KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE 

Keesler Air Force Base is the home of the 81st Training Wing -- the electronics, computer and weather training center of the United States Air Force. Under the direction of the Headquarters 2nd Air Force, also located here, Keesler is one of the largest training centers in the Air Force.

Second Air Force directs the training at five training centers, including Keesler, and reports to its parent organization, the Air Education and Training Command, headquartered at Randolph AFB, TX.

Location
The base is located in the city of Biloxi, MS, on 2.6 square miles of land, much of which was provided to the U.S. Army Air Corps by the city in early 1941. Just to the south of Keesler is the Mississippi Gulf Coast, fronted with 26 miles of man-made sand beach. To the north lies the Back Bay of Biloxi. New Orleans is located some 90 miles to the west, while the city of Mobile, AL, is about 60 miles east of the base. Keesler AFB has been a major training center from its inception. During World War II, more than 142,000 aircraft mechanics and 336,000 recruits received training at the installation, and since its first class graduated in January 1942, Keesler has graduated more than two million students.

Training Mission
Today, the 81st Training Wing at Keesler is the Air Force's computer and electronics training "Center of Excellence." Last year, the wing trained 22,925 Airmen, soldiers, sailors, and Marines in 38 specialties. Most students come to Keesler fresh from basic military training at Lackland AFB, TX, and are trained in a number of fields, primarily in electronics specialties. Avionics maintenance, radio and radar systems maintenance, communications-electronics, computer systems, and air traffic control are but a few of the main electronics-related courses taught at Keesler. Other key areas for Keesler include comptroller and weather training for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.

A total of 897 Airmen from the 81st Training Wing deployed around the world in force during 2008 to over 47 locations. The 81st Medical Group also sent some of their finest members to participate in a U.S. Southern Command humanitarian mission for four months, helping our partner nations recover from some of the worst natural disasters in 2008.


Flying Mission
In addition to technical training, Keesler is home to three units with flying missions--the 45th Airlift Squadron, and the 403rd Wing's 815th Airlift Squadron and 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron. The 403rd Wing of the Air Force Reserve Command is responsible for tactical airlift support of airborne forces, equipment and supplies using the C-130 Hercules aircraft.

The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, known as the "Hurricane Hunters," flies hurricane hunting missions, tracking storms and relaying weather information to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla. The 815th Airlift Squadron provides movement of troops, supplies, and equipment to worldwide prepared and unprepared areas, utilized airdrop or airland methods.

The 45th Airlift Squadron conducts initial qualification and instructor pilot training in the C-21 Learjet. The C-21 is used for operational airlift missions and provides valuable flight experience for the Air Force's newest transport pilots.

Medical Center
The 81st Medical Group operates Keesler Medical Center, one of the largest medical centers in the Air Force. Its primary mission is to maintain medical readiness for worldwide contingencies by providing quality, cost- effective healthcare for 10,947 active duty and 46,981 eligible local beneficiaries in a 40-mile catchment area. The 81st MDG commander also oversees the Gulf Coast Multi-Service Market, which includes five military medical treatment facilities and two Coast Guard medical facilities stretching from Mobile, Ala., to New Orleans, coordinating care for more than 75,000 eligible beneficiaries along the Gulf Coast.

Rebuilding for the Future
Keesler is nearing the completion of a transformation as it meets the challenge of overcoming nearly a billion dollars worth of damage brought on by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Reconstruction efforts are nearing completion and in the coming year folks will be seeing the new base exchange and commissary completed, initiation of the new hospital tower construction, and progress on the new housing area. Other initiatives that Keesler continues to work on are new dormitories, a Division Street gate for better force protection, and a Warrior Fitness Center.

Community Partners
Keesler Airmen continue to be active partners in the local community and are committed good neighbors to the people of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. In 2008 more than 18,122 documented volunteer hours were clocked in the local community. And Keesler's $1.18 billion economic impact during the same year has been a boon to the local economy and a steadying factor in the Coast's recovery.

Signature events, including Keesler's Thunder on the Bay Air Show, Mississippi State Special Olympics, and CISM Soccer championship, are great examples of how the base is bringing folks back to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and Keesler AFB.

In its 68 years of existence, Keesler Air Force Base has overcome many obstacles and changed with the times, always meeting the needs of its mission as well as its reputation as a good neighbor. The commitment to excellence is reflected in the men and women of Team Keesler, extending well beyond the confines of the base and into the local community.

(Current as of April 2009)


For a look at a welcome guide printed in approximately 1965, click here