Greenwood, MS and was assigned to the 24th Aero Squadron, United States
(U.S.) Army Air Service.
Technical training at Keesler Army Airfield began in mid‐July of 1941. The
training school received its first B‐24 aircraft in 1942 after the Army Air Forces
directed the school to focus on training for B‐24 aircraft mechanics. Women
and international students, from 50 counties, began training at Keesler Army
Airfield in 1943. In addition, Tuskegee Airmen, the first Black aviators in the
U.S. armed forces, were stationed at Keesler Army Airfield by 1943.
Although initially focused on training for B‐24 maintenance, training expanded
to focus on other aircraft, radio operations, and air‐sea rescue. In 1947, the
United States Air Force (USAF) became a branch of the armed services,
re‐designating Keesler Army Airfield to an Air Force base in 1948. In 1949,
Keesler AFB became known as the “Electronic Training Center of the Air
Force” after switching the training focus to radar, radio, and electronics
maintenance and repair. During this year, the City of Biloxi sold the Keesler
land to the United States.
Through the 1950s Keesler AFB gained many more training programs,
including a training program for ballistic missiles, control tower operations,
and radio maintenance. In the 1960s Keesler AFB had lost many airborne
training programs as well as the aircraft required for these programs, though
it was still the largest training base through the 1970s.
The 81st Training Wing (81st TRW) was activated at Keesler AFB in 1993. The
81st Training Wing was originally established as the 81st Fighter Wing in 1948
at Wheeler AFB in the, then, Hawaii Territory. The 2nd Air Force was also
activated at Keesler AFB in 1993. This mission was modified prior to their
arrival to Keesler AFB to develop training curriculum for the Air Education and
Training Command (AETC). The 2nd Air Force was originally formed as the
Northwest Air District in 1940 at McChord Field, Washington. The 403rd Wing
was activated at Keesler in 1994, although it had been at Keesler AFB since
1983 as the Tactical Airlift Wing. It was previously established as Troop
Background Report
Carrier Wing in 1949 at the Portland Municipal Airport in Oregon. The 85th
Engineering Installation Squadron (EIS) was activated at Keesler AFB in 1970
and has been on Keesler AFB since then.
At the turn of the 21st Century, Keeler AFB was still one of the largest
technical training wings in the USAF. Since its inception, the 81st TW has
trained thousands of airmen, Air Force officers, and military personnel from
the Navy, Army, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and other countries. The training
wing has also trained civilian and military members in technical skills.
Keesler AFB was greatly affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The storm
created $950 million in damages throughout the installation. Military family
housing, the medical center, and the central energy plant were some of the
most affected asset