Moody Air Force Base

Moody Air Force Base is an active United States Air Force installation in south Georgia, located near Valdosta in Lowndes and Lanier counties. Construction began in 1941, and the field was named for Major George Putnam Moody, an officer killed earlier that year while test piloting a trainer aircraft. During World War II the base served as a flight training site, generating thousands of pilots before transitioning through several postwar roles. Today Moody hosts the 23d Wing and the 93d Air Ground Operations Wing, with a mission centered on close air support, combat search and rescue, and personnel recovery using A-10C and HH-60W aircraft. The installation remains one of the larger Air Force presences in the region.

As at many long active airfields, activities at Moody have raised concerns about potential exposure to environmental contaminants, particularly compounds tied to decades of firefighting foam use. Sampling has identified several substances of interest in groundwater and water systems associated with the base.

1. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a large family of synthetic chemicals valued for their resistance to heat, water, and oil. At Moody, PFAS are understood to be associated with the long term use of firefighting foam in training and emergency response. In 2016 the Environmental Protection Agency reported roughly 375,000 parts per trillion of PFAS in on-base drinking water. Some PFAS compounds have been associated in research with a range of health concerns, and questions about potential exposure remain under study.
2. PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) is an individual PFAS compound that was a common ingredient in older foam formulations used at the base. Testing at Moody reported PFOS levels well above federal reference thresholds. PFOS has been associated in scientific literature with concerns about potential effects on the immune system and other outcomes.
3. PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) is another specific PFAS compound detected in connection with foam use and related releases at Moody. Reported PFOA concentrations also exceeded federal reference levels. PFOA has been the subject of ongoing research into possible health concerns, and exposure questions continue to be evaluated.
4. AFFF (aqueous film forming foam) is the firefighting foam widely used at military airfields to suppress fuel fires, and it is regarded as the primary source of PFAS, PFOS, and PFOA at Moody. Personnel used AFFF in training exercises and emergency response after about 1970, and residues are believed to have migrated into local groundwater. Concerns about potential exposure relate chiefly to the PFAS chemicals the foam contained.

Moody Air Force Base is not listed on the National Priorities List, so it is not a Superfund site. Investigation and cleanup are proceeding through the Department of Defense environmental restoration process under Air Force oversight, including a remedial investigation of PFAS impacts. Reported response measures have included water treatment approaches such as granular activated carbon and reverse osmosis. Federal officials have noted that the estimated cleanup timeline has shifted later, reflecting the scale and complexity of the effort.

Veterans, family members, and others who lived or worked at Moody and have questions about possible exposure are encouraged to stay informed as the investigation continues. Reviewing updates from the Air Force and consulting the Department of Veterans Affairs about health resources and any available benefits can help individuals understand their options and make decisions suited to their own circumstances.