Keesler Air Force Base
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (December 2020) |
Keesler Air Force Base | |||||||
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United States of America | |||||||
Coordinates | 30°24′41″N 88°55′25″W / 30.41139°N 88.92361°W | ||||||
Type | US Air Force Base | ||||||
Site information | |||||||
Owner | Department of Defense | ||||||
Operator | US Air Force | ||||||
Controlled by | Air Education and Training Command (AETC) | ||||||
Condition | Operational | ||||||
Website | www.keesler.af.mil | ||||||
Site history | |||||||
Built | 1941 | (as Keesler Field)||||||
In use | 1941 – present | ||||||
Garrison information | |||||||
Garrison |
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Airfield information | |||||||
Identifiers | AMSL | ||||||
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Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1] |
Keesler Air Force Base (
The base has specialized in ground trade training since its opening in 1941 during World War II. It has had high-quality technical schools and absorbed units moved from other bases under the
History
In early January 1941, Biloxi city officials assembled a formal offer to invite the
.When the
The
Keesler continued to focus upon specialized training in Consolidated B-24 Liberator maintenance until mid-1944. Thereafter, the base expanded its curricula to train mechanics for other aircraft. By September 1944, the number of recruits had dropped, but the workload remained constant. Keesler personnel began processing veteran ground troops and combat crews who had returned from duty overseas for additional training and follow-on assignments. The number of men who went through basic training wound down markedly after the end of World War II, and it was discontinued at Keesler on 30 June 1946.
Cold War
In late May 1947, the Radar School was established at Keesler (transferred from Boca Raton Army Air Field), making it responsible for operating the two largest military technical schools in the United States. Thereafter, shrinking budgets forced the base to reduce its operating costs: the Airplane and Engine Mechanics School and the Radar School were consolidated on 1 April 1948.
In early 1949, the Radio Operations School transferred to Keesler from Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. In addition to training radio operators, Keesler was to begin teaching air traffic service technicians; aircraft approach controllers, ground radar mechanics, and radar repairman/ground controlled approach specialists. The last mechanics training courses had moved to Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, by November.
In early 1956, Keesler entered the missile age by opening a ground support training program for the
During the early 1960s, Keesler lost many of its airborne training courses, but it remained the largest training base throughout the 1970s. This included limited flight training operations in the
Keesler's student load dropped to an all-time low after the Vietnam War ended. As a result, Air Training Command inactivated the USAF School of Applied Aerospace Sciences on 1 April 1977 and replaced it with the 3300th Technical Training Wing, which activated the same day.
During the early 1980s Keesler's air traffic control program garnered publicity when the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization walked off the job in August 1981. When President Ronald Reagan fired the strikers, Keesler-trained military air traffic controllers were used to direct some of the nation's air traffic. As the air traffic control school it was also the logical location for the USAF Combat Controllers.
Keesler AFB was the primary training base for many avionics maintenance career fields, including Electronic Warfare, Navigational Aids, Computer Repair and Ground Radio Repair. It was also the primary training base for most USAF administrative career fields.
From the 1990s
Driven by defense budget cuts, base closures following the end of the
Massive restructuring of the Air Force in the early 1990s also meant several changes for Keesler associate units. The first occurred when the
On 1 July 1993, the
On 29 August 2005 Keesler sustained a direct hit from
Units today
From 1993, the 81 TRW has provided technical training of airmen in select skill areas immediately following their completion of
The
Finally, Keesler is also home to CNATTU Keesler (Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit), a training unit for
Names, commands to which assigned, and units
Previous names
- Biloxi Air Corps Technical School, 13 June 1941
- Keesler Army Airfield, 25 August 1941
- Keesler Air Force Base, 13 January 1948 – Present
Major commands to which assigned
- Air Corps Technical Training Command, 7 Feb 1941
- Re-designated: Army Air Forces Technical Training Command, 1 March 1942
- Army Air Forces Flying Training Command, 7 July 1943
- Re-designated: Army Air Forces Training Command, 31 July 1943
- Air Training Command, 1 July 1946
- Air Education and Training Command, 1 July 1993 – Present
Major units assigned
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Based units
Flying and notable non-flying units based at Keesler Air Force Base.[2][3][4][5]
Units marked GSU are Geographically Separate Units, which although based at Keesler, are subordinate to a parent unit based at another location.
United States Air Force
Air Education and Training Command (AETC)
Air Combat Command (ACC)
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Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC)
US Marine Corps
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See also
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- ^ "Airport Data – Keesler AFB (BIX)". Federal Aviation Administration. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- ^ "81st Training Wing – Tech Training Info". Keesler Air Force Base. US Air Force. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
- ^ "81st Mission Support Group". Keesler Air Force Base. US Air Force. 15 May 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
- ^ "Units". Keesler Air Force Base. US Air Force. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
- ^ "About". 403rd Wing. US Air Force. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
- Official history of Keesler AFB
- Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas
External links
- Resources for this U.S. military airport:
- FAA airport information for BIX
- AirNav airport information for KBIX
- ASN accident history for BIX
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KBIX