Air Force Community Partnership Program

Gulf Coast leaders and members of the Air Force collaborated this morning to brainstorm ideas for Keesler’s Community Partnership Program.
The goal is to bridge the gap between private and military organizations to better the community. Several groups got together to come up with ideas to collaborate on topics such as public safety and utilities.
Organizers of the program tell News 25 both sides benefit from the partnership. 81st Missions Support Group Deputy Director Wayne Clark said, “If we do something for the local community it’ll reduce costs for the local community. If the community does something for us, like for example, the Division Street gate project, it saves us a lot of money on our end and it helps us get things done. It helps the community get things done that maybe we’ve both been struggling with and we can’t figure out a way ahead.”
Since October 2012, the program has generated more than one thousand initiatives and 250 agreements. In turn, it has generated $32 million in Air Force benefits and $24 million in community benefits.