Greenville Air Force Base (Mississippi)
Encyclopedia
Greenville Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force
base in Greenville, Mississippi
. It was closed in the 1960s and redeveloped into Mid-Delta Regional Airport.
site selection board picked Greenville, Mississippi
, as the location of a training center for the Second Aviation Initiative. By mid-June construction at the 2000 acres (8.1 km²), 140 building site was in full progress. The Air Corps activated Greenville Army Airfield in August 1940, only two months after construction commenced. The first planes arrived on 5 November, and the training of pilots began.
The Army Air Forces Pilot Training School (Basic) conducted contract flying training until inactivated in March 1945. The airfield was reactivated on 5 June 1945 and was transferred to Air Technical Service Command, becoming a sub-base of Brookley Army Airfield, Alabama
. ATSC used Greenville as a storage depot for returning Eighth
and Fifteenth Air Force
B-24 Liberator
s. During the summer, C-47s returning from Europe were also sent to Greenville for storage. Aircraft operations at the base consisted mostly of test flights, and flying stored aircraft to reclamation facilities. Storage of other types of aircraft began after the end of the war in September, with all the stored aircraft moved out by the end of June 1946. Greenville Army Airfield was inactivated on 22 July 1946 and turned over to the War Assets Administration for disposal.
The airfield was operated as a civilian airport in the late 1940s, however to handle increased pilot requirements for the Korean War
, the United States Air Force
Air Training Command
activated the former World War II airfield as Greenville Air Base, on 1 December 1950 to be used as stations for contract flying schools. However, contract flying squadrons were not established until 1951 when the 3300th Flying Training Squadron was activated.
ATC activated Graham Air Base
Florida
in January 1953 to replace Greenville Air Base as a contract primary pilot training School. Greenville was redesignated as Greenville Air Force Base and became a full, Air Training Command basic single-engine pilot training school, with the 3505th Pilot Training Wing (Basic, Single-Engine) as its operational training unit. Instruction was begun in April 1953 flying T-28 Trojan
s. The wing was upgraded to jet trainers in 1955 when T-33 Shooting Star
s arrived.
On 1 December 1960, pilot training at Greenville was discontinued and the 3505th Pilot Training Wing was inactivated. The T-33s were sent to the new Consolidated Pilot Training school at Craig Air Force Base
, Alabama
. Air Training Command initially wanted to close the base, however, owing to political pressure, several technical training courses were transferred to the base and the facility became a Technical Training Center for ATC. Between November 1960 and mid-1961, Greenville received six personnel courses from Lackland Air Force Base
, Texas
and two fire protection courses from Lowry Air Force Base
, Colorado
under the new 3505th Technical Training Wing. In 1962, several medical courses were also reassigned to Greenville from Lowry.
In December 1963, Secretary of Defense Robert MacNamara
announced that Greenville would be closed in 1965 as part of budgetary reductions. During 1964, activities at Greenville began to be phased down, initially by downgrading the 3505th to group status and moving medical courses to Gunter Air Force Station, Alabama
; personnel courses moved to Amarillo Air Force Base
, Texas
and firefighting courses to Chanute Air Force Base
, Illinois
. On 1 April 1964, the 3505th TTG was inactivated. Greenville Air Force Base was placed in caretaker status, being assigned as a sub-base to Keesler Air Force Base
. De-militarization activities were commenced and the military part of the airport was returned to full civilian control on 27 December 1966.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
base in Greenville, Mississippi
Greenville, Mississippi
Greenville is a city in Washington County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 48,633 at the 2000 census, but according to the 2009 census bureau estimates, it has since declined to 42,764, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. It is the county seat of Washington...
. It was closed in the 1960s and redeveloped into Mid-Delta Regional Airport.
History
In February 1940, a United States Army Air CorpsUnited States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
site selection board picked Greenville, Mississippi
Greenville, Mississippi
Greenville is a city in Washington County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 48,633 at the 2000 census, but according to the 2009 census bureau estimates, it has since declined to 42,764, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. It is the county seat of Washington...
, as the location of a training center for the Second Aviation Initiative. By mid-June construction at the 2000 acres (8.1 km²), 140 building site was in full progress. The Air Corps activated Greenville Army Airfield in August 1940, only two months after construction commenced. The first planes arrived on 5 November, and the training of pilots began.
The Army Air Forces Pilot Training School (Basic) conducted contract flying training until inactivated in March 1945. The airfield was reactivated on 5 June 1945 and was transferred to Air Technical Service Command, becoming a sub-base of Brookley Army Airfield, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. ATSC used Greenville as a storage depot for returning Eighth
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
and Fifteenth Air Force
Fifteenth Air Force
The Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
s. During the summer, C-47s returning from Europe were also sent to Greenville for storage. Aircraft operations at the base consisted mostly of test flights, and flying stored aircraft to reclamation facilities. Storage of other types of aircraft began after the end of the war in September, with all the stored aircraft moved out by the end of June 1946. Greenville Army Airfield was inactivated on 22 July 1946 and turned over to the War Assets Administration for disposal.
The airfield was operated as a civilian airport in the late 1940s, however to handle increased pilot requirements for the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Air Training Command
Air Training Command
Air Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...
activated the former World War II airfield as Greenville Air Base, on 1 December 1950 to be used as stations for contract flying schools. However, contract flying squadrons were not established until 1951 when the 3300th Flying Training Squadron was activated.
ATC activated Graham Air Base
Graham Air Base
Graham Air Base was a United States Air Force base located in Marianna, Florida. After it was closed, it was reused as Marianna Municipal Airport.-Marianna Army Airfield:...
Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in January 1953 to replace Greenville Air Base as a contract primary pilot training School. Greenville was redesignated as Greenville Air Force Base and became a full, Air Training Command basic single-engine pilot training school, with the 3505th Pilot Training Wing (Basic, Single-Engine) as its operational training unit. Instruction was begun in April 1953 flying T-28 Trojan
T-28 Trojan
The North American Aviation T-28 Trojan is a piston-engined military trainer aircraft used by the United States Air Force and United States Navy beginning in the 1950s...
s. The wing was upgraded to jet trainers in 1955 when T-33 Shooting Star
T-33 Shooting Star
The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star is an American-built jet trainer aircraft. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948, piloted by Tony LeVier. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then designated T-33A. It was used by the...
s arrived.
On 1 December 1960, pilot training at Greenville was discontinued and the 3505th Pilot Training Wing was inactivated. The T-33s were sent to the new Consolidated Pilot Training school at Craig Air Force Base
Craig Air Force Base
Craig Air Force Base near Selma, Alabama, was a U.S. Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training base that closed in 1977. As an active air force base, Craig had two parallel runways, a large aircraft parking ramp and several large maintenance hangars....
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. Air Training Command initially wanted to close the base, however, owing to political pressure, several technical training courses were transferred to the base and the facility became a Technical Training Center for ATC. Between November 1960 and mid-1961, Greenville received six personnel courses from Lackland Air Force Base
Lackland Air Force Base
Lackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located west-southwest of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and two fire protection courses from Lowry Air Force Base
Lowry Air Force Base
Lowry Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in the cities of Aurora and Denver, Colorado. Its primary mission throughout its existence was Air Force technical training and was heavily involved with the training of United States Army Air Forces bomber crews during World...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
under the new 3505th Technical Training Wing. In 1962, several medical courses were also reassigned to Greenville from Lowry.
In December 1963, Secretary of Defense Robert MacNamara
Robert McNamara
Robert Strange McNamara was an American business executive and the eighth Secretary of Defense, serving under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961 to 1968, during which time he played a large role in escalating the United States involvement in the Vietnam War...
announced that Greenville would be closed in 1965 as part of budgetary reductions. During 1964, activities at Greenville began to be phased down, initially by downgrading the 3505th to group status and moving medical courses to Gunter Air Force Station, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
; personnel courses moved to Amarillo Air Force Base
Amarillo Air Force Base
Amarillo Air Force Base, originally Amarillo Army Air Field is a former United States Air Force base located in Potter County, Texas, approximately 6 miles East of downtown Amarillo within the easternmost city limits...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and firefighting courses to Chanute Air Force Base
Chanute Air Force Base
Chanute Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located south of and adjacent to Rantoul, Illinois, about south of Chicago. Its primary mission throughout its existence was Air Force technical training....
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. On 1 April 1964, the 3505th TTG was inactivated. Greenville Air Force Base was placed in caretaker status, being assigned as a sub-base to Keesler Air Force Base
Keesler Air Force Base
Keesler Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Biloxi, a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. The base is named in honor of aviator 2d Lt Samuel Reeves Keesler, Jr., a Mississippi native killed in France in First World War.-Units:The base is home of...
. De-militarization activities were commenced and the military part of the airport was returned to full civilian control on 27 December 1966.
See also
- Mississippi World War II Army AirfieldsMississippi World War II Army AirfieldsDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Force established numerous airfields in Mississippi for antisubmarine defense in the Gulf of Mexico and for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers....
- Air Technical Service Command