Columbus Air Force Base
Encyclopedia
Columbus Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force
base located approximately 9 miles (14.5 km) north of Columbus, Mississippi
.
The host unit at Columbus is the 14th Flying Training Wing
(14 FTW) assigned to the Air Education and Training Command
Nineteenth Air Force
. The 14 FTW's mission is to provide specialized undergraduate pilot training for U.S. Air Force and allied officers.
Columbus AFB was established in 1941 as Air Corps Advanced Flying School, Columbus, Mississippi. The commander of the 14 FTW is Col. Barre Seguin. The Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Zefrem Smith.
About half the pilots in the Air Force today went through basic and primary flight training at Columbus AFB. Columbus AFB is home to the busiest military air traffic control facility in the world.
of the Air Education and Training Command
.
approved establishment of an Army Air Field for the Columbus, Mississippi
area. Behind this approval were months of concerted efforts by the local citizens. On the afternoon of February 14, 1941, 100 of the area's leading citizens banded together to organize an association to secure defense industries.
The citizens' efforts bore fruit. Six months before the Pearl Harbor attack
the War Department announced that a pilot training base would be established in Columbus. On August 12, 1941, Columbus officials leased the tract of land to the United States for $1 per year.
The base began as a training facility for fighters and bombers. Planned as a twin-engine advanced flying school, the new air base came under the control of the Southeastern Air Corps Training Center at Maxwell Field, Alabama
. The Mion Company began construction on September 12, 1941. On January 13, 1942, 100 enlisted men arrived to form the first skeleton organizations on the base.
No one designated or suggested a name for the new base until January 22, 1942. On that date, the War Department announced the installation would be named Kaye Field, in honor of Capt Sam Kaye, a World War I flying ace from Columbus. That designation went into effect on February 24. However, the name issue soon became one of confusion because another nearby base, Key Field
in Meridian, Mississippi
which had a similar sounding name. To correct the problem, in March 1942, the War Department changed the name of the base from Kaye Field to Columbus Army Flying School.
Columbus was initially assigned to the AAF Southeast Training Center with the Army Air Force Pilot School (Advanced Twin-Engine) activated (phase 3 pilot training). The school's mission was to train cadets to fly transports and bombers. Pilot wings were awarded upon graduation and were sent on to group combat training by First, Second, Third or Fourth Air Force. Graduates were usually graded as Flight Officers (Warrant Officers); cadets who graduated at the top of their class were graded as Second Lieutenants.
The school used a number of trainers, including the AT-8, AT-9, AT-10, and B-25. Training squadrons assigned to Columbus were the 423d, 424th, 425th, 426th, 427th and 428th TE Flying Training Squadrons. For administrative travel, Columbus used the AT-6
and BC-1A.
The Columbus flying school received its first aircraft, nine Beech AT-10s and twenty-one AT-8s in early 1942. Barksdale Field, Louisiana
, provided the first students. Twenty-five cadets arrived at Columbus in February 1942. They had already completed a considerable part of their training when the Air Corps moved them. The cadets entered training at Columbus on February 9 and graduated on March 6.
During World War II
, the training load gradually increased until Columbus was graduating 195 pilots per month. A total of 7,766 students came to Columbus for pilot training during the war. Of these, 7,412 graduated and received their wings and commissions. To accommodate the ever increasing number of trainees and aircraft, and several satellite airfields were used as part of the Columbus Army Flying School.
On 8 January 1943, the War Department constituted and activated the 30th Flying Training Wing (Advanced Twin-Engine) at Columbus and assigned it to the AAF Eastern Flying Training Command.
Due to the efforts of Lt Col Joseph B. Duckworth, the Columbus Army Flying School developed and perfected two systems of training, which was adopted by the command. The first was the Flying Evaluation Board. This board instituted tough new criteria to evaluate an instructor's proficiency. The second was the "full panel" attitude system of instrument flying, which is credited with revolutionizing training in blind flying. In addition to the three instruments already used, students were taught to use two gyro instruments, the magnetic compass, the rate-of-climb indicator, and the clock.
When the war ended in 1945, the base strength had reached a peak of 2,300 enlisted men, 300 officers, and an average of 250 pilot cadets per class. The end of hostilities significantly slowed training activities, so in 1946 the War Department directed the inactivation of the base.
When communist troops violated South Korea
's borders and fighting broke out in 1950. To handle increased pilot requirements for the Korean War
, Air Training Command
(ATC) activated the now-renamed Columbus AIr Force Base on December 20 to be used as a station for a contract flying school. To manage the base, ATC established the 3301st Training Squadron (Contract Flying) on March 1, 1951. The contractor who provided pilot training was California Eastern Airways. The 3301st oversaw the contract flight instruction of about 3,000 pilots in PA-18 Piper Cubs and T-6s.
With the Korean War at an end and pilot production needs dropping, the decision was made to close the contract flying school at Columbus. In early 1955, Air Training Command ATC directed that the mission be moved to Moore Air Force Base
, Texas
.
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But while the Air Force’s pilot training requirements were decreasing, its strategic air arm was expanding. During the 1950s, Strategic Air Command
(SAC) wings had become extremely large. As the Soviet
missile threat became more pronounced and warning time decreased, Strategic Air Command bases presented increasingly attractive targets. But by providing additional bases to which the aircraft could be dispersed, the enemy’s targeting problem would be compounded, and more bombers could become airborne within a given time period. It was therefore decided to break up these large concentrations of aircraft and distribute them among more bases. Thus Columbus Air Force Base was relinquished to the Strategic Air Command (SAC) in April 1955, the base being assigned to Second Air Force
(2d AF).
The base began an active four-year rebuilding program to prepare the base for its new mission and to be part of SAC's base dispersal system. City fathers deeded an additional 3600 acres (15 km²) to the base so that a northwest-southeast runway could be built, along with a 480-unit family housing project. It was not until December 1957, however, that officials at HQ SAC announced the base would become the home of a B-52 bombardment squadron and a KC-135 air refueling tanker squadron. To manage these units, on July 1, 1958, Strategic Air Command activated the 4228th Strategic Wing at Columbus, composed of the 492d Bomb Squadron (15 B-52Fs) and 901st Air Refueling Squadron (KC-135A tankers), being reassigned from the 7th Bomb Wing
at Carswell AFB, Texas.
The first KC-135 Stratotanker
, piloted by the wing commander, landed on the new runway on January 7, 1959. This was followed by the arrival of the first B-52 on May 28. In February 1963, SAC inactivated the 4228th Strategic Wing and activated the 454th Bombardment Wing
, in its place. The 454th conducted air refueling operations, trained in bombardment operations and maintained a SAC nuclear alert posture.
In 1965 the 454th converted to B-52D, which was re-engineered for conventional bomb missions over Southeast Asia
, although some B-52Cs were also assigned during 1968–69. As a result, the 454th wing headquarters, staff, tactical aircraft and crews and maintenance personnel were integrated into SAC's combat forces in the Pacific and Southeast Asia.
The 454th Bombardment Wing completed more than 100 missions to South Vietnam without losing a single bomber to enemy aircraft fire. In May 1967, General Edward O. Martin assumed command of the 454th Bombardment Wing at Columbus, and one month later he led the wing on its second deployment to the Western Pacific area in support of Southeast Asia operations and returned to Columbus in December 1967. In May 1968 the 454th Wing made its third deployment to the Western Pacific area, its second under the command of General Martin.
During their involvement in the Vietnam War
, the 454th Combat Support Group operated Columbus AFB.
As the demand for pilots to support the war in Southeast Asia increased, the number of B-52s based stateside fell because they were needed overseas. At the same time, Minuteman and Polaris missiles were taking their places in strategic deterrence, replacing much of the bomber alert force. So, after 14 years under Strategic Air Command, Columbus Air Force Base rejoined Air Training Command July 1, 1969, and resumed the mission for which it was originally activated—training pilots.
In preparation for this transfer, Air Training Command had activated the 3650th Pilot Training Wing at Columbus on February 15. The first undergraduate pilot training (UPT) class—71-01—entered school on July 17.
Three years later, on June 1, 1972, Air Training Command (ATC) discontinued the 3650th and activated the 14th Flying Training Wing
in its place, assuming its equipment, personnel and mission. This was part of a program to retain the legacy of Vietnam War combat wings which were being inactivated due to the phasedown of the USAF in Southeast Asia. The 14 FTW continues today as the host organization at Columbus.
In 1992, ATC was inactivated and the 14 FTW came under the newly created Air Education and Training Command
(AETC) and AETC's 19th Air Force (19 AF).
In addition, Columbus Air Force Base has been designated a Space Shuttle Landing Site.
Recently both the South Gate and Main Gate have been reconstructed.
Note: On "reduced activity status" January–March 1946; inactivated, August 15, 1946; removed from inactive status, placed on active status, and changed to primary installation, December 20, 1950.
of the Buttahatchee
and Tombigbee
Rivers.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the base has a total area of 18.2 km² (7.0 mi²), all land.
of 2000, there are 2,060 people, 570 households, and 532 families residing on the base. The population density
is 113.0/km² (292.8/mi²). There are 642 housing units at an average density of 35.2/km² (91.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the base is 75.6% White, 16.4% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 2.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.7% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. 4.9% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 570 households out of which 64.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 85.8% are married couples
living together, 5.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 6.5% are non-families. 5.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 0.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.18 and the average family size is 3.27.
The age distribution of the base is: 33.4% under the age of 18, 21.8% from 18 to 24, 41.4% from 25 to 44, 2.7% from 45 to 64, and 0.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 24 years. For every 100 females there are 126.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 126.2 males. All these statistics are broadly typical for military bases.
The median income for a household on the base is $39,596, and the median income for a family is $40,602. Males have a median income of $26,111 versus $20,481 for females. The per capita income
for the base is $15,626. 7.6% of the population and 7.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 6.5% of those under the age of 18 and 0.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
.
Columbus has just started a school choice program that allows children to attend Caledonia Schools in Lowndes County, MS.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
base located approximately 9 miles (14.5 km) north of Columbus, Mississippi
Columbus, Mississippi
Columbus is a city in Lowndes County, Mississippi, United States that lies above the Tombigbee River. It is approximately northeast of Jackson, north of Meridian, south of Tupelo, northwest of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and west of Birmingham, Alabama. The population was 25,944 at the 2000 census...
.
The host unit at Columbus is the 14th Flying Training Wing
14th Flying Training Wing
The 14th Flying Training Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi.-Mission:...
(14 FTW) assigned to the Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command was established July 1, 1993, with the realignment of Air Training Command and Air University. It is one of the U.S. Air Force's ten major commands and reports to Headquarters, United States Air Force....
Nineteenth Air Force
Nineteenth Air Force
The Nineteenth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base and belonging to the Air Education and Training Command...
. The 14 FTW's mission is to provide specialized undergraduate pilot training for U.S. Air Force and allied officers.
Columbus AFB was established in 1941 as Air Corps Advanced Flying School, Columbus, Mississippi. The commander of the 14 FTW is Col. Barre Seguin. The Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Zefrem Smith.
Overview
Columbus AFB has been training Air Force pilots since World War II, and that mission continues today. The base closed after the war and remained inactive until 1951 when it was reopened as a contract flying school to train pilots during the Korean War. Four years later, the base was transferred from Air Training Command to Strategic Air Command. Columbus became home to a KC-135 tanker squadron, and a B-52 bomber squadron in the late 1950s. In 1969, Columbus resumed the mission for which it originally activated - training pilots, and has continued to do so for the past 40 years.About half the pilots in the Air Force today went through basic and primary flight training at Columbus AFB. Columbus AFB is home to the busiest military air traffic control facility in the world.
Units
Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi is home of the 14th Flying Training Wing14th Flying Training Wing
The 14th Flying Training Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi.-Mission:...
of the Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command was established July 1, 1993, with the realignment of Air Training Command and Air University. It is one of the U.S. Air Force's ten major commands and reports to Headquarters, United States Air Force....
.
- 14th Operations Group14th Operations GroupThe 14th Operations Group is the flying component of the 14th Flying Training Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command...
(Tail Code: CR)
- 14th Operations Support Squadron
- 37th Flying Training Squadron37th Flying Training SquadronThe 37th Flying Training Squadron is part of the 14th Flying Training Wing based at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. It operates T-6 Texan II aircraft conducting flight training.-Mission:...
- 41st Flying Training Squadron41st Flying Training SquadronThe 41st Flying Training Squadron is part of the 14th Flying Training Wing based at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. It operates T-6 Texan II aircraft conducting flight training.-Mission:...
- 43d Flying Training Squadron43d Flying Training SquadronThe 43d Flying Training Squadron is part of the 340th Flying Training Group and is the reserve associate to the 14th Flying Training Wing based at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi...
- 48th Flying Training Squadron48th Flying Training SquadronThe 48th Flying Training Squadron is part of the 14th Flying Training Wing based at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. It operates T-1 Jayhawk aircraft conducting flight training.-History:...
- 49th Fighter Training Squadron49th Fighter Training SquadronThe 49th Fighter Training Squadron is part of the 14th Flying Training Wing based at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. It operates T-38 Talon aircraft conducting flight training.-World War II:...
- 50th Flying Training Squadron50th Flying Training SquadronThe 50th Flying Training Squadron is part of the 14th Flying Training Wing based at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. It operates T-38 Talon aircraft conducting flight training.-History:...
World War II
The installation's history began June 26, 1941, when the War DepartmentUnited States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
approved establishment of an Army Air Field for the Columbus, Mississippi
Columbus, Mississippi
Columbus is a city in Lowndes County, Mississippi, United States that lies above the Tombigbee River. It is approximately northeast of Jackson, north of Meridian, south of Tupelo, northwest of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and west of Birmingham, Alabama. The population was 25,944 at the 2000 census...
area. Behind this approval were months of concerted efforts by the local citizens. On the afternoon of February 14, 1941, 100 of the area's leading citizens banded together to organize an association to secure defense industries.
The citizens' efforts bore fruit. Six months before the Pearl Harbor attack
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
the War Department announced that a pilot training base would be established in Columbus. On August 12, 1941, Columbus officials leased the tract of land to the United States for $1 per year.
The base began as a training facility for fighters and bombers. Planned as a twin-engine advanced flying school, the new air base came under the control of the Southeastern Air Corps Training Center at Maxwell Field, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. The Mion Company began construction on September 12, 1941. On January 13, 1942, 100 enlisted men arrived to form the first skeleton organizations on the base.
No one designated or suggested a name for the new base until January 22, 1942. On that date, the War Department announced the installation would be named Kaye Field, in honor of Capt Sam Kaye, a World War I flying ace from Columbus. That designation went into effect on February 24. However, the name issue soon became one of confusion because another nearby base, Key Field
Meridian Regional Airport
Meridian Regional Airport is a public airport located on Key Field, a joint civil-military airfield located southwest of the city of Meridian in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, United States. It is owned by Meridian Airport Authority....
in Meridian, Mississippi
Meridian, Mississippi
Meridian is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi. It is the sixth largest city in the state and the principal city of the Meridian, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area...
which had a similar sounding name. To correct the problem, in March 1942, the War Department changed the name of the base from Kaye Field to Columbus Army Flying School.
Columbus was initially assigned to the AAF Southeast Training Center with the Army Air Force Pilot School (Advanced Twin-Engine) activated (phase 3 pilot training). The school's mission was to train cadets to fly transports and bombers. Pilot wings were awarded upon graduation and were sent on to group combat training by First, Second, Third or Fourth Air Force. Graduates were usually graded as Flight Officers (Warrant Officers); cadets who graduated at the top of their class were graded as Second Lieutenants.
The school used a number of trainers, including the AT-8, AT-9, AT-10, and B-25. Training squadrons assigned to Columbus were the 423d, 424th, 425th, 426th, 427th and 428th TE Flying Training Squadrons. For administrative travel, Columbus used the AT-6
T-6 Texan
The North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s...
and BC-1A.
The Columbus flying school received its first aircraft, nine Beech AT-10s and twenty-one AT-8s in early 1942. Barksdale Field, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, provided the first students. Twenty-five cadets arrived at Columbus in February 1942. They had already completed a considerable part of their training when the Air Corps moved them. The cadets entered training at Columbus on February 9 and graduated on March 6.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the training load gradually increased until Columbus was graduating 195 pilots per month. A total of 7,766 students came to Columbus for pilot training during the war. Of these, 7,412 graduated and received their wings and commissions. To accommodate the ever increasing number of trainees and aircraft, and several satellite airfields were used as part of the Columbus Army Flying School.
On 8 January 1943, the War Department constituted and activated the 30th Flying Training Wing (Advanced Twin-Engine) at Columbus and assigned it to the AAF Eastern Flying Training Command.
Due to the efforts of Lt Col Joseph B. Duckworth, the Columbus Army Flying School developed and perfected two systems of training, which was adopted by the command. The first was the Flying Evaluation Board. This board instituted tough new criteria to evaluate an instructor's proficiency. The second was the "full panel" attitude system of instrument flying, which is credited with revolutionizing training in blind flying. In addition to the three instruments already used, students were taught to use two gyro instruments, the magnetic compass, the rate-of-climb indicator, and the clock.
When the war ended in 1945, the base strength had reached a peak of 2,300 enlisted men, 300 officers, and an average of 250 pilot cadets per class. The end of hostilities significantly slowed training activities, so in 1946 the War Department directed the inactivation of the base.
Korean War
With the end of World War II, Columbus AAF was first placed on "reduced activity status", and was inactivated on August 15, 1946. The airfield was void of military activity, however the facility was not returned to civil authority. Administrative control of the base was initially assigned to Barksdale AAF in 1946, then to Goodfellow AFB in 1948, then to Craig AFB in 1950.When communist troops violated South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
's borders and fighting broke out in 1950. To handle increased pilot requirements for the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, Air Training Command
Air Training Command
Air Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...
(ATC) activated the now-renamed Columbus AIr Force Base on December 20 to be used as a station for a contract flying school. To manage the base, ATC established the 3301st Training Squadron (Contract Flying) on March 1, 1951. The contractor who provided pilot training was California Eastern Airways. The 3301st oversaw the contract flight instruction of about 3,000 pilots in PA-18 Piper Cubs and T-6s.
With the Korean War at an end and pilot production needs dropping, the decision was made to close the contract flying school at Columbus. In early 1955, Air Training Command ATC directed that the mission be moved to Moore Air Force Base
Moore Air Force Base
Moore Air Base is an inactive United States Air Force facility located fourteen miles northwest of Mission, Texas. It was inactivated on 1 February 1961...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
(SAC) wings had become extremely large. As the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
missile threat became more pronounced and warning time decreased, Strategic Air Command bases presented increasingly attractive targets. But by providing additional bases to which the aircraft could be dispersed, the enemy’s targeting problem would be compounded, and more bombers could become airborne within a given time period. It was therefore decided to break up these large concentrations of aircraft and distribute them among more bases. Thus Columbus Air Force Base was relinquished to the Strategic Air Command (SAC) in April 1955, the base being assigned to Second Air Force
Second Air Force
The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
(2d AF).
The base began an active four-year rebuilding program to prepare the base for its new mission and to be part of SAC's base dispersal system. City fathers deeded an additional 3600 acres (15 km²) to the base so that a northwest-southeast runway could be built, along with a 480-unit family housing project. It was not until December 1957, however, that officials at HQ SAC announced the base would become the home of a B-52 bombardment squadron and a KC-135 air refueling tanker squadron. To manage these units, on July 1, 1958, Strategic Air Command activated the 4228th Strategic Wing at Columbus, composed of the 492d Bomb Squadron (15 B-52Fs) and 901st Air Refueling Squadron (KC-135A tankers), being reassigned from the 7th Bomb Wing
7th Bomb Wing
The 7th Bomb Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Twelfth Air Force. It is stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, where it is also the host unit....
at Carswell AFB, Texas.
The first KC-135 Stratotanker
KC-135 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
, piloted by the wing commander, landed on the new runway on January 7, 1959. This was followed by the arrival of the first B-52 on May 28. In February 1963, SAC inactivated the 4228th Strategic Wing and activated the 454th Bombardment Wing
454th Bombardment Wing
The 454th Bombardment Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Strategic Air Command 42d Air Division, stationed at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. It was inactivated on 25 July 1968....
, in its place. The 454th conducted air refueling operations, trained in bombardment operations and maintained a SAC nuclear alert posture.
In 1965 the 454th converted to B-52D, which was re-engineered for conventional bomb missions over Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, although some B-52Cs were also assigned during 1968–69. As a result, the 454th wing headquarters, staff, tactical aircraft and crews and maintenance personnel were integrated into SAC's combat forces in the Pacific and Southeast Asia.
The 454th Bombardment Wing completed more than 100 missions to South Vietnam without losing a single bomber to enemy aircraft fire. In May 1967, General Edward O. Martin assumed command of the 454th Bombardment Wing at Columbus, and one month later he led the wing on its second deployment to the Western Pacific area in support of Southeast Asia operations and returned to Columbus in December 1967. In May 1968 the 454th Wing made its third deployment to the Western Pacific area, its second under the command of General Martin.
During their involvement in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, the 454th Combat Support Group operated Columbus AFB.
Air Training Command / Air Education and Training Command
In preparation for this transfer, Air Training Command had activated the 3650th Pilot Training Wing at Columbus on February 15. The first undergraduate pilot training (UPT) class—71-01—entered school on July 17.
Three years later, on June 1, 1972, Air Training Command (ATC) discontinued the 3650th and activated the 14th Flying Training Wing
14th Flying Training Wing
The 14th Flying Training Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi.-Mission:...
in its place, assuming its equipment, personnel and mission. This was part of a program to retain the legacy of Vietnam War combat wings which were being inactivated due to the phasedown of the USAF in Southeast Asia. The 14 FTW continues today as the host organization at Columbus.
In 1992, ATC was inactivated and the 14 FTW came under the newly created Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command was established July 1, 1993, with the realignment of Air Training Command and Air University. It is one of the U.S. Air Force's ten major commands and reports to Headquarters, United States Air Force....
(AETC) and AETC's 19th Air Force (19 AF).
In addition, Columbus Air Force Base has been designated a Space Shuttle Landing Site.
Recently both the South Gate and Main Gate have been reconstructed.
Previous names
- Air Corps Advanced Flying School, Columbus, MS, August 6, 1941
- Columbus Airfield, September 15, 1941
- Kaye Field, February 24, 1942
- Columbus Army Flying School, March 27, 1942
- Columbus Army Airfield, April 8, 1943
- Columbus Air Force Base, December 20, 1950
Note: On "reduced activity status" January–March 1946; inactivated, August 15, 1946; removed from inactive status, placed on active status, and changed to primary installation, December 20, 1950.
Major commands to which assigned
- Southeast Air Corps Training Center, July 23, 1941
- AAF Southeast Training Center, October 29, 1942
- AAF Eastern Flying Training Command , July 31, 1943
- Air Technical Service Command , June 6, 1945
- AAF Training CommandAir Training CommandAir Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...
, November 23, 1945
- Air Training CommandAir Training CommandAir Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...
, July 1, 1946 - Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air CommandThe Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
, April 1, 1955 - Air Training CommandAir Training CommandAir Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...
, July 1, 1969 - Air Education and Training CommandAir Education and Training CommandAir Education and Training Command was established July 1, 1993, with the realignment of Air Training Command and Air University. It is one of the U.S. Air Force's ten major commands and reports to Headquarters, United States Air Force....
, June 1, 1992
Major units assigned
- 72d Air Base Sq, January 14, 1942
- 2113th AAF Base Unit, May 1, 1944 – August 15, 1946
- 3615th Standby Base Sq, November 12, 1950
- 3301st Training Sq (Contract Flying), March 1, 1951
- 3301st Pilot Training Sq (Contract Primary), June 27, 1952
- 4228th Air Base Sq, April 1, 1955
- 4228th Strategic Wing, July 1, 1958
- 454th Bombardment Wing, February 1, 1963
- 3650th Flying Training Wing, July 1, 1969
- 14th Flying Training Wing14th Flying Training WingThe 14th Flying Training Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi.-Mission:...
, June 1, 1972 –Present
Geography
Columbus AFB is located at 33°37'48" North, 88°26'47" West (33.630060, -88.446271). It is located near the confluenceConfluence (geography)
In geography, a confluence is the meeting of two or more bodies of water. It usually refers to the point where two streams flow together, merging into a single stream...
of the Buttahatchee
Buttahatchee River
The Buttahatchee River is a tributary of the Tombigbee River, about long, in northwestern Alabama and northeastern Mississippi in the United States...
and Tombigbee
Tombigbee River
The Tombigbee River is a tributary of the Mobile River, approximately 200 mi long, in the U.S. states of Mississippi and Alabama. It is one of two major rivers, along with the Alabama River, that unite to form the short Mobile River before it empties into Mobile Bay on the Gulf of Mexico...
Rivers.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the base has a total area of 18.2 km² (7.0 mi²), all land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there are 2,060 people, 570 households, and 532 families residing on the base. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
is 113.0/km² (292.8/mi²). There are 642 housing units at an average density of 35.2/km² (91.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the base is 75.6% White, 16.4% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 2.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.7% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. 4.9% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 570 households out of which 64.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 85.8% are married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 5.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 6.5% are non-families. 5.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 0.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.18 and the average family size is 3.27.
The age distribution of the base is: 33.4% under the age of 18, 21.8% from 18 to 24, 41.4% from 25 to 44, 2.7% from 45 to 64, and 0.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 24 years. For every 100 females there are 126.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 126.2 males. All these statistics are broadly typical for military bases.
The median income for a household on the base is $39,596, and the median income for a family is $40,602. Males have a median income of $26,111 versus $20,481 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the base is $15,626. 7.6% of the population and 7.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 6.5% of those under the age of 18 and 0.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Education
Children of Columbus Air Force Base military personnel are served by the Columbus Municipal School DistrictColumbus Municipal School District
The Columbus Municipal School District is a public school district based in Columbus, Mississippi .In addition to Columbus, the district also serves the children of Columbus Air Force Base military personnel.-Elementary Schools :...
.
Columbus has just started a school choice program that allows children to attend Caledonia Schools in Lowndes County, MS.
See also
- Mississippi World War II Army AirfieldsMississippi World War II Army AirfieldsDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Force established numerous airfields in Mississippi for antisubmarine defense in the Gulf of Mexico and for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers....
Other sources
- Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office 1961 (republished 1983, Office of Air Force History, ISBN 0-912799-02-1).
- Ravenstein, Charles A. Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell Air Force BaseMaxwell Air Force BaseMaxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force installation under the Air Education and Training Command . The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, US. It was named in honor of Second Lieutenant William C...
, AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
: Office of Air Force History 1984. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. - Mueller, Robert, Air Force Bases Volume I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982, Office of Air Force History, 1989
- Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas ASIN: B000NYX3PC
External links
- Columbus Air Force Base at GlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.org, launched in 2000, is a public policy organization focusing on the fields of defense, space exploration, intelligence, weapons of mass destruction and homeland security...
- Columbus Air Force Base Main Entrance Photo
- Columbus AFB Services Division