A portion of the Air Force base in Lowndes County is counted as a census-designated place for statistical purposes.[4] According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the CDP has an area of 4.1 square miles (10.5 km2),[5] with a residential population at the 2020 census of 1,307.[6]
History
The 29th Training Wing was established at Moody Field in 1941 for primary flight training.[7] Initially called Valdosta Airfield in June 1941, it was renamed Moody Army Air Field on 6 December 1941.[8] The installation's namesake, Major George Moody (1908–1941), was a U.S. Army Air Corps test pilot who died on 5 May 1941 in a crash of the prototype Beech Model 25 twin-engine trainer aircraft on its first test flight in Wichita, Kansas.[8] The Model 25 eventually became the AT-10 "Wichita", flown extensively at Moody Field during WWII.
On 1 September 1951 Moody AFB was transferred from SAC to Air Training Command and the 3550th Training Wing (Interceptor Aircrew) was established there.[7]: 73 In 1952 Moody was assigned to undertake combat crew training.[7]: 68 In July 1957, following the cessation of interceptor training at Tyndall Air Force Base, advanced interceptor training and Tyndall's F-86D Sabres were transferred to Moody, while Moody's F-89Ds were transferred to James Connally Air Force Base.[7]: 111 On 3 November 1960 Moody stopped interceptor training and became a consolidated pilot training school.[7]: 132
On 1 December 1973 the 3550th Training Wing was inactivated and replaced by the new 38th Flying Training Wing.[7]: 194
On 1 December 1975 Moody AFB was transferred from Air Training Command to Tactical Air Command and the 38th Flying Training Wing was inactivated.[7]: 202
On 1 October 2006 the 23rd Fighter Group was redesignated as the 23d Wing and activated at Moody AFB.[16] On the same date the 347th Rescue Wing was inactivated and the 347th Operations Group was redesignated the 347th Rescue Group which became a subordinate element of the 23d Wing.
The 23rd Wing inactivated the 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron in January 2022 while at the same time activating the 74th and 75th Fighter Generation Squadrons. The move was part of Air Combat Command's plans to improve the alignment of fighter operations and maintenance.[17]
Moody Air Force Base is listed as a census-designated place (CDP) and is the official name for an area covering the residential population of the Moody Air Force Base, in Lowndes County, Georgia, United States.
Moody Air Force Base was first listed as an unincorporated place in the 1970 census[21] and designated a CDP in the 1980 census.[21] The population at the 2020 census was 1,307.[22]
Moody AFB CDP, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
^Bailey, Carl E. (27 March 2015). "Factsheet 71 Rescue Squadron". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
^"68 Fighter Squadron". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 7 August 2008. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
^"69 Fighter Squadron". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 9 March 2010. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
^"68 Fighter Squadron". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 9 April 2008. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
^Robertson, Patsy (6 February 2015). "Factsheet 23 Fighter Wing (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
^"Moody AFB Education Overview". Militaryonesource.mil. Retrieved 26 September 2024. Lowndes County School District (the school district that supports the on-base families). - This is a .mil site.