Miller Army Airfield

The primary reason for closure was military realignment and the obsolescence of its original mission. The airfield's role in coastal aerial defense of New York Harbor had been superseded by advanced radar and long-range aircraft. The land was declared surplus by the military and was subsequently incorporated into the newly formed Gateway National Recreation Area to serve as public parkland, reflecting a shift in federal land use priorities for urban areas.

The site is now an integral part of the Staten Island Unit of the Gateway National Recreation Area, managed by the U.S. National Park Service. The former flying field is a large, open, multi-use public park area with numerous sports fields (baseball, soccer, football), picnic areas, and open space for passive recreation. The historic hangars, administration building, and officer's club have been preserved and are adaptively reused by the National Park Service for maintenance, administrative offices, and as venues for community events. The site is a popular destination for local residents and visitors.

Established in 1919 as the 'Air Coast Defense Station of New York', Miller Field was a key component of the New York Harbor defense system. It was officially named Miller Army Airfield in 1921 in honor of Captain James E. Miller, the first American aviator killed in action in World War I. Throughout its operational history, the airfield was home to the U.S. Army Air Service (later Army Air Corps) and various New York National Guard aviation units, including the 27th Division's air service. Operations included reconnaissance flights, anti-aircraft gunnery training, and observation balloon missions. The airfield featured grass runways and several distinctive hangars and support buildings, many of which are still standing and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It represents a well-preserved example of an early 20th-century military air station.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening Miller Field as an airport. Its status as a federally protected National Recreation Area and a historic district makes any such conversion virtually impossible. Furthermore, its location within the densely populated borough of Staten Island and beneath the heavily congested airspace of major hubs like Newark (EWR), JFK, and LaGuardia (LGA) makes it entirely unsuitable for modern aviation operations.