Космическая база Ба́кли в Колора́до

US Space Force base in Aurora, Colorado

Buckley Space Force Base is a United States Space Force base in Aurora, Colorado named after United States Army Air Service First Lieutenant John Harold Buckley. The base is run by Space Base Delta 2, with major units including the U. S. Space Force's Space Delta 4 (flies the Defense Support Program and Space Based Infrared System constellations from Buckley SFB and commands the Space Force's missile warning forces), the Colorado Air National Guard's 140th Wing (flies the F 16C Fighting Falcon), the Denver Naval Operations Support Center, and the National Reconnaissance Office's Aerospace Data Facility Colorado. Buckley was established in 1938 by the United States Army Air Corps as Demolition Bombing Range–Lowry Auxiliary Field, before being renamed Buckley Field in 1941, serving as a training base. In 1947, it became Naval Air Station Denver, serving as a reserve air station for the U. S. Navy. In 1961 it became Buckley Air National Guard Base, and had its first space mission in 1969. In 2000, it became Buckley Air Force Base under Air Force Space Command, before assuming its current name of Buckley Space Force Base in 2021.

In 1938, the city of Denver purchased a 100 square mile area of land several miles east of the city and donated it to the United States War Department. The United States Army Air Corps used the Demolition Bombing Range–Lowry Auxiliary Field, or Lowry II, as a bombing range, auxiliary landing field, and ammunition depot to support operations from its training sites at Lowry Field. On 14 June 1941, the United States Army Air Forces renamed the base Buckley Field in honor of United States Army Air Service First Lieutenant John Harold Buckley, a World War I pilot from Longmont, Colorado, who flew with the 28th Aero Squadron and was killed in a mid air collision on 27 September 1918 during the Meuse–Argonne offensive. Prior to the United States' entry into World War II, the War Department assigned Buckley Field as an Army Air Corps Technical School to train an additional 55,000 airmen per year in anticipation of its entry into the conflict on the side of the Allies. Under the command of the 336th Headquarters and Air Base Squadron (Army Air Forces Technical Training Command), later the 3702d Army Air Force Base Unit, construction on the base began in May 1942, resulting in the construction of over 700 buildings. The Technical Training School opened on 1 July 1942, training aircraft fighter armorers, while the nearby technical training school at Lowry Field trained aircraft bomber armorers. In 1943, Buckely Field expanded to include basic training for enlisted personnel and aviation cadets, chemical warfare, and arctic survival training for Air Transport Command's Alaskan Wing. The arctic survival school conducted classroom training at Buckley and field training at Echo Lake, near the summit of Mount Blue Sky. Technical training at the base was under the jurisdiction of the Western Technical Training Command. Following the end of World War II in 1945, Buckley Field fell into disuse and in June 1946, the Army Air Forces Technical Training Command announced that the base would become inactive. In December 1946, the Colorado Air National Guard began to set up operations at the base. The Colorado Air National Guard remained at the site, with its 86th Fighter Wing continuing flying operations. The 120th Fighter Squadron first flew the North American F 51 Mustang, before transitioning to the Lockheed F 80 Shooting Star in 1953. On 31 October 1950, the 86th Fighter Wing was inactivated, transitioning responsibility for Air National Guard operations to the 140th Fighter Wing. The 140th Fighter Wing was redesignated several times, becoming the 140th Fighter–Bomber Wing in 1951, 140th Fighter–Interceptor Wing in 1955, and the 140th Air Defense Wing in 1957. The 140th Fighter–Bomber Wing briefly deployed to fly in the Korean War. In November 1953, the 140th Fighter–Bomber Wing activated the Minute Men Air National Guard demonstration team, originally flying F 80 Shooting Stars, but later transitioning to the North American F 86 Sabre. The 140th Air Defense Wing assumed responsibilities for the base. In 1961 the 140th Air Defense Wing became the 140th Tactical Fighter Wing, transitioning from the F 86 Sabre to the North American F 100 Super Sabre. In July 1966, Lowry Air Force Base was forced to cease all flying operations, resulting in Buckley Air National Guard Base the lone military airfield in the Denver area. Starting in July 1961, Buckley Air National Guard Base provided support for the 451st Strategic Missile Wing's HGM 25A Titan I intercontinental ballistic missiles at Lowry Air Force Base. The replacement of the Titan I with the LGM 25C Titan II and LGM 30 Minuteman resulted in the deactivation of the Titan I silos in 1965. In April 1968, the 14th Tactical Fighter Wing became the first Air National Guard unit to be sent to a combat zone since World War II, deploying to Phan Rang Air Base through April 1969 as part of the Vietnam War. On 4 June 2021 the Buckley Air Force Base was renamed Buckley Space Force Base.

As a United States Space Force base, the preponderance of the units at Buckley are from the service.

The Air Reserve Personnel Center (ARPC) is a major command direct reporting unit to Air Force Reserve Command and provides support to both the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard. It consists of four directorates: the Directorate of Assignments (DPA), which facilities Air Force reserve developmental boards, the Directorate of Total Force Services (DPT), which processes retirements, evaluations, awards and decorations, and DD 214s, the Directorate of Future Operations and Integration (DPX) which is responsible for the internal communication systems that enable technicians to process personnel actions, and the Promotion Board Secretariat which conducts officer promotion boards.

The National Reconnaissance Office's Aerospace Data Facility Colorado (ADF–C) is a multi mission ground station responsible for supporting worldwide defense operations and multi agency collection, analysis, reporting, and dissemination of intelligence information. It provides data to defense, intelligence, and civil agencies supporting the U. S. Government and its Allies.

Joint Force Headquarters Colorado (JFHQ CO) is commanded by the Adjutant General of Colorado and consists of the Director of Joint Staff, Ground Forces Component Commander, Air Forces Component Commander, Space Forces Component Command, and commands and controls the Colorado Army National Guard, Colorado Air National Guard, and any other assigned forces. JFHQ CO provides trained and equipped forces to accomplish federal and state missions, and on the order of the president of the United States or governor of Colorado, executes assigned missions and provides support and/or command and control for other forces, such as DoD elements and agencies.

The United States Coast Guard Cryptologic Unit Colorado (CGCU Colorado) was commissioned at Buckley Space Force Base on 3 October 2007 and conduct technical training and analysis of the maritime domain in support of tactical and operational fleet commands, the Coast Guard Intelligence enterprise, and combatant commanders. In conjunction with their daily analytical duties, members of the unit simultaneously develop, train and refine their cryptologic skills to support future afloat operations in the Coast Guard.