Mississippi Air National Guard



186th Air Refueling Wing

Key Field, Meridian

Meridian is the smallest community in the United States to support an Air National Guard flying wing — the 186th Air Refueling Wing.

The wing is made up of about 1,050 traditional Guard members and more than 400 full-time men and women, including active Guard, federal technicians, state employees and civilian contractors. About half of the people in the wing live in Lauderdale County.

The 186th ARW operates, maintains and supports KC-135R aircraft used to provide air-to-air refueling, and cargo and passenger support to missions of the U.S. Air Force. The wing also operates counterdrug aircraft, providing nationwide support to law enforcement.

The home of the 186th, Key Field in Meridian, is the birthplace of air-to-air refueling.

At 12:32 p.m. on June 4, 1935, brothers Al and Fred Key lifted off the grass strip of Meridian’s airport to break the world record for sustained flight. They flew for 27 days. When they landed on July 1, 1935, the crowd that greeted them is estimated to have numbered 30,000-40,000. The Meridian airport was renamed Key Field in their honor.

The flight was made in a Curtis Robbins Monoplane called the “Ole Miss,” and it proved that air-to-air refueling worked.

The unit was realigned during the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure hearings and is currently seeking a new mission.



238th Air Support

Operations Squadron

Key Field, Meridian

The 238th Air Support Operations Squadron of the Mississippi Air National Guard is a tenant unit at Key Field in Meridian.

The mission of the 238th is to provide liaison and expertise to Army combat units on aerospace force applications. The unit’s mission focuses on close air support and other missions, including surveillance and reconnaissance, airlift, electronic warfare and special operations.

The 238th also is tasked with the mission of deploying alongside Army ground forces to advise and assist the commander in the use of Air Force close air support, tactical airlift and reconnaissance aircraft.



248th Air Traffic Control Squadron

Key Field, Meridian

The 248th Air Traffic Control Squadron of the Mississippi Air National Guard is also a tenant unit at Key Field.

The wartime mission of the Air Traffic Control Squadron is to deploy, operate and maintain air traffic control and landing systems in either a stand-alone capacity or in conjunction with bare base communications packages in support of major command requirements.

The 248th is one of 10 ATC squadrons in the Air Guard. The squadron also provides all of the civilian and military air traffic control for Key Field.



Mississippi Army National Guard



150th Combat Engineer Battalion

Key Field, Meridian

The headquarters company of the Mississippi’s 150th Combat Engineer Battalion is stationed in Meridian.

The 150th Combat Engineer Battalion served at Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe during World War II.

During Desert Storm, several units of this battalion served in the Persian Gulf. Many of the soldiers and all of the units were decorated for valor and heroism.

Elements of the 150th Combat Engineer Battalion are located as follows: Headquarters, Meridian; Company A, Carthage; Company B, Quitman; Detachment 1, Company B, Lucedale; Company C, Houston; Detachment 1, Company C, Okolona.



185th Aviation Group, Company G

Key Field, Meridian

Key Field in Meridian is home to the Mississippi Army National Guard’s 185th Aviation Group, Company G. The mission of the 185th is to move troops and cargo, lift heavy equipment and recover damaged aircraft.

In 1992, the Meridian company’s CH-54 Sky Cranes were replaced by twin-rotor CH-47 Chinook medium lift helicopters.

Aviation assets under the 185th in Mississippi are: the 1-185th Aviation Battalion at Tupelo and Jackson; Company G, 185th Aviation at Meridian; Company D, 1-159th Aviation at Tupelo; and Company K, 185th Aviation at Camp Shelby near Hattiesburg.



204th Air Defense Artillery,

1st Battalion

Newton

The mission of the 204th Air Defense Artillery is to provide air defense against low-altitude aircraft. The battalion uses the “Avenger” Air Defense Missile System — and was the first Army National Guard unit to receive the state-of-the-art defense weaponry.

The 1st Battalion, 204th Air Defense Artillery, now headquartered in Newton, also has units in Bay Springs, Forest, Morton and Decatur.



298th Corps Support Battalion

Philadelphia

The history of the 298th Corps Support Battalion, based in Philadelphia, goes back to Jan. 1, 1943, when it was activated at Fort Knox, Ken.

The Mississippi Army National Guard unit participated in the European Campaign during World War II as part of the 750th Tank Battalion, which was inactivated in December 1945 in New York. The unit went through several reorganizations over the years, becoming the 298th Corps Support Battalion on Sept. 1, 1994.

Its current designation and responsibilities include providing support in transportation, ammunition, supply and service and maintenance.



367th Maintenance Company,

Detachment 1

Philadelphia

Also stationed in Philadelphia is Detachment 1 of the 367th Maintenance Company of the Mississippi Army National Guard. The mission of the 367th while deployed in Iraq was to support the new Stryker Brigade.

The Stryker is a wheeled, armored vehicle, resembling a tank. The 367th provided maintenance and repair parts for the Stryker vehicles. The Stryker Brigade is the first of its kind deployed in combat and the 367th was selected to provide maintenance for the team.