Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field is located approximately 65 miles southwest of Luke Air Force Base, and approximately four miles south of the town of Gila Bend. The airfield encompasses 1,885 acres of land, east of Highway 85. GBAFAF includes an 8,500-foot runway for fixed-wing aircraft and a heliport that can host six aircraft.
Prior to 1994, GBAFAF was a self-sustaining active duty military base with residential, commercial, and community support facilities, in addition to the operational facilities of the airfield. The airfield was operated by military, civilian, and contract personnel in support of the Barry M. Goldwater Range East. In October 1994, the Air Force closed most of the facility, removed all active military personnel, and transferred the management and maintenance of the facility to civilian contractors. Today, its primary mission is the same as when it was an active duty base; to support users of the BMGR, and serve as a hub for range maintenance activities. Military aircraft routinely use GBAFAF for practicing traffic patterns and emergency simulated engine flameout procedures. The airfield is also used for emergency and precautionary recoveries of military aircraft when the aircraft is unable to make it to their home station. Another use the base sees, is for various readiness and deployment exercises, to include Agile Combat Employment or ACE. GBAFAF is utilized by most all branches of the US military and even some foreign military. It is essential when it comes to maintaining our nation’s national defense and the 1.08 million acres of the BMGR.