Key Field Air National Guard Base

Key Field Air National Guard Base, the first Air National Guard unit in Mississippi, was federally recognized in 1939. Originally called the 153rd Observation Squadron, the unit conducted tactical reconnaissance over the beaches of Normandy during the allied Invasion of Europe and continued throughout World War II. The base continued the tactical reconnaissance mission until 1992 when the F-4 Phantoms were de-activated and Key Field received the KC-135 Stratotanker.

Fred and Al Key, two of the founding members of the unit, were early aviation pioneers who set an endurance flight record of 27 days over the skies of Meridian and our local area. They were the first to perfect the art of aerial refueling, a legacy that is carried on to this day. After this historic flight, Meridian’s public airport was renamed Key Field in the brothers’ honor. 

Key Field ANG Base is comprised of personnel from 56 counties in Mississippi and from a dozen other states around the country. Four hundred and seventy personnel work at Key Field on a daily basis and another seven hundred come in two days a month and two weeks a year to perform their reserve military training. 

 

 

Federally, the 186th provides aerial refueling, air mobility, and command and control capabilities to our nation with 8 KC-135 aircraft and 1100+ Airmen. Domestically, they support the homeland defense mission, provide counterdrug support and disaster assessment with two RC-26 aircraft, and respond stateside in times of manmade and natural disasters. Locally, they provide all air traffic control tower and firefighting services for Meridian’s civilian airport – Key Field.

Col Ed Evans, Commander of the 186th Air Refueling Wing, Key Field Air National Guard Base says, “Meridian and Lauderdale County has been the home to Key Field ANGB for 82 years. Most of our people come from the local area and we see East Mississippi as our home. We consider ourselves part of the fabric of the community and have always enjoyed strong support from our local citizens. ‘Thank you for your service!’ We hear this every day from people in the community, and it never gets old. We belong to the chamber because we live and work in this area and want our local community to be successful. The local support for our organization is appreciated and noticed by our congressional and military leaders. You help us when you support us. Local businesses should hire our service members. They receive military experience and training that makes them excellent employees.”

Here are three interesting facts about the Key Field Air National Guard:

  • The KC-135R Aircraft offloaded enough fuel last year, for an average car to drive around the world over 500 times.
  • In 2020, Key Field Air National Guard Base had an economic impact of $92,000,000.
  • If you join the MS Air National Guard, you can attend 1 of 17 state colleges tuition free.

Col Evans adds, “We are always looking for new members to join our team. If interested, please give one of our ANG recruiters a call at (601) 484-9569.

186th Air Refueling Wing, Key Field Air National Guard Base Motto

To be the best Air Mobility Unit / The standard by which others are measured.

Key Field Air National Guard Base
6225 M St., Meridian, MS