Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian

Naval Air Station Meridian is found in the northeastern side of Lauderdale and Kemper County in Meridian, Mississippi. It lies in 12,000 acres of land wherein the 4,000 acres is in SEARAY, a target field and the Joe Williams Field. Its major function is to train the US Navy jet strike pilots in lined with the Naval Air Station Kingsville which is found in Texas and also provides the technical training and support for all the units stationed in the base. The Naval Air Station houses the 4,000 military employees and their dependents and civilian personnel employees.

Naval Air Station Meridian Facts

• Location: Lauderdale and Kemper Counties, near Meridian, Mississippi
• Website:
  Visit NAS Meridian Website ›
• Phone: (601) 679-2211
• Longitude:
  -88.605691
• Latitude:
  32.550844
• DSN:
  637-2602

The ground breaking of the $60 million Naval Auxiliary Air Station on July 16, 1957, it was named McCain Field at that time in honor of Admiral McCaine, Sr. The station served as the base for the hundreds of airplanes which were based in Florida in trying to escape the destructive hurricane Betsy. The exodus of 300 planes from Florida was repeated on 1968 and 1969 when Hurricane Camille and Hurricane Gladys struck Florida. Over the years, the base continues to show improvements and became a Naval Air Station with increase constructions of buildings and housing units for the family of the servicemen.

The NAS Meridian is also the base for Training Squadron NINETEEN, Training Air Wing, and the Marine Aviation training Support Squadron, the Naval Training Center and the training Squadron Seven. The NAS Commanding officer is the backbone of the station while the Administrative Services Department offers services like the processing of the personnel matters, processing of the command and evaluation communications, offers messaging systems and other administrative services in the entire station. The Air Traffic Control Department functions in the radar final control systems and the control tower, issue instructions to the pilots of the military flight operations in the entire base.