Blackwell new boss at Keesler

KEESLER AFB, Miss. - Col. Heather W. Blackwell assumed command of the 81st Training Wing and Keesler AFB from outgoing commander Col. Debra A. Lovette during a change of command ceremony May 16. Lovette’s tenure at Keesler began in May 2017. She was crucial to several major breakthroughs that brought positive change to Keesler and the local community. Blackwell brings experience as a Cyberspace Operations Group commander and knowledge as the director of legislative affairs for U.S. Cyber Command at Fort Mead, Md. Earlier in her career, April 2003–November 2004, she served as Executive Officer to the Commander of the Eighth Air Force at Barksdale AFB, La. (Source: Keesler AFB 05/16/19) KAFB is the "Electronics Training Center of Excellence" for the Air Force. The base is host to the 2nd Air Force, the 403rd Wing (AF Reserve) and the single largest employer on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.