Goodfellow Air Force Base

Goodfellow Air Force Base is a non-flying United States Air Force installation located in San Angelo, Texas. Established on August 17, 1940, its construction began that year, and it was ready for occupancy by January 1941. The base was officially renamed Goodfellow Field on June 11, 1941, in honor of World War I aviator First Lieutenant John J. Goodfellow Jr. During World War II, it served as a basic flying school, graduating over 10,000 trained pilots. Pilot training continued after the war, primarily for multi-engine aircraft, until September 1958, when the base graduated its last class of pilots due to runway length requirements for new training aircraft. Goodfellow's 5500-ft primary runways were permanently closed in March 1975.

Following the cessation of pilot training, Goodfellow's mission shifted to cryptologic and intelligence training. It transferred to the U.S. Air Force Security Service (USAFSS) in 1958, focusing on advanced cryptologic skills for Air Force personnel. In 1966, this mission expanded to include joint-service training for U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps personnel. In 1985, Goodfellow was designated a technical training center, consolidating all Air Force-managed intelligence training, including imagery training from Offutt AFB, electronic intelligence operations training from Keesler AFB, and targeting, intelligence applications, and general intelligence training from Lowry AFB. The base is currently operated by the U.S. Air Force under the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). Its main unit is the 17th Training Wing, which serves as the host wing. Goodfellow's primary mission is cryptologic and intelligence training for the Air Force, Space Force, Army, Coast Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps. It also trains military firefighters as part of the 312th Training Squadron at the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy. Other units stationed there include the 111th Military Intelligence Brigade, the 344th Military Intelligence Battalion, a Fire-fighter Detachment of the 169th Engineer Battalion, a Marine Corps Detachment, the Naval Education and Training Command's Center for Information Warfare Training, and the Space Training and Readiness Command's 533d Training Squadron and its Detachment 1. The base features two dining facilities, two gymnasiums, two swimming pools, a bowling alley, a movie theater, a base library, and a lakeside recreation center.