The host unit at Columbus is the 14th Flying Training Wing (14 FTW) assigned 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 Colonel John J. Nichols.
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 SAC strategic wing with a KC-135 Stratotanker tanker squadron and a B-52 Stratofortress bomber squadron in the late 1950s. This wing was later redesignated a bombardment wing in the 1960s. In 1969, the SAC bomber mission at Columbus was inactivated and the base transferred back to the then-Air Training Command as an Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) base. Columbus AFB then 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.
Units
Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi is home of the 14th Flying Training Wing of the Air Education and Training Command.
14th Operations Group (Tail Code: CB)
14th Operations Support Squadron
37th Flying Training Squadron
41st Flying Training Squadron
43d Flying Training Squadron
48th Flying Training Squadron
49th Fighter Training Squadron
50th Flying Training Squadron
History of the Columbus Air Force Base
Construction of the base commenced in September 1941 as the Air Corps Advanced Flying School. The base was renamed Kaye Field in February 1942 in the honour of World War I Martyr Captain Sam Kaye. Pilot training began at the field with the arrival of the first batch of cadets in February 1942.
The Kaye Field was redesignated as Columbus Army Flying School (CAFC) in March 1942. Air Training Command (ATC) became the operator of the CAFC in July 1946. Approximately 7,412 pilots graduated from the school during the World War II.
CAFC was inactivated in August 1946 and its control was handed over to the Barksdale Army Air Force and then to GoodFellow Air Force Base in June 1948 followed by Craig Air Force Base in November 1950.
CAFC was renamed as Columbus Air Force Base in December 1950. It was reopened in 1951 as a contract flying school to cater to for the increased demand for pilots for the Korean War. In 1955, the base was transferred from ATC to Strategic Air Command.
The base recommenced its original pilot training operations after the ATC regained control in 1969. The undergraduate pilot training (UPT) centre was activated at the base in July 1970. The UPT missions are carried out by the 14th Flying Training Wing (14 FTW).
ATC was deactivated in June 1992 and its 14 FTW started to operate under the newly formed Air Education and Training Command (AETC).
Previous names
Air Corps Advanced Flying School, Columbus, MS, 6 August 1941
Columbus Airfield, 15 September 1941
Kaye Field, 24 February 1942
Columbus Army Flying School, 27 March 1942
Columbus Army Airfield, 8 April 1943
Columbus Air Force Base, 20 December 1950
Note: On "reduced activity status" January–March 1946; inactivated, 15 August 1946; removed from inactive status, placed on active status, and changed to primary installation, 20 December 1950.
Major commands to which assigned
Southeast Air Corps Training Center, 23 July 1941
AAF Southeast Training Center, 29 October 1942
AAF Eastern Flying Training Command, 31 July 1943
Air Technical Service Command, 6 June 1945
AAF Training Command, 23 November 1945
Air Training Command, 1 July 1946
Strategic Air Command, 1 April 1955
Air Training Command, 1 July 1969
Air Education and Training Command, 1 June 1992
Major units assigned
72d Air Base Sq, 14 January 1942
2113th AAF Base Unit, 1 May 1944 – 15 August 1946
3615th Standby Base Sq, 12 November 1950
3301st Training Sq (Contract Flying), 1 March 1951
3301st Pilot Training Sq (Contract Primary), 27 June 1952
4228th Air Base Sq, 1 April 1955
4228th Strategic Wing, 1 July 1958
454th Bombardment Wing, 1 February 1963
3650th Flying Training Wing, 1 July 1969
14th Flying Training Wing, 1 June 1972 – present
Design and construction of the Mississippi base
The base includes 453 housing units. Pinnacle Hunt was contracted in April 2007 to design, build, renovate and manage 2,257 housing units at six bases including CBM. Pinnacle-Hunt is a joint venture formed by the Hunt ELP and Pinnacle AMS Development Company.
The project is part of AETC's Group II housing privatisation project and included demolition of 211 units, renovation of 105 units and construction of 146 new homes at CBM.
Carothers Construction was contracted to build a childcare development centre ($7.6m), phase I and II of mission support complex ($9m and $7.9m), and corrosion control facility ($4.9m). The child care development centre was opened in November 2010.
Garrison facilities at Columbus AFB
The CBM serves as the headquarters for 14 FTW of AETC's ninth air force (9 AF).
The 14 FTW, which was activated in June 1972, offers a specialised undergraduate pilot training (SUPT) for the USAF airmen and allied forces. It can also carry out law enforcement, transportation, fire protection, communications and contingency operations.
It is organised into three groups: the 14th Operations Group, 14th Mission Support Group and 14th Medical Group.
Other squadrons deployed at the base include 37th Flying Training Squadron, 41st Flying Training Squadron, 43rd Flying Training Squadron, 48th Flying Training Squadron, 49th Flying Training Squadron and 50th Flying Training Squadron, 14th Civil Engineering Squadron, 14th Operations Support Squadron, 14th Communications Squadron, 14th Contracting Squadron, 14th Logistics Readiness Squadron, 14th Security Forces Squadron, 14th Mission Support Squadron and 14th Comptroller Squadron.
Air facilities at the United States Air Force (USAF) base
The base features three runways paved with concrete. The runways are 3,658m, 2,438m and 1,920m long.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the base has a total area of 18.2 km² (7.0 mi²), all land.
Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 1,373 people residing on the base. 77.9% were White, 11.7% African American, 0.1% Native American, 3.4% Asian, 1.5% Pacific Islander, 1.8% of some other race and 3.6% of two or more races. 7.3% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
As of the census 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.
Education
Children of Columbus Air Force Base military personnel are served by the Columbus Municipal School District. Columbus has just started a school choice program that allows children to attend Caledonia Schools in Lowndes County, Mississippi.