UXO Site selected: Buckley Field (Lowry Bombing Range), COPueblo Air-to-Ground Gunnery Range, CO |
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General Area: Arapahoe, COLa Junta, CO Site Type/Program: FUDSFUDS Location: The Former Buckley Field, also known as the Former Lowry Bombing and Gunnery Range, is located approximately 20 miles to the southeast of Denver, Colorado, in Arapahoe County. Prior to DoD use, the area was used for cattle grazing. Currently, the site is still mostly used for cattle grazing with some wheat farming done. The City of Aurora operates a recreational facility at Aurora Reservoir on the west end of the site. A few residences and small businesses are widely scattered.The former Pueblo Air-to-Ground Gunnery Range is located approximately 25 miles southwest of La Junta, Colorado in Otero County. The site consisted of 23,006.48 acres. The site is gently rolling grassland and is used for cattle grazing. The surrounding area is also used for grazing. Brief History: The bombing range was used in World War II for bombing practice with both practice and high explosive bombs. Targets included both fixed and flexible gunnery targets. After WWII, the Air Force continued to use the bombing range and added a demolition area at the west end of the range. It is uncertain exactly when targets were added or changed, but Flexible Target #5 became Bombing Target #6 and a rocket and gunnery target was added just south of Camp #2. A portion of the range was also used for training during the Vietnam War. There may be unidentified target areas remaining on the site. The site was declared excess to the Federal Government in the 1960's and the final portion of land was transferred to private ownership in the 1980's.The Pueblo Air-to-Ground Gunnery Range was one of a series of ranges used by Pueblo Army Air Base and Army Air Forces stations, such as the nearby La Junta Army Air Field. Primarily, the gunnery range provided a location for the bomber crews from B-17, B-24, B-25, and B-29 bombers to practice air-to-ground gunnery using .50 caliber machine guns. Construction of the gunnery range began in 1942. In 1943, bomber training groups went through a three phase training program. The third phase emphasized long distance missions, tactical problems, intense precision bombing practice from all altitudes and high altitude gunnery. Because the training program specified firing from every gun position on nearly all daylight flights, the air-to-ground gunnery targets received very intensive use. By May 30, 1943, the Second Air Force planned to use its air-to-ground gunnery ranges for minimum altitude training, also known as skip-bombing training. In March 1944, in the second phase of training for bombardiers in the Combat Crew Training School at Pueblo Army Air Base, bomber crews devoted their training to bombing, gunnery, formation navigation, crew coordination, and completing most of the AAF requirements for combat crew training. Bomber crews made bombing runs on a flight pattern using PB-7 as a target. Target PB-7 is located in the southern part of the gunnery range. Beginning July 1, 1944, Headquarters Second Air Force assigned temporary joint use of the gunnery Range to Walker AAF, Pratt AAF, Great Bend AAF, and Smoky Hill AAF, all in Kansas. At the end of July 1945, Headquarters Second Air Force assigned the use and maintenance of the gunnery range exclusively to La Junta AAF. On November 6, 1945, Headquarters Second Air Force notified the Commanding Officer of Pueblo AAB that all ranges assigned to Pueblo were no longer required for training purposes and could be declared surplus to the needs of the command. |
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Range / Site Description: Associated Munitions: Unknown Activities Completed: In 1996, a Time Critical Removal Action (TCRA) was conducted on the former Jeep and Demolition Range on the western portion of the site. The TCRA involved erecting a fence around a 35 acres former Explosive Demolition Range and surface clearing the surrounding 175 acres. An Engineering Evaluation and Cost Analysis is on going. The EE/CA for the site is divided in to 4 Zones. Field work for aerial mapping of the site was completed in February 1997. This summer will be spent collecting field data.Unknown Issues: The extent of the Ordnance remaining on site is unknown. There are also concerns that numerous unidentified targets exist.Unknown Other Information: TCRA, EE/CAUnknown |
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