140

Child Care

Family Child Care Coordinator: 720-847-7211

Housing

Service members without families and Senior Airmen or lower ranking with less than 3 years of experience must live in unaccompanied housing. Service members with higher ranking/ families can choose to live on or off base. Buckley AFB Housing can be reached at 720-847-5815.

For off-base housing, contact Housing Referral Office at 720-847-5815 Monday-Friday 6am-3pm

For on-base housing, you must complete forms  DD form 1746, AF Form 4422, Privacy Act Statement. You will need to email the forms to [email protected] or call 720-847-6703 for more information.

Privatized on Base Housing is also available at Buckley AFB. Call 303-340-2066 for more information.

Fun Things to do in the Area

Buckley Air Force Base is located in a wonderful area. Denver is only a 30 minute drive and if you continue west you will hit the Rocky Mountain Range and the Flat Irons in Boulder. With over three hundred days of sun each year it is hard not to spend your time outside. There are many beautiful hikes in the area are:

• North (and South) Table Mountain located in Golden, CO
• Chautauqua Park in Boulder, CO
• Three Sisters in Evergreen, CO

Dever is also known for its breakfasts. Here are a few top places check out:

• Lucile's Creole Cafe
• The Universal
• Denver Biscuit Company