Editing Pyote Air Force Base (section)

{{Short description|Former World War II US Army Air Forces training airbase}}
{{morefootnotes|date=January 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox military installation
| name=Pyote Air Force Base
| ensign=[[File:US Army Air Corps Hap Arnold Wings.svg|50px]]<br>{{smaller|Pyote Air Force Station}}<br>{{smaller|Pyote Army Air Field}}
| partof= 
| location= [[Ward County, Texas|Ward County]], near [[Pyote, Texas]]
| image= Pyote Air Force Base TX 2006 USGS.jpg
| image_size = 300px
| caption=  2006 USGS airphoto
| pushpin_map= Texas
| pushpin_label=Pyote AFB
| pushpin_mark=Airplane_silhouette.svg
| pushpin_mapsize=300
| coordinates={{Coord|31|30|40.00|N|103|08|30.00|W|type:airport|display=inline,title}}
| type=Army Air Field<br />Air Force Base
| code= ADC TM-186
| ownership= 
| controlledby= 
| condition= 
| built=1942
| builder= 
| used= 1942-1954 (1966 Non Flying Use)
| materials= 
| demolished= 
| battles= 
| events= 
| past_commanders= 
| garrison= 
| occupants= 
}}

[[File:Tarmac of Pyote AAF, Texas, about 1944.jpg|thumb|Flightline of Pyote AAF about 1944/45. Notice the mix of B-17 and B-29 aircraft. The walls of the large hangar in the lower left of the photo are the only standing structure left at Pyote today. This photo is not Pyote.  It is Walker, Kansas.]]
'''Pyote Air Force Base''' was a [[World War II]] [[United States Army Air Forces]] training airbase. It was on {{convert|2745|acre|ha|0}} a mile from the town of [[Pyote, Texas]], on [[U.S. Highway 80]], 20 miles west of [[Monahans, Texas|Monahans]],` {{convert|230|mi|km|-1}} east of [[El Paso, Texas|El Paso]].
[[File:Rattlesnake Bomber Base.jpg|thumb|Tribute to the first squadrons who trained at Rattlesnake Bomber Base]]
[[File:Rattlesnake Bomber Base Historical Marker.jpg|thumb|Texas Historical Marker]]
It was nicknamed "Rattlesnake Bomber Base" for the numerous [[rattlesnake]] dens that were uncovered during its construction.

At the height of its use in 1944, the base had over 6,000 officers and enlisted men, either permanently assigned or temporarily attached. In addition,  hundreds of civilians came from all over the United States to work on the base.

After World War II, thousands of reserve aircraft were stored there, one of which was the [[B-29]] ''[[Enola Gay]]''.

Today, most of the base is gone.  Other than the concrete runways, taxiways, and ramp, virtually nothing remains that would tell the casual observer that this was once a major training center responsible for turning out highly trained flying crews. In later years, the [[West Texas State School]] was situated on the site; it was closed in 2010. Located on I-20 at exit 66.