Page 47 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2016

That’s when I decided to help,” said Margavich.
Margavich enlisted the help of his wife and daughter and they have been providing weekly tours to countless locals and visitors.
Keesler staffs an honor guard
to provide final military honors
at veteran funerals and perform ceremonies on and off base. These ceremonies can range from posting colors at large civic events to marching in patriotic holiday parades. “Last year the Keesler honor guard performed 126 color guard ceremonies and 753 funerals,” said Master Sgt. Larry Davidson, Keesler Honor Guard superintendent.
The Keesler honor guard covers an area that spans from the Alabama/ Mississippi border to the Louisiana/ Texas border and as far north as Jackson, Miss. “Sometimes this will be the only exposure to a military ceremony that people have,” said Davidson. “It’s a very important mission to honor the country and to honor those who have served.”
Emergency services are another way Keesler and the surrounding community interact. Keesler has a mutual aid agreement with several
cities to coordinate fire protection. “Our agreement allows Biloxi and other cities to request help for something such as a large structure fire or another large incident and it goes both ways,” said J.D. Donnett, Keesler fire chief.
In addition to responding to calls for help in the surrounding communities, the local fire departments combine forces to conduct training exercises, such as responding to aircraft crashes at the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. The Keesler fire department shares a strong relationship with Harrison County, Biloxi, D’Iberville and Gulfport, according to Donnett. “In my 30 years in fire protection, the relationships between Keesler and the surrounding area do not exist at the level it does here anywhere else,” he said.
That relationship was put to the test when the Arbor View Apartments
in D’Iberville were set ablaze by
an arsonist at the height of Mardi
Gras celebrations in 2014. Keesler responded to help contain the blaze to just one of the closely built apartment complexes. Keesler also responded to a helicopter crash in northern Harrison County when a forestry service
KEESLER AIRMEN are truly part
of the community, donating more
than 281,000 man hours just last year. From honor guards at veteran funerals and ceremonies to conducting training exercises for rst responders to teaching children at local schools, Keesler supports the community.
helicopter crashed in the DeSoto National Forest.
Each year, Keesler hosts the
safety education Mid-Air Collision Avoidance Conference where local civilian aviators and other government agencies meet with Keeler safety representatives to discuss flight patterns and how to avoid interactions in the air with military aircraft.
Keesler also is dedicated to providing students with exposure to technical careers. “Each year we host a
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) day for local
high school students,” said Liz Waters, the Keesler community support coordinator.
Additionally, Keesler partners with local, regional and statewide educators in the Air Force Junior ROTC State Drill Competition; 2nd Air Force hosts a career diversity day for surrounding universities Air Force ROTC programs; and the 81st Security Forces Squadron hosts a Law Enforcement Explorer Camp.
“We are a part of the community,” said Waters. “Our kids go to local schools and participate in local sports programs. Keesler is blessed to have a supportive community.”
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