Buckley SFB

Buckley Space Force Base's host unit, Space Base Delta 2, falls under the direction of the United States Space Force.

SBD 2 is responsible for day-to-day support to the global missile warning and tracking mission of Mission Delta 4. Buckley SFB and Mission Delta 4 directly support combatant commands across the globe.

Buckley SFB is home to 117 tenant units including Mission Delta 4, the 140th Wing, the Army National Guard Colorado, the Navy Reserve Center Denver, the Aerospace Data Facility-Colorado and the Air Reserve Personnel Center. These are also known as the "Big Six" mission partners at Buckley.

Although not an official joint base, Buckley Space Force Base truly represents a total force, coalition base. Personnel include active-duty service members from every service branch, National Guard and reservists, commonwealth international partners, War Department civilians, contractors and a community of over 96,000 retirees, veterans and dependents. The base contributes over $2.441 billion annually to the local economy.

What is now Buckley Space Force Base started as Buckley Field, named for 1st Lt. John Harold Buckley, a World War One fighter pilot killed in combat on a strafing mission behind enemy lines on the Western Front in France. The city of Denver purchased the land and donated it to the Army in the early years of World War Two. The Army quickly established a large US Army Air Force Base, training over fifty thousand airmen through basic, and housing a technical training center for bombardier and armorer roles.

After World War II, Buckley became an auxiliary field for Lowry AFB, an Air National Guard Field, and then a Navy Air Station all in the space of three years. Buckley was renamed Naval Air Station Denver until the base was transferred to the US Air Force in 1959, when it became Buckley Air Force Base for a year, before becoming Buckley Air National Guard Base - the first stand-alone Air National Guard Base, home of the 120th Tactical Fighter Squadron. The 120th mobilized for operations for the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, and Operations Desert Storm, Northern Watch, and Iraqi Freedom.

Buckley returned to Air Force service in 2000 and witnessed a wave of modernization in commissary, dormitory, and housing facilities, as well as a base exchange and an expansion of mission facilities. Buckley became the base for the 460th Space Wing (previously the 460th Air Base Wing) in 2004, and for the next 16 years continued to host the Colorado Air National Guard while supporting more than 90 base partners located both on-base and in the local community. The 460th Space Wing was deactivated in July 2020, and in its place, Buckley Garrison was activated as a unit of the newly established United States Space Force. The Garrison provided installation support functions for the resident air operations, space-based missile warning capabilities, space surveillance operations, and space communications missions. 

Most recently, and during a historical U.S. Space Force ceremony, the Department of the Air Force renamed Buckley Air Force Base to Buckley Space Force Base on June 4, 2021.  The name change does not bespeak a change in Buckley’s mission, but rather signifies a realignment of our installation under the Space Force.  It also highlights the multi-faceted mission of the base and tenant units across multiple domains – Air, Space, Cyberspace, Land, and Sea.  The total-force integrated team is integral to the success of the missile warning mission along with the success of Team Buckley.

Buckley Space Force Base is located in Aurora, Colorado. Aurora is a home rule municipality located across the three counties of Arapahoe, Adams and Douglas. The estimated population of Aurora in 2025 was 414,283. Aurora is the third most populous city in the state and the 51st most populous city in the United States. Aurora is a principal city of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood Metropolitan Statistical Area and a major city within the Rocky Mountain Front Range Urban Corridor.

Buckley SFB hosts and provides services to Air Force, Space Force, Army, Navy, and Marine Corps service members and their families, as well as Coast Guard, DHA, Guardsman, Reservists, DOD Civilians, Defense Contractors, and the surrounding area's military veteran and retiree community.

Overlooking the front range of the Rocky Mountains, Buckley Space Force Base is located in Aurora, Colorado, a sprawling suburb adjacent to the greater-Denver metropolitan area. The city of Aurora is primarily located in Arapahoe County with a small portion of the northern boundary in Adams County and the south-western border in Douglas county. The city of Aurora is the 3rd largest and most diverse city in Colorado, and the 51st most populous city in the United States. Many retired and military families live within the community, with veterans making up 9% of the total population.

Aurora enjoys a semi-arid climate with four distinct seasons ranging from summer highs, well over ninety degrees, to single-digit winter lows, all while boasting over 300 sunny days per year. Buckley SFB is deeply rooted in Aurora whose neighborhoods offer residents a blend of suburban comfort and access to the stunning natural beauty of the nearby Rocky Mountains. With a strong sense of community, diverse cultural influences, and a growing economy, Aurora is an appealing place to live for families, professionals, and outdoor enthusiasts, alike.

Buckley Space Force Base Visitor Control Center is located at the Mississippi Gate: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Closed on weekends, holidays and readiness down days.

The Mississippi Gate is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can issue passes in the event the VCC is closed. The 6th Avenue Gate is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Drill weekends, holidays and Space Base Delta 2 readiness down days may impact hours.

For more information, please contact the Buckley SFB VCC at 720-847-9381.

To get a Common Access Card or Dependent Identification Card visit one of the following locations:

Buckley SFB Military Personnel Flight, ID Card Service, Bldg. 606
Hours: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesday.

MPF appointments provide best/fastest service. Walk-ins will still be welcomed and accommodated based on availability, however those who walk-in may experience longer wait times. Pin resets will continue to be expedited to the next available window.

To schedule an appointment visit, please sign up through https://rapids-appointments.dmdc.osd.mil/ (select Buckley SFB).

Alternate ID Card Locations:

Air National Guard – 140 ANG (Buckley SFB)
18860 E. Breckenridge Ave, Hanger 801, Room N224
Phone: 720-847-9295
Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., Thursday from 12 to 4 p.m., UTA Weekends (Saturday) from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. & Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Navy Reserve Center (Buckley SFB)
7 North Snowmass Street, Bldg. 1301
Phone: 720-847-7808
Hours: Monday through Friday from 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m.

Buckley Space Force Base is located in Aurora, Colorado.;

For map-app directions to the Buckley SFB 24-hour Mississippi Gate - use "S. Vail St. and E. Mississippi Ave" (Apple Maps). For other apps, use "E. Mississippi Ave. and Aspen St." The Buckley Visitor Center is located at this entry point.

For the Buckley SFB 6th Ave. Gate - use the address "18500 East Sixth Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80011." Gate hours are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Should you arrive at the 6th Ave Gate after it has closed, you must go to the 24-hr. Mississippi Ave Gate for entry to Buckley.

Any trucks or vans with company logos (to include moving vans) must use the 6th Ave. Large Vehicle Inspection Point (LVIP) east of the 6th Ave gate. The LVIP hours of operations will be Monday-Friday, 6 a.m.-6 p.m. After duty-hours deliveries will not be processed. All vehicles must be searched when entering Buckley.

Drive from the Denver International Airport (DIA) to Buckley (20 minutes -12 miles):

From the Arrival Terminal, follow the Airport exit sign

Continue onto Pena Blvd

Keep left to stay on Pena Blvd

Take the U.S. 70 E/40th Ave/Airport Blvd exit

Continue onto N Airport Blvd (3.3 miles)

Turn left on E 6th Ave (Buckley Air Force Base, 18500 E 6th Ave, Aurora, CO 80011)

You can reach Buckley Space force Base via several Interstates:

From I-70 West -

If you are traveling on I-70 west, exit south onto Airport Blvd, which will change to Buckley Rd exit # 285. Go south past Colfax Ave. until reaching 6th Ave. approximately 2 1/2 miles. Turn left (east) onto 6th Ave. Go approximately 1 mile to the main gate entrance of Buckley SFB.

From I-70 East -

If you are traveling on I-70 east exit south onto I-225 exit # 283 then follow the directions below for I-225.

From I-225 -

If you are traveling on I-225, take the 6th Ave exit # 9. Travel east on 6th Ave. Proceed east, approximately 2 1/2 miles, crossing Chambers Road and Buckley Rd to the main gate entrance of Buckley SFB.

From I-25 North -

If you are traveling on I-25 north, take the I-225 exit at exit # 200, then follow the directions for I-225.

From I-25 South -

If you are traveling on I-25 south, take the I-70 exit at exit # 214, then follow the directions for I-70.

*Should you arrive in the Denver Metro area by Greyhound Bus, either get a Regional Transportation District (RTD) light-rail or bus schedule at the terminal, or walk three blocks to the RTD terminal on Market Street to get information, or take a taxi to Buckley.

Currently, there is no base transportation services on Buckley SFB. Please note that active-duty military receive free public transportation (Regional Transportation District and Light Rail) around the city when presenting an active-duty military ID card. RTD and Light Rail do not provide access onto Buckley.

Uber rideshare programs are now available for use on Buckley SFB. The 460 SFS has vetted over 100 Uber drivers who will be authorized to provide services (transportation, food delivery, etc.) to personnel on Buckley. When requesting an Uber for pick up or drop off on Buckley, only drivers with prior approved DBIDS access will receive the request and be able to respond. Uber drivers WILL NOT have trusted traveler rights, and all personnel in the vehicle WILL be confirmed they are authorized to enter the installation.

To view a phone listing for Buckley SFB, please visit Buckley Space Force Base - Home and click on the online directory link.

For snow delays/release alerts, utilize the following:

• BSFB Snow Line: 720-847-SNOW (7669)
• Sign up with our local AtHoc when you arrive

Connect with Buckley by finding us on the AF Connect App!