14th Flying Training Wing: history vs. heritage

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Keith Holcomb
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  The history of every Air Force base is unique, some change missions as the military evolved, some are stood down then reactivated and some change branches or become joint locations.

Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, has done it all. From an Army flying training base, to a Strategic Air Command focus, this airfield has a lot.

Air Force historians capture and record significant events. Wing historian, Dr. Doris Crusoe referenced Jacob Neufeld, stating ‘history makes you smart and heritage makes you proud,’ noting that is the difference between the two words.

The Columbus, Mississippi community has been accepting of the installation, with ups and downs, they have been a critical part of Columbus AFB being the most successful pilot training base since 1941.

“We have this rich heritage of always training pilots, with a few years working as a SAC base, but one fact that’s incredible is the amount of pilots we used to train,” said 1st Lt. Hannah Ferrarini, 14th Force Support Squadron Military Personnel Flight commander. “When it was a truly undergraduate commissioning program, we took people out of high schools, gave them degrees, made them officers and created 195 military aviators a month.”

Since its first pilot training class, the Columbus airfield has helped create a large amount of military aviators every year. The 14th FTW continues to graduate the most pilots of any pilot training base in the U.S. Air Force.

“I think we forget we are the best sometimes,” Ferrarini said. “We have been the most productive pilot training base since we began and learning about that makes me proud to be a part of that history.”

Every group, squadron and unit on Columbus AFB helps create the next generation of military aviators. The process of creating a pilot has changed over time but the support the student pilots receive is constant.

“We don’t know the impact we have on the mission unless we look back and see what we’ve done in the past,” Ferrarini said. “If we don’t take the time to reflect it becomes harder to see our impact and learn from it.”