During World War II, Connecticut was a major United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) training center for pilots and aircrews. The USAAF established Six major airfields under the command of First Air Force, headquartered at Mitchel Army Airfield, New York between 1942 and 1945. The mission of these bases primarily was wartime training of aircrews by Army Air Forces Training Command (A precursor to the current-day USAF Air Education and Training Command).