Installation Setting Local Communities Working Together
Keesler AFB is situated on the Mississippi coast approximately 90 miles east
of New Orleans, Louisiana and 60 miles west of Mobile, Alabama. The
installation is located in the City of Biloxi, Mississippi and includes pockets of
privatized housing separate from the Base operational area within the City of
Biloxi and Jackson County. As a community presence, Keesler AFB contributes to more than just the
local economy. Keesler AFB recognizes that in a city, continued support of
the local population and government officials is invaluable. Keesler AFB
understands the value of volunteering and engaging with the community. In
2014, the installation reported 139,312 of community volunteer hours.
Keesler AFB is located north of UA Highway 90, surrounded by urban
developed areas of the City of Biloxi to the west, south, and east. These
built‐out areas contain established residential neighborhoods consisting of
predominantly single family homes with pockets of neighborhood
commercial development along collector streets such as Pass Road and
Iberville Drive to the west. Abutting the southern perimeter of the
installation is the CSX Transportation rail line, which separates the installation
from the residential area on the south side of Irish Hill Drive. The Biloxi
Junior High School and the Old Biloxi Cemetery are also located on Irish Hill
Drive, immediately south of the installation. On the north side of Keesler AFB
is the Back Bay of Biloxi – an 8.1 square mile estuary fed from the Biloxi and
Tchoutacabouffa rivers and Mississippi Sound. Military Operations
The installation comprises training, administration and housing facilities,
runway and airfield facilities, the Keesler Medical Center, and Base support
and recreation facilities, including a marina and golf course.
One additional area in the City of Biloxi, east of Keesler AFB and south of
Bayview Avenue – Harrison Court, is also part of Keesler AFB and contained
privatized housing prior to Hurricane Katrina. The homes were not rebuilt
and the site is currently vacant.
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Primary operations at Keesler AFB include electronics training, weather
reconnaissance, tactical airlift support, disaster response, medical care and
training, management of Air Force training, and training for various
disciplines for other branches of the Armed Forces. Operations are
conducted to execute missions by the host units and tenant organizations.
The following are the host units and tenant organizations that operate at
Keesler AFB:
Host Units
81st Training Wing
81st Training Group
81st Medical Group
81st Mission Support Group
2nd Air Force
Tenant Organizations
403rd Wing
85th Engineering Installation Squadron
Mathies Noncommissioned Officers Academy
Center for Naval Aviation Technical Unit