Allen C. Thompson Field Air National Guard Base


 * See: Jackson-Evers International Airport for civil airport information

Allen C. Thompson Field Air National Guard Base is the home base of the Mississippi Air National Guard 172d Airlift Wing.

Overview
The 172d Airlift Wing provides the State of Mississippi support in the event of national emergency, maintains peace and order and supports civil defense and pre-attack planning.

On 20 November 1995 Congressman G. V. "Sonny" Montgomery announced that six operational C-17 Globemaster III aircraft will be assigned to the 172d Airlift Wing, Jackson Air National Guard Base.

Six C-17 Globemaster IIIs are assigned to the Mississippi Air National Guard. These six airlifters are assigned to support the Strategic Brigade Airdrop mission of the XVIIIth Airborne Corps. They train with this unit and support the 24-hour wheels-up requirement of the nation's contingency corps.

History
Jackson Army Air Base was established by the United States Army Air Corps in 1940. It was Jackson's pre-war airport, Hawkins Field, and was used by AAF Training Command 35th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron as a contract pilot training school, operated by the Mississippi Institute of Aeronautics for basic pilot training during the war. The first cadets arrived on 9 September 1940 to begin pilot training. Known sub-bases and auxiliaries assigned to the field were:
 * Augustine Auxiliary Field  32.44028°N, -90.10333°W
 * Lee Auxiliary Field (Location Undetermined)
 * Ratiff Auxiliary Field (Location Undetermined)
 * Sutherland Auxiliary Field (Location Undetermined)
 * Forest Auxiliary Field (Location Undetermined)
 * Hinds County Airport 32.30389°N, -90.40972°W
 * Lime Prairie Auxiliary Field 32.40833°N, -89.69167°W

Known training units at Jackson were:
 * 62d Flying Training Detachment (Activated as Air Corps Training Detachment C, September 1940)
 * 735th Basic Flying Training Squadron
 * 736th Single-Engine Flying Training Squadron
 * 737th Twin-Engine Flying Training Squadron

Jurisdiction of the school was transferred from the ATC Gulf Coast Air Corps Training Center to the Southeast Air Corps Training Center. Between May 1942 and Feb. 1944 pilots of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force trained at Jackson AAB in P-40 Warhawk fighters and B-25 Mitchell medium bombers.

On 30 April 1944, jurisdiction of the base was reassigned to Mobile Air Service Command (Air Technical Service Command) 35th Army Air Force Base Unit and became an air servicing detachment for B-26 Marauder aircraft. The Navy used the field occasionally for ferrying operations.

After the war the field was returned to the city of Jackson for commercial use and part of the AAF facilities were turned over to the Mississippi Air National Guard.