KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Team Keesler’s Airmen had a busy year in 2015. We pulled off a hugely successful air show with just six months of planning--half the time normally allotted to plan an event of that size. We hosted senior leaders from around the Air Force and showed off just how vital our training mission is to the rest of the service. Keesler, for the 29th year in a row, hosted the Mississippi State Special Olympics for more than 750 athletes. For the second year in a row, the 81st Training Wing and 403rd Wing hosted the Mississippi All-Services Junior ROTC Drill Competition, where 17 high schools from around the state competed to be the best.
Keesler was firing on all cylinders. The 81st Medical Group received a slew of major command-level awards for their performance in 2014, implemented first-in-the-Defense Department technologies and practices like the hybrid Synergy Stent, Base Operations Medicine Cell and trained with our cross-branch reserve and Mississippi National Guard partners during Southern Strike ’15.
We hosted Junior ROTC, ROTC and U.S. Air Force Academy cadets to give them the inside scoop on the Air Force’s commitment to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The 403rd Wing, along with the 81st Training Group’s Airmen, Sailors, Coastguardsmen and Marines who attend the weather school, the only school of its kind in the DOD, were featured on national television on Veterans Day. Keesler beefed up its online presence too, ensuring our story gets told by migrating to the new Armed Forces Public Information Management System – one of the first bases in the service to do so.
2015 was a big year. Check out some of the highlights below!
81st Training Wing/81st Wing Staff Agencies
-Welcomed Col. Michele Edmondson during a June change of command ceremony. She previously commanded the 737th TRG, Air Force Basic Military Training, at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. Here, she commands 12,000 Airmen and civilians.
-Bid farewell to Brig. Gen. Patrick Higby during the same ceremony. He now holds a position on the Air Staff at the Pentagon, as the Director, Cyberspace Strategy and Policy, Office of Information Dominance and Chief Information Officer, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force.
-Hosted an air show in March for the first time since 2011. The show featured 17 aerial acts, 27 static displays and 155,000 visitors throughout the two-day show. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team headlined the event.
-Keesler held the Mississippi Special Olympics inside its gates for the 29th year in a row. More than 750 athletes, 260 coaches, 1,500 Airmen, 1,000 volunteers and 3,500 guests attended the event. The youngest athlete, Marquesha Wicks, was 2, while the oldest competing athlete, Jim Bellman, was 98. Fifty-six sporting events were held and a total of 1,871 medals were awarded.
-In an effort to tell Keesler’s story more effectively and creatively, the 81st TRW Public Affairs office spent more than 1,000 hours building the base’s new public website. More than 4,000 news stories, 1,600 photos, 400 commentaries and 300 features were manually migrated and uploaded by the three-person staff.
-Master Sgt. Tammy Pierce was honored with the Thomas V. Fredian Community Leadership award at the 37th Annual Salute to the Military, Oct. 20, Biloxi, Miss. The award is presented to an enlisted military member from a local base that has had an outstanding impact on their installation and local community. Bases from all across the Gulf Coast were represented, and Keesler took home the award in 2014 as well.
-The base chapel lent its ears and helping hands to great effect in 2015. Keesler’s chaplains and chaplain’s assistants spent 1,406 hours counseling and mentoring more than 2,400 people. They also organized 1,027 volunteers for local school and community events.
-Keesler’s lawyers and legal staff pulled their weight too. The base legal office completed 835 Freedom of Information Act requests, contracts, labor, environmental, private organizations and ethics reviews of staffed packages in their suspense system.
403rd Wing
-The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron broke a new flying record. They flew six tropical cyclones in the Pacific Ocean and gathered weather data on the strongest recorded storm, Hurricane Patricia.
-Master Sgt. Spring Winters was named the City of Biloxi Military Volunteer of the Year.
-More than 150 403rd Wing personnel deployed in support of operations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
-They hosted a Civic Leader tour to MacDill Air Force Base and Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla., and an Employer Appreciation Day at Keesler for 50 local community leaders and employers.
81st Training Group
-Throughout 2015, the 81st TRG graduated more than 29,340 Airmen, Sailors, Coastguardsmen and Marines and introduced 87 new courses for initial and supplemental training.
-Keesler was also well represented in the local community by its training Airmen. The group’s 50 state flag team marched in 12 events and parades. The wing’s talented Airmen musicians in the drum and bugle corps showcased their skill in 11 community events and 66 on-base events as well.
-81st TRG Airmen were an integral part of ensuring the Mississippi State Special Olympics ran smoothly. More than 1,500 Airmen partnered up for the weekend to cheer on, coach and guide the visiting athletes.
-More than 1,300 Airmen volunteered during the 2015 Air Show/Open House to empty trash cans, help the 155,000 visitors navigate around the flightline and ensure the air show went off without a hitch.
81st Medical Group
-For the Air Force Medical Service annual awards, the 81st MDG earned 14 Air Education and Training Command awards for individual and team efforts for their performance in 2014. The awards highlighted enlisted, officer and civilian Airmen.
-Pioneered the first-of-its-kind BOMC for the rest of the Air Force. The BOMC looks to revolutionize healthcare for beneficiaries by standardizing the administrative side of healthcare.
-People Utilizing Pet Services debuted in September. The PUPS program allows dogs certified through the Delta Society in Gulfport, Miss. to visit patients at the hospital.
-Earned recognition in the top 10 percent of all eligible hospitals for outstanding customer service care by feedback from the TRICARE Inpatient Satisfaction Survey for the first quarter of fiscal year 2015. More than 8,400 military treatment facility patients completed the survey, and seven MTFs scored in the top 25 percent. The Keesler Medical Center was the only DOD hospital to score in the top 10.
-During Southern Strike ’15, Keesler Medical Center members assisted with on and off-loading patients from C-130s with their engines running. The two-week joint international combat exercise was hosted by the Mississippi National Guard and included both active and reserve service members from every branch of the U.S. military.
-Another first in the DOD, the 81st Medical Operations Squadron deployed the Synergy Stent for use in November. The hybrid metal and bio-absorbable polymer technology aims to reduce recovery time and lessen complications for beneficiaries receiving care at the Keesler Medical Center.
81st Mission Support Group
-The 81st Security Forces Squadron pulled their weight during the 2015 Air Show/Open House. More than 200 Defenders, including their military working dog teams, 10 Navy Master at Arms, 17 Gulfport, Miss. police officers, 27 Biloxi, Miss. police officers, 8 Department of Marine Resources officers and 51 81st TRW augmentees provided security for the event.
-The 81st SFS also welcomed two new military working dogs and retired one. In addition, they trained 55 wing augmentees to supplement the Defenders during exercises and real-world incidents.
-The 81st Logistics Readiness Squadron spent more than 170 hours prepping for the air show. One hundred and twenty vehicles from Keesler and 10 other outside agencies moved 180,000 pounds of cargo, equipment and people before, during and after the weekend. More than 70 81st LRS Airmen contributed to the logistics, communication, transportation and execution of Keesler’s first air show since 2011.
-Aided by nine different agencies, the 81st LRS held a mock deployment exercise in September. Twenty-nine short tons of cargo and 51 Team Keesler personnel were processed through the deployment line manned by seven base agencies.
-The base fire department maintained its proficiencies and certifications by spending more than 8,000 hours training.
-Families and kids stayed active too, thanks to the 81st Force Support Squadron. The organization hosted 50 family events and 20 camps for kids throughout the year.
Through teamwork and dedication, Team Keesler made 2015 a year for the record books. With a mission-driven attitude and all-star community involvement, Keesler is on track to make 2016 even better by training, developing and inspiring the world’s best Airmen.