Basic Training at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi

The Army conducted basic training at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, beginning in 1941, but discontinued training there by April, 1946.  Information is scant, but apparently the Air Force conducted basic training there throughout he late 1950s as evidenced by the existence of a number of basic training flight photos from that time period.  Other than the photographs, little is known about the basic training mission during that time.    

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When Covid swept the world in 2020, the Air Force announced that basic military training (BMT) would be held at Keesler Air Force Base’s (AFB) beginning on 2 June 2020, until the end of Covid-19 surge operations.  The decision to stand up this capability at Keesler designating it as Detachment 5 of the 37th Training Wing at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland came following a successful trial run earlier in the year. 

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Every week, 60 new recruits from across the Total Force were sent there for six weeks of BMT until the need for surge operations diminished.  USAF 2nd Air Force commander Major General Andrea Tullos said: “This capability was a deliberately developed option to disperse the delivery of BMT during contingencies to provide surge capacity and introduce agility in the training pipeline construct.

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“This move helped ensure the health and safety of trainees and instructors by allowing proper safety controls, like physical distancing and deep cleaning.”