Temporary facilities, to include the "I" dormitories, were hastily erected as a quick fix to house the new recruits. During Vietnam, resourceful leaders split training shifts, increased flight sizes, and compressed training from 30 to 24 days to satisfy the urgency for military readiness. Training requirements also expanded to include teaching English to Allied military members from foreign countries.

During the 1950s and 1960s, more permanent facilities were constructed, to include the 1,000-person steel and brick Recruit Housing and Training (RH&T) facilities for basic military training. From the Cold War demise, base realignment and closure (BRAC) actions in the 1990s relocated several specialized training programs at Lackland. This included Air Education and Training Command's relocation of Air Force Officer Training School (OTS) from Lackland to Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.

The Department of Defense has proposed a major realignment of the base as part of the Base Realignment and Closure program announced on 13 May 2005.

Lackland Air Force Base is home to the 37th Training Wing (TRW) which operates a variety of training squadrons. Within the 37th TRW is the 37th Training Group (TRG) which oversees the 5 technical training schools on the base, and the 737th TRG which oversees the Basic Military Training squadrons.

Lackland is best known for its role in being the sole location for U. S. Air Force enlisted Basic Military Training (BMT) for the Active Duty Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard. BMT is organized into 8 basic training squadrons, each with their own training site on the base. Each squadron is equipped with either a dining facility or a medical clinic. Some BMT squadrons share dining facilities if they are located close enough together and the same is true for medical clinics. Each squadron also has a specific exercise area where basic trainees conduct physical readiness training (PRT).