Keesler Air Force Base

Keesler Air Force Base
Part of Air Education and Training Command (AETC)
Located in Biloxi, Mississippi
Air Traffic Control Training at Keesler AFB
Coordinates	30°24′41″N 088°55′25″W / 30.41139°N 88.92361°W / 30.41139; -88.92361 (Keesler AFB)
Site information
Controlled by	United States Air Force
Site history
Built	1941
In use	1941–present
Garrison information
Garrison	81st Training Wing

Airfield information
IATA: BIX ICAO: KBIX FAA LID: BIX
Summary
Elevation AMSL	33 ft / 10 m
Coordinates	30°24′41″N 088°55′25″W / 30.41139°N 88.92361°W / 30.41139; -88.92361Coordinates: 30°24′41″N 088°55′25″W / 30.41139°N 88.92361°W / 30.41139; -88.92361
Website	www.keesler.af.mil
Map
KBIX Location of Keesler Air Force Base
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 3/21 7,630 2,326 PEM

Keesler Air Force Base (IATA: BIX, ICAO: KBIX, FAA LID: BIX) 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 during the First World War. The base is home of Headquarters, Second Air Force (2 AF) and the 81st Training Wing (81 TW) of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC).

The base has specialised in ground trade training since its opening in 1941.

In early January 1941, Biloxi city officials assembled a formal offer to invite the United States Army to build a base to support the World War II training buildup. The War Department activated Army Air Corps Station No. 8, Aviation Mechanics School, Biloxi, Mississippi, on 12 June 1941. On August 25, 1941, the base was dedicated as Keesler Army Airfield, in honor of 2d Lt Samuel Reeves Keesler, Jr., a Mississippi native and distinguished aerial observer, killed in action in France during the First World War.