When Adolf Hitler seized power in Germany as Führer in 1933, many Western European governments, feared military conflict and therefore wished to take military precautions. The Belgian government put the former Brustem airfield into use for the Belgian Air Force in 1936. It was no more than a grass field at that point, but it only had to serve as an alternate airfield for the Second Fighter Regiment stationed in Nivelles.

When Germany eventually did invade Belgium, one of the first attacks was on the new military airfield of Brustem. A significant part of the aircraft were destroyed. Only eleven managed to escape to France.

The Germans occupied the area on May 12 and set up a support airfield for the Luftwaffe's operations against England. In the course of 1941 and 1942, the Luftwaffe turned Brustem into a permanent air base with three runways. At this point the base was known as ‘Fliegerhorst 309’

September 8, 1944, marked the liberation of Sint-Truiden by the Americans, who immediately began restoring the air base and its infrastructure. On September 30, it declared airfield Station A-92 operational and ready for use.

It was not until 1947 that the new Belgian Air Force took over the base at Brustem. The Belgian government would expand it during the 1950s and 1960s. From the 1960s until its closure in 1996, the air base was home to the Belgian Air Force's advanced training centre for student pilots.

It is customary to name barracks of the Belgian Armed Forces after soldiers who died in service with a distinguished record of merit.

Jean-Jacques Barbanson (°Paris 19/12/1915 - +10/05/1940) enlisted in the Belgian Military Aviation in 1938. In July 1939, he transferred to Goetsenhoven to complete his officer training. Barbanson was granted permission to begin pilot training in January 1940. The morning of May 10, 1940, he was at the Goetsenhoven airfield when the Luftwaffe attacked. Barbanson, though wounded, attempted to fight the fire, but lost his life during this action.