Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs was established in 1942 as a photo reconnaissance training facility. The mission was changed a year later to heavy bomber combat crew training, utilizing the B-24 Liberator. The next year the 72d Fighter Wing employed P-40 Warhawks in fighter pilot training, and the year after that the Army Air Force Instructors School was established.

After the end of World War II, the history of Peterson continued to evince changes on a fairly constant basis. In the late 70s, aerospace defense became the primary mission. Despite more changes in names and personnel, aerospace is still Peterson's mission, and the host unit is the 21st Space Wing.

The 21st Space Wing

The 21st Space Wing is the only unit in the Air Force that can provide worldwide missile warning and space control to allied commanders and combat forces. The 21st Space Wing is also one of the Air Force's largest units. Thirty squadrons of personnel from the 21st are found at 22 locations in 8 countries, crossing 14 time zones.

The 21st Space Wing is our eye in the sky. Their primary mission is to provide early warning of ballistic missile attacks and foreign space launches. In addition, they are responsible for keeping track of manmade objects in space. There are more than 9,500 such objects for the 21st to detect, track and catalog, including objects more than 22,000 miles above the earth.