81st FS to reactivate at CAFB

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - The 81st Fighter Squadron – first activated in January 1942 at Key Field - will be reactivated on January 15 under the 14th Operations Group at Columbus Air Force Base for training up to 30 international pilots and 90 maintenance personnel on the A-29 Super Tucano. "This is a great opportunity for the 14th Flying Training Wing to continue to support international training," said Col. John Nichols, 14th FTW commander. The squadron will eventually grow to 65 personnel and 20 aircraft with training slated to begin in February. This is a temporary training mission programmed to be complete by 2018. Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James had announced Aug. 22 that the overall program for coalition partner-training would be based at Moody AFB, Ga. (Source: Columbus AFB, 12/11/14)