iPedia Free Information Center

Information about Columbus Air Force Base

Columbus Air Force Base
Mississippi, United States
TypeAir Force Base
Built1941
In use1942 - 1945
1951 - present
Controlled byUnited States Air Force
CommandersColonel David K. Gerber
Columbus Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Lowndes County, Mississippi, treated for statistical purposes by the United States Census Bureau at a census-designated place.

The host wing is the 14th Flying Training Wing, which includes staff agencies, an operations group, and a mission support group.

Columbus' mission is to conduct undergraduate pilot training, as well as perform quality assurance for contract aircraft maintenance.

History

The installation's history began 26 June 1941, when the War Department approved establishment of an Army Air Field for the Columbus area. Behind this approval were months of concerted efforts by the local citizens. On the afternoon of 14 February 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 Pearl Harbor the War Department announced that a pilot training base would be established in Columbus. On 12 August 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 12 September 1941. On 13 January 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 22 January 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 24 February. 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.

The Columbus flying school received its first aircraft, nine Lockheed 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 9 February and graduated on 6 March.

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.

The school used a number of trainers, including the AT-8, AT-9, AT-10, and B-25. For administrative travel, Columbus used the AT-6 and BC-1A.

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.

Columbus was void of activity for four years until 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 activated Columbus AFB on 20 December to be used as a station for a contract flying school. To manage the base, ATC established the 3301st Training Squadron (Contract Flying) on 1 March 1951. The contractor who provided pilot training was California Eastern Airways. That training continued until 1954, when ATC directed that the mission be moved by early 1955 to Moore Air Base, Texas.

On 1 April 1955, HQ USAF transferred Columbus AFB from ATC control to Strategic Air Command (SAC) and Second Air Force. The base began an active building program to support its new mission, to be part of SAC's base dispersal system. City fathers deeded an additional 3,600 acres (15 km) 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 squadron and a KC-135 jet refueling tanker squadron. To manage these units, on 1 July 1958, Strategic Air Command activated the 4228th Strategic Wing.

The first Stratotanker, piloted by the wing commander, landed on the new runway on 7 January 1959. Then on 28 May, the first B-52 arrived. In February 1963, SAC inactivated the 4228th Strategic Wing and activated the 454th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, in its place. The 454th conducted air refueling operations and trained in bombardment operations. Beginning in the summer of 1965, the wing's headquarters staff, tactical aircraft and crews, and maintenance personnel became a part of SAC combat forces in the Pacific and Southeast Asia. During their involvement in the Vietnam War, the 454th Combat Support Group operated Columbus AFB.

After 14 years as a SAC base, on 1 July 1969, HQ USAF transferred Columbus back to Air Training Command and to its original mission of training pilots. In preparation for this transfer, Air Training Command had activated the 3650th Pilot Training Wing at Columbus on 15 February. The first undergraduate pilot training (UPT) class--71-01--entered school on 17 July.

Three years later, on June 1, 1972, Air Training Command discontinued the 3650th and activated the 14th Flying Training Wing in its place. The 14th continues today as the host organization at Columbus.

Geography

Enlarge picture
Location of Columbus Air Force Base
Columbus AFB is located at 33°37'48" North, 88°26'47" West (33.630060, -88.446271)GR1. It is located near the confluence 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). 18.2 km² (7.0 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.

Demographics

As of the censusGR2 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 75.63% White, 16.36% Black or African American, 0.73% Native American, 2.52% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.70% from other races, and 3.01% from two or more races. 4.85% 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.

Education

Children of Columbus Air Force Base military personnel are served by the Columbus Municipal School District.

References

This article incorporates text from Columbus Air Force Base, a public domain] work of the United States Government.

External links

BASES:Altus Air Force Base • Columbus Air Force Base • Goodfellow Air Force Base • Keesler Air Force Base • Lackland Air Force Base • Laughlin Air Force Base • Little Rock Air Force Base • Luke Air Force Base • Maxwell Air Force Base • Randolph Air Force Base • Sheppard Air Force Base • Tyndall Air Force Base • Vance Air Force Base
NUMBERED AIR FORCE LEVEL ORGANIZATIONS: 2d Air Force • 19th Air Force • Air University
WINGS:12th Flying Training Wing • 14th Flying Training Wing • 17th Training Wing • 37th Training Wing • 42d Air Base Wing • 47th Flying Training Wing • 56th Fighter Wing • 58th Special Operations Wing • 59th Medical Wing • 71st Flying Training Wing • 80th Flying Training Wing • 81st Training Wing • 82d Training Wing • 97th Air Mobility Wing • 314th Airlift Wing • 325th Fighter Wing
State of Mississippi

Flag of Mississippi Seal
Nickname(s): The Magnolia State, The Hospitality State
Motto(s): Virtute et armis (By Valor and Arms)

Official language(s) English

Capital
..... Click the link for more information.
Motto
"In God We Trust"   (since 1956)
"E Pluribus Unum"   ("From Many, One"; Latin, traditional)
Anthem
..... Click the link for more information.
United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the United States armed forces and one of the seven uniformed services. Previously part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947.
..... Click the link for more information.
Colonel (pronounced kernel) is a rank of the United States armed forces. Colonel ranks above a Lieutenant Colonel and below a Brigadier General and holds the pay grade of O-6. The insignia for a Colonel is a silver eagle with a U.S.
..... Click the link for more information.
United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the United States armed forces and one of the seven uniformed services. Previously part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947.
..... Click the link for more information.
Lowndes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of 2000, the population was 61,586. Its county seat is Columbus6. Lowndes County is named for U.S. Congressman William Jones Lowndes.
..... Click the link for more information.
State of Mississippi

Flag of Mississippi Seal
Nickname(s): The Magnolia State, The Hospitality State
Motto(s): Virtute et armis (By Valor and Arms)

Official language(s) English

Capital
..... Click the link for more information.
The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title 13 U.S.C.   11 ) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce.
..... Click the link for more information.
A census-designated place (CDP) is a type of place, an area identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages.
..... Click the link for more information.
Type Medium bomber
Manufacturer North American Aviation
Designed by John Leland "Lee" Atwood
Maiden flight 19 August 1940
Introduction 1941
Retired 1979 (Indonesia)
Primary user United States Army Air Forces

..... Click the link for more information.
Type Trainer aircraft
Manufacturer North American Aviation
Maiden flight 1935-04-01
Number built 15,495
Variants CAC Wirraway

The T-6 Texan
..... Click the link for more information.
Type Aerial refuelling and transport
Manufacturer Boeing
Maiden flight August 17, 1956
Introduction June 1957
Status Active service
Primary users United States Air Force
French Air Force
Republic of Singapore Air Force
..... Click the link for more information.
June 1 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

Events

  • 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus assassinated.

..... Click the link for more information.
19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1940s  1950s  1960s  - 1970s -  1980s  1990s  2000s
1969 1970 1971 - 1972 - 1973 1974 1975

Year 1972 (MCMLXXII
..... Click the link for more information.
14th Flying Training Wing (14 FTW) is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi.

Mission

Building the World's Best Warriors, Leaders and Professional Military Pilots.
..... Click the link for more information.
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water. It usually refers to the point where a tributary joins a more major river, called the mainstem, when that major river is also the highest order stream in the drainage basin.
..... Click the link for more information.
Buttahatchee River is a tributary of the Tombigbee River, about 75 mi (120 km) long, in northwestern Alabama and northeastern Mississippi in the United States. Via the Tombigbee River, it is part of the watershed of the Mobile River, which flows to the Gulf of Mexico.
..... Click the link for more information.
Tombigbee River is a tributary of the Mobile River, approximately 400 mi (644 km) 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
..... Click the link for more information.
The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title 13 U.S.C.   11 ) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce.
..... Click the link for more information.
Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol km², is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of surface area, the square metre, one of the SI derived units. 1 km² is equal to:
  • 1,000,000 m²
  • 100 ha (hectare)
Conversely:
  • 1 m² = 0.

..... Click the link for more information.
square mile is an imperial and US unit of area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. It should not be confused with the archaic miles square, which refers to the number of miles on each side squared.
..... Click the link for more information.
A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population (not necessarily a human population). The term is mostly used in connection with national 'population and housing censuses' (to be taken every 10 years according to United Nations recommendations);
..... Click the link for more information.
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, humans in particular.

Biological population densities


..... Click the link for more information.
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB), is a self-identification data item in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify.
..... Click the link for more information.
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB), is a self-identification data item in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify.
..... Click the link for more information.
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB), is a self-identification data item in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify.
..... Click the link for more information.
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB), is a self-identification data item in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify.
..... Click the link for more information.
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB), is a self-identification data item in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify.
..... Click the link for more information.
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB), is a self-identification data item in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify.
..... Click the link for more information.
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB), is a self-identification data item in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify.
..... Click the link for more information.


This article is copied from an article on Wikipedia.org - the free encyclopedia created and edited by online user community. The text was not checked or edited by anyone on our staff. Although the vast majority of the wikipedia encyclopedia articles provide accurate and timely information please do not assume the accuracy of any particular article. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License.
Herod_Archelaus


page counter