Editing Vandenberg Space Force Base (section)

==== Camp Cooke (1941–1953) ====
{{Distinguish|Camp Cooke (Montana)}}

In 1941, just before the United States entered World War II, the [[United States Army]] embarked on an initiative to acquire lands in the United States to be used to train infantry and armored forces. These areas needed to be of a varied nature to ensure relevant training. In March 1941, the Army identified approximately {{cvt|86000|acre}} of open ranch lands along the [[Central Coast of California]] between [[Lompoc]] and [[Santa Maria, California|Santa Maria]]. With its flat plateau, surrounding hills, numerous canyons, and relative remoteness from populated areas, the Army was convinced this portion of the [[Gaviota Coast]] was an ideal training location. The government purchased most of the land, however, some smaller parcels were obtained either by lease, license, or as easements.<ref name="vafbhistory">{{Source-attribution|sentence=yes|{{cite web|url=https://www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil/?fsID=4606&page=1|title=Vandenberg AFB history office fact sheet |publisher=Vandenberg.af.mil |access-date=31 March 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927080357/http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet_print.asp?fsID=4606&page=1 |archive-date=27 September 2011}} }}</ref> The land was previously part of six ranchos: [[Rancho Casmalia|Casmalia]], [[Rancho Guadalupe|Guadalupe]], [[Rancho Ex-Mission la Purísima|Mission de la Purisima]], [[Rancho Lompoc]] and [[Rancho Todos Santos y San Antonio]], and [[Rancho Jesús María|Jesús María]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://syvnews.com/lifestyles/judith-dale-vandenberg-air-force-base-into-the-future-a-look-at-the-past/article_0966b404-cb4c-5f73-96d9-9aba7b5f3b30.html | title=Judith Dale: Vandenberg Air Force Base – into the future, a look at the past | date=22 August 2020 }}</ref>

Construction of the Army camp began in September 1941. Although unfinished, the camp was activated on the 5th of October and was named '''Camp Cooke''' in honor of [[Philip St. George Cooke|Phillip St. George Cooke]], a cavalry officer with a distinguished career spanning the [[Mexican–American War|Mexican War]], [[Indian Wars]], the [[American Civil War|Civil War]].<ref name="vafbhistory" />

Troop training didn't wait for construction to finish. The [[5th Armored Division (United States)|5th Armored Division]] was the first to arrive in February and March 1942. Throughout the war, Camp Cooke served as a training ground for numerous armored and infantry divisions  before their deployment overseas. Additionally, anti-aircraft artillery, combat engineer, ordnance, and hospital units trained at Cooke. In total, over 400 groups passed through the camp.<ref name="vafbhistory" />

As the war progressed, Camp Cooke was used to house German and Italian [[Prisoner of war|prisoners of war]]. Following the [[Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War|Geneva Convention]], the groups were kept separate and assigned various jobs within the camp, including construction, clerical work, food service, and laundry. To address wartime labor shortages, German prisoners also participated in agricultural work in nearby communities.<ref name="vafbhistory" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=20 May 2006 |title=Camp Cooke |url=http://home.arcor.de/kriegsgefangene/usa/camps_usa/cooke.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060520185543/http://home.arcor.de/kriegsgefangene/usa/camps_usa/cooke.html |archive-date=20 May 2006 |access-date=1 November 2019}}</ref>

After the war's conclusion in 1946, Camp Cooke became home to a maximum-security [[military prison]], while most of the land was largely leased for agriculture and grazing. From 1950 to 1953, Camp Cooke served again as a training ground for units heading to the [[Korean War]]. In 1953, the camp was inactivated, and the military prison became a [[Federal Bureau of Prisons|federal prison]] for civilians, now known as the [[United States Penitentiary, Lompoc]].<ref name="vafbhistory" />

The final remaining buildings from Camp Cooke were demolished in 2010.<ref name="vafbhistory" />