> Moody Air Force Base
In 1941, when America’s involvement in World
War II looked unavoidable, Lowndes County lead-
ership worked with lawmakers in Washington, D.C.,
to make local land available for military use. The re-
sult was Moody Field, located about 10 miles north
of the city and named for Major George Putnam
Moody, an Army Air Corps pilot who died during a
test flight.
The new base, intended for flight training,
opened Dec. 6, 1941 — the day before “the date
which will live in infamy,” when the Empire of Japan
attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, dragging the U.S.
into the global conflict.
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The first 150 soldiers arrived at Moody on Nov.
26, 1941, and the first 50 pilot cadets arrived Feb. 19,
1942. The cost of construction: about $11.5 million.
Today, Moody Air Force Base has grown and
its mission has changed. No longer a training base,
it hosted fighter squadrons for many years before
a major shift in emphasis made it the home of a
search-and-rescue group.
The base supports 5,152 uniformed personnel
plus 4.084 active-duty military dependents, living
both on and off the base, according to Moody’s 2018
economic impact analysis.
In addition, there are 442 civilians at Moody
working directly for the Department of Defense and
400 civilians who work for contractors and private
businesses.