Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, provides 81/2 weeks of basic training for all men and women who enlist in the United States Air Force. The base also provides training in security, law enforcement, and in other specialized and technical areas.
Lackland Air Force Base covers about 9,600 acres (3,900 hectares) southwest of San Antonio. It began in 1941 as a World War II (1939-1945) officer training school at Kelly Field (later renamed Kelly Air Force Base). The school was separated from Kelly Field in 1942. Lackland has offered basic training since 1946. The base is named for Brigadier General Frank D. Lackland, who commanded the flying school at Kelly Field during World War II. In 2001, Lackland Air Force Base took responsibility for the airfield operations of Kelly Air Force Base when that base closed. In 2010, Lackland Air Force Base—along with Fort Sam Houston and Randolph Air Force Base—became part of Joint Base San Antonio.
