England Industrial Airpark and Community, located northwest of Alexandria, Louisiana, traces its beginnings back to 1939, when it served as an emergency airstrip for Esler Field, the regional airport serving the Central Louisiana area. However, as the possibility of war in Europe increased, the Army Air Corps leased the facility from the City of Alexandria. The airfield was named Alexandria Army Air Base. Early in 1946, the base was placed in a standby status eventually being turned over to the City of Alexandria for use as a municipal airport. With the outbreak of hostilities in Korea, the base was reactivated as Alexandria Air Force Base in 1950. In June 1955, the base was officially named England Air Force Base in honor of Lt. Col. John B. England, who had been commander of the 389th Bomber Squadron at the base. The facility was once again closed by the Department of Defense on December 15, 1992, and began its transition to civilian reuse as England Industrial Airpark and Community.