First French Army occupied the Echterdingen Flugplatz (originally constructed between 1936-38) in April 1945. American troops replaced the French Army in the early summer and put the airfield back into operation.

When Headquarters U.S. Constabulary moved into Kurmaerker Kaserne (now Patch Barracks) in 1946, their small flight section operated from Echterdingen Airfield with L-5 liaison planes.

In 1950, Headquaters, Seventh Army replaced the US Constabulary and their flight section replaced the disbanded Constabulary's at the airfield.

In 1951, Headquaters, VII Corps arrived in Europe as part of the build up of US armed forces during the Korean War and moved into Hellenen Kaserne (now Kelley Barracks). VII Corps aviation units joined the Seventh Army section at Echterdingen.

German civil air operations started up again at Echterdingen in the fall of 1948. In the spring of the next year the Flughafengesellschaft (FSG), the corporation that owns and operates the airport, arranged to share the U.S. Army apron and other facilities on the north side of the runway.

During the winter of 1953 thru 1954, the Army units moved across the runway into buildings on the south side, some of which dated from 1936 while others had been recently built. This left the north side free for German commercial and private flying. It was on the basis of this arrangement that the separation of military and civil aviation at Echterdingen has continued.

The U.S. Army and the U.S. High Commissioner, who represented German civil interests under the occupation, signed an agreement in 1954 which formally stated the terms of the agreement. This agreement was changed slightly after the occupation ended and the Federal Republic of Germany established in May, 1955.

Since 1 July 1963, the German-American relationship has been governed by the NATO Status of Forces Agreement and later supplementary agreements. The last supplementary agreement, signed in 1969 covered in detail the American rights to use the facilities and the compensation to be paid for their use.

Military flight operations changed markedly in the spring of 1967 when the flight section of Headquaters, U.S. European Command arrived from Paris, France (FRELOC).

Although the airfield became an Air Force command, about three-fourth of the military air traffic continued to be from the Army. USAREUR aviation units at the field included 29th Transportation Company (Direct Support), 25th Aviation Company, and the flight sections of Headquaters, VII Corps Artillery; Headquaters, 2nd Support Command; and Headquaters, 34th Signal Batallion. The military facilities were also used by Air Force and Army transient aircraft, particularly those carrying passengers to the major headquaters around Stuttgart. Military Airlift Command has also operated at Echterdingen, landing troops and equipment from the United States there during the annual REFORGER exercises.