Columbus AFB airman dies in vehicle accident
A Columbus Air Force Base airman has died from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident near West Point.
No injuries in Columbus Air Force Base jet malfunction
A Columbus Air Force Base instructor pilot and student pilot escaped without injury Monday after the landing gear of their training jet malfunctioned, causing the aircraft to land on its belly with its wheels retracted.
Military kids and 4-H put green thumbs to work in garden
Planting seeds for healthy living is a way of life for Lowndes County 4-H Agent Sharon Patrick, especially in her work at the Columbus Air Force Base.
State Sen. Terry Brown: CAFB vulnerable
Two decades ago, Columbus Air Force Base was threatened with Base Realignment and Closure, a process by which the United States Department of Defense strategically divests itself of military bases and reassigns personnel as a cost-saving measure.
Airbase report: $262 million pumped into local economy in 2011
With higher sales tax numbers and lower employment figures already in place for Lowndes County and Columbus, the area received more positive economic news as the Columbus Air Force Base on Friday released its fiscal year 2011 economic impact report. The report was presented during a luncheon sponsored by the Base Community Council.
Columbus Air Force Base noise levels and risk down
It’s been a little quieter around Columbus Air Force Base, and if nearby residents had complaints about noise levels or safety, they didn’t voice them Tuesday, during a presentation by Col. Barre Seguin, commander of the 14th Flying Training Wing, at the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library.
Former CAFB pilots recall life-threatening mission
With each mission, a pilot risks not returning. Instructor pilots repeat safety procedures so many times, by the time a student pilot graduates, the procedures are routine.
Seventy Years of Wings Over Columbus
On an ordinary night, the aircraft hangar would have been filled with student pilots and their instructors carrying out the Columbus Air Force Base mission of producing pilots, advancing airmen and “feeding the fight” by preparing airmen for eventual deployment. But Friday, the hangar was the setting for a dignitary-studded soirée that carried on well into the night as the base celebrated the 70th anniversary of its first graduating pilot class.
Ask Rufus: The long history of Columbus air bases
This week Columbus Air Force Base will be celebrating its 70th anniversary. The base follows a 199 year tradition of military installations in the Columbus area.
Star-struck: When Hollywood went to war and came to Columbus
You might remember Clark Gable for his portrayal of Rhett Butler in “Gone With the Wind,” or as one of the great legends of the silver screen, but almost 70 years ago, he was a real American hero, both on screen and off, when he flew real combat missions during World War II.
Our View: So many reasons to love CAFB
Columbus Air Force Base is Lowndes County’s largest employer, providing 3,000 military and civilian jobs. The average salary is more than $41,000, well above $35,000, the approximate state average.
Keep ’em flying: Columbus Air Force Base one of three bases in country training student pilots
The first mission of Columbus Air Force Base is training pilots. Student pilots come from around the world to the hometown base that began as a pilot training post for the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1942 during World War II.
Fire retardant foam spill contained at CAFB
Columbus Air Force Base received the all-clear Friday afternoon after a fire retardant foam spill at the base about 48 hours earlier.
Pacific is U.S. military’s priority, general says
The world is changing. And those things affecting the Asia-Pacific region will impact all of us, an Air Force general told members of the Columbus community Thursday. “The world … is reshaping. It will shape our futures as well,” said Gen. Gary North, commander of Pacific Air Forces.
Regional airport fills many roles, part of larger economic development plan
Working with the nation’s busiest air base is just one part of the multifaceted role of Golden Triangle Regional Airport. Other facets include economic development, business travel and passenger air service.
GTRA to host CAFB flight training during runway construction
The Golden Triangle Regional Airport will be a temporary home for pilots training at Columbus Air Force Base. GTRA Executive Director Mike Hainsey said some classes and training flights will relocate to the airport next summer while the 50-year-old runway at the air base is repaved.
CAFB raises security-alert status
Columbus Air Force Base, along with air bases around the nation, raised its security alert status Tuesday as a precautionary measure in response to the approaching 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people.
Emergency management: This is only a drill
Columbus-Lowndes emergency response agencies, in cooperation with Mississippi University for Women and Columbus Air Force Base, will conduct a disaster drill on Aug. 31, at approximately 8 a.m. on the MUW campus.
CAFB re-opens gate after bomb scare
Columbus Air Force Base reopened the front gate to thru-traffic yesterday at approximately 2:57 p.m. after receiving the all-clear following a morning bomb scare. Staff Sgt. Tom Burns said the base went on alert at 11:25 a.m. Thursday when a Security Forces canine handler’s dog gave an alert while performing a routine search of a delivery truck.
CAFB remembers service, sacrifice of fallen pilot
Members of the Columbus Air Force Base honored one of their fallen comrades Thursday afternoon, recognizing the late Capt. Jeffrey Hill for his service as well as his sacrifice.