Former Brooks Air Force Base Brooks Air Force Base, Texas, previously named Gosport Field, Kelly Field No. 5 and Brooks Field, was established in 1917 shortly after the United States entered World War I and served primarily as a flying base during World Wars I and II. During the Korean War, Brooks became a reserve training center and later a research center focusing on aerospace medical research. The Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, dedicated by President John F. Kennedy in 1963, contributed greatly to the advancement of the United States space program. Later renamed Brooks City-Base in 2002, the base was recommended for closure by the Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission in 2005. Brooks City-Base was officially closed September 15, 2011. Today Brooks is one of 40 former installations managed by the Air Force Civil Engineer Center in San Antonio, Texas. Environmental Activities AFCEC continues to work closely with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to ensure environmental cleanup activities satisfy all regulatory standards while protecting human health and the environment. AFCEC's investment in BRAC environmental actions at the former installation include cleaning up soil and groundwater petroleum contamination, removing asbestos containing materials from facilities and extensively sampling to ensure cleanup actions are successful. Property Transfer AFCEC achieved Whole Base Transfer in 2011. The Brooks Development Authority, local redevelopment authority for the property, has transformed the former base into a master planned community with mixed-use developments. The space includes over 400,000 square feet of commercial, industrial and retail businesses as well as affordable housing for area residents. The former base also includes a state-of-the-art hospital that opened in 2011. Path Forward The Air Force and its partners will continue to work together to complete environmental cleanup for the benefit of the community.