Mayor applauds BRAC decision on Keesler

Mayor A.J. Holloway said this afternoon he is pleased with the BRAC decision to not reduce the level of services at Keesler Medical Center.

“I’m delighted with the news — for the city of Biloxi and for the tens of thousands of our veterans who are treated each year at Keesler Medical Center,” Holloway said.

“This shows the importance of the medical mission of the men and women at Keesler, and one of those Keesler people I especially want to thank is retired Lt. Gen. Clark Griffith of Biloxi, who I appointed to serve as the city’s BRAC liaison.”

Griffith, a three-star general, was commander of the 81st Training Wing at Keesler before becoming the commander of the Second Air Force, and, before his retirement in 1998, served as vice commander of the Air Education and Training Command, which is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.

Holloway tapped him to serve as the city’s liaison to BRAC at the outset of 2003, two years ahead of the 2005 hearings.

“I knew BRAC’s implications, I knew Clark was familiar with BRAC, and I knew he was intimately familiar with Keesler,” Holloway said, “He worked with our people in Washington to help us make a strong case that Keesler offers vital services for our country and our veterans. Today, I’m happy to say that it looks like those services will continue at Keesler.”

Holloway also said that Mississippi’s congressional delegation and staff, as well as the Mississippi Development Authority were instrumental in the successful effort.