--- title: "That time Jared Leto bought an Air Force Base" date: "2025-04-18" modified: "2025-04-18" authors: - name: "Shannon Corbeil" job_title: "Contributor, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/scorbeil/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/entertainment/that-time-jared-leto-bought-an-air-force-base/" categories: - "Entertainment" - "Movies and TV" tags: - "Air Force" - "Entertainment" - "Military History" --- # That time Jared Leto bought an Air Force Base ![United States Air Force Lookout Mountain Laboratory.]() *United States Air Force Lookout Mountain Laboratory. Public Domain.* In 2015, intense method actor and *Thirty Seconds to Mars* frontman Jared Leto became the proud new owner of Lookout Mountain Air Force Station, a 100,000 square foot installation built in 1941 as a World War II air defense center intended to coordinate radar installations in the Los Angeles area. Yes, for a cool $5 million, you too could dream of owning a facility once used by the United States Department of Defense and the Atomic Energy Commission. While Lookout Mountain may have been built for West Coast radar coordination, it was ultimately put to work in a mission much more suited to the Hollywood Hills: film production. With the development of nuclear weapons, the [D.O.D. had a need to document and study nuclear testing]() with still and moving pictures to understand the behavior of the explosions. The U.S. began filming nuclear tests during Operation Crossroads — and they did it with the help of the best in the biz. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-BXOFJk7EQ For 22 years, Lookout Mountain produced millions of feet of classified film and thousands of still photos. The Lookout Mountain Air Force Station film studio was comparably equipped to major film studios nearby, including a full stage, two screening rooms, 16mm and 35mm motion picture film processing capabilities, optical printing capabilities, a still photography lab, animation and editorial departments, film vaults, and of course a bomb shelter and helicopter pad. Jared Leto just became part of my zombie apocalypse survival plan. The Air Force’s 1352nd Photographic Group was based at Lookout Mountain and then stationed at Mercury, the base camp for the Nevada Test Site to capture CONUS nuclear testing images. Alongside the U.S. Army Signal Corps, photographers from the 1352nd began experimenting with different methods of capturing atmospheric nuclear tests, bringing cameras as close as four miles to the detonations, but with some protection from special bunkers. Photographers also took to the skies to film aerial deliveries and detonations. It isn’t unusual for film and photography to be part of the military mission set — that’s how we get our official DoD images of troops on the job. So it makes sense that it was an actual assignment to cover nuclear testing. I just hope everyone filed their disability through the VA after coming home from deployments. ![]() **Hollywood and Air Force history — I love it when my worlds combine.** Lookout Mountain changed hands over the years, from the Strategic Air Command to the Air Proving Ground to multiple Motion Picture Squadrons and Groups with the mission of "...providing in-service production of classified motion pictures and still photographs for the Department of the Air Force in support of the Atomic Energy program and to provide such additional production of motion picture and still photography as directed by the Commanding General, Air Pictorial Service.” Eventually, Lookout Mountain also began creating unclassified film clips for various purposes, including documenting combat operations in Vietnam, monthly Air Force Newsreel content, and training films. With its close proximity to Sunset Boulevard, Lookout Mountain was able to hire celebrity actors and voice-over narrators for their projects, including Bob Hope, Jimmy Stewart, and Gregory Peck. By the 1970s, the facility was decommissioned and sold at auction for $50,000. It has been owned privately since, now with the addition of at least one swimming pool. Actor Jared Leto is the [latest owner of the property](), which now boasts eight bedrooms, twelve bathrooms, several kitchens and living areas, a theater space, art galleries, and a soundstage. Oh, [and a guillotine]()? Why not! ## Don’t Miss the Best of Mighty Entertainment We Are The Mighty is a celebration of military service, with a mission to entertain, inform, and inspire those who serve and those who support them. We are made by and for current service members, veterans, spouses, family members, and civilians who want to be part of this community. Keep up with the best in military culture and entertainment: [subscribe to the We Are The Mighty newsletter](). - []()[A master summary of every Superman movie leading up to James Gunn’s]() - [A master summary of every ‘Fantastic Four’ movie]() - [‘Fog of War’ director on his new slow-burn WW2 thriller]() ## Author Shannon Corbeil has worked for We Are The Mighty as a digital video producer, writer, and host, as well as a staff writer covering military history, trivia, and valor. Shannon is a fierce veteran advocate, covering the achievements of members of the military community and volunteering in multiple veteran non-profit organizations, including Pin-Ups for Vets and Warriors for Peace Theatre. Her undergraduate degree is in Humanities and Philosophy and her Masters is in Strategic Intelligence. A screenwriter and actor recently seen on SEAL TEAM and THE ROOKIE, Shannon writes about exciting projects in the entertainment industry. She is an alum of the Writers Guild Foundation Veterans Writing Project, a Finalist in the Disney TV Writing Fellowship, an inaugural fellow for the STARZ/VME #TakeTheLead Program, and has performed at the Geffen Playhouse and Kennedy Center as a writer, dancer, singer, and actor. As a U.S. Air Force Intelligence Officer, Shannon supported the 25th Fighter Squadron at Osan Air Base, South Korea, and conducted Cyber Threat Analysis at the National Security Agency. Her work has been seen in Business Insider, Task & Purpose, Military.com, and various other publications. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()