You don’t have to have lived in Columbus too long to remember a time when any discussion of the future of Columbus Air Force Base was more ominous than optimistic.

As recently as 2012, CAFB’s future was very much in play through something called Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), a process that governs the closure of military installations. Six rounds of base closures (1985, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995 and 2005) shuttered 350 military facilities. The threat of BRAC hung over military communities across the country, and Columbus was no exception. CAFB came closest to that fate in 1992, when it was on the closure list before ultimately being spared. In 2012, a $2 million grant from the Mississippi Development Authority for improvements at CAFB was enough to keep the base off the closure list, a testament to the community’s persistent advocacy and the base’s strategic value.

What folks may not know is that CAFB has actually been closed before. It was closed at the end of World War II and re-opened in 1950 as the Korean War began, underscoring the dynamic nature of military needs. The base was used for a variety of purposes until 1969, when it returned to its original mission of pilot training under the Air Training Command, which it continues to perform today, solidifying its place as a cornerstone of Air Force aviation.

During Wednesday’s Base Community Council meeting, Col. James Blech, whose two-year assignment ends in July, spoke of a Columbus Air Force Base in transition.

Obviously, the word “transition” carries a vastly different and more positive connotation now than it did during all those years when the metaphorical Sword of Damocles hung ominously over CAFB, threatening its very existence.

Blech’s tenure as wing commander has been highlighted by the major changes to pilot training over the last two years, including overseeing the base’s final flight of the T-1 Jayhawk fleet in March as the base transitions training to the T-7A Red Hawks next year. This modernization effort is a massive step forward. CAFB is also shifting to Undergraduate Pilot Training 2.5, a revolutionary curriculum allowing the service to save on the high maintenance costs of aging jet engines by utilizing advanced high-fidelity flight simulators, artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies. This move signals a commitment to innovation and efficiency.

The transition will continue as the as-yet-announced new wing commander assumes leadership in July, promising a continuation of this exciting era of change.

The Air Force’s significant investment in a new fleet of trainers and new technology is a clear and unmistakable sign that the future is indeed bright at CAFB.

This is good news, not only for the base and its personnel who can look forward to a more stable future, but for our community. It’s hard to imagine what our community would be like without CAFB and its tremendous economic and cultural impact. Fortunately, it doesn’t appear that we will have to imagine that for years to come, something that could not be said with confidence as recently as 2012.

The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.