Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Question: What branch of the military originally built Vandenberg Space Force Base as a training base during World War II?

Answer: The U.S. Army. The Army began developing Camp Cooke as a tank-training base in 1941, named after cavalry officer Philip St. George Cooke. During WWII, Camp Cooke trained Army tank, infantry, and artillery units before they headed into combat. The Air Force took over in 1957 and renamed it Vandenberg Air Force Base in 1958 after Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg.