Columbus Air Force Base

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Installation Listings

Installation Listing Category

Geographical Address

Duty Station(s)
Public Address
166 C Circle Building 1114 Columbus AFB, MS 39710-7901
Postal Code
39710
latitude
33.56
longitude
-88.51

Contact Info

DSN
312-742-2790 l Fax 312-742-2483
COMM
662-434-2790 l Fax 662-434-2483
Operating Hours
Mon-Fri 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Sat & Sun/Holidays – Closed

Mission

The 14th Flying Training Wing, under the Air Education Training Command (AETC), is responsible for an intensive 52-week Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT) program.  The 14th Flying Training Wing's mission is to "Train World-Class Pilots."

History

The installation's history began June 26, 1941, with the War Department's approval to establish an Army Air Field for the Columbus area. Initially, the base was a training facility for fighters and bombers. The Columbus flying school received its first aircraft--nine Lockheed AT-10s and twenty-one AT-8s in early 1942. Twenty-five cadets arrived at Columbus in February 1942. A total of 7,766 students came to Columbus for pilot training during World War II. 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. 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 (ATC) activated Columbus AFB on December 20, 1950, to be used as a station for a contract flying school. On April 1, 1955, HQ USAF transferred Columbus AFB from ATC control to Strategic Air Command (SAC) and Second Air Force. After 14 years as a SAC base, on July 1, 1969, HQ USAF transferred Columbus back to ATC and to its original mission of training pilots. For more history on Columbus AFB, view the installation homepage.

Population

Columbus AFB currently has a Total Force Strength of 2,697 personnel comprised of 1,201 civilians and 1,496 active/reserve military members (Sep 2020).

Columbus-Lowndes County: 58,595 (Jul 2019)

Columbus AFB currently serves more than 10,360 personnel, comprised of 1,400 active duty military members, and a combined area populace of more than 8,960 personnel from the Reserves, other branches of service, Geographically Separated Units, family members, DoD civilians, contractors, and retirees.

Location

Columbus Air Force Base is located in Columbus, Mississippi, and is home to the 14th Flying Training Wing, Air Education and Training Command (AETC). Located in Lowndes County, Columbus is considered a low-cost military town and is home to many retirees. Many popular travel spots such as New Orleans, Louisiana; Memphis, Tennessee; Atlanta, Georgia; and the Gulf Coast are within 350 miles driving distance from Columbus. The base operator's phone number is 662-434-1110; DSN 312-742-1110. The base is located just off Highway 45 North, approximately 7.5 miles north of where Highway 82 intersects Highway 45 near downtown Columbus. The turnoff to the main gate is well marked with signage and a T-37 static display. There is an additional entrance on the south side of the base at the end of Highway 373 which is open Monday through Friday, 0600-1800, and is closed on weekends, down-days and holidays.

Map

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