‘What we do supports what they do’

Marine Corps veteran Jared Keene describes himself as being a bit of a “loner” growing up in a small Virginia town. He credits the military with instilling in him a greater sense of empathy and accountability.

Keene was interested in military service from a young age. “I even delivered my senior speech on the Marines when I was in high school,” he said.“You’re around the same people all the time; eventually, you develop a deep camaraderie,” he said. “You have to depend on one another and you become a part of something bigger than yourself.”

Inspired by a cousin in the service, Keene enlisted in the Marine Corps at 24. He never intended to make a career out of the military but wanted “to do my part.”

Keene served on active duty from 2007 to 2012, eventually being promoted to sergeant. Initially, he worked as a calibration technician at Marine Wing Communications Squadron 28 in Cherry Point, N.C. “We calibrated a full range of equipment, from torque wrenches to physician scales to signal generators and power supplies,” he said.

From 2010 to 2012, Keene was stationed at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi as an electronics instructor.

“At Keesler, I taught students in the Marine Corps how to calibrate test equipment,” he said. “A lot of our students considered the people serving overseas to be the ‘real Marine Corps,’ but we always tried to emphasize that every job in the military is important. What we do supports what they do. Without us, they wouldn’t be able to perform their jobs safely or effectively.”

Within a month of leaving active duty, Keene began working in the controls department of the Kemper County energy facility. In his time at Mississippi Power, he’s found a similar kind of unity to that of the military.

“Southern Company employs a huge number of veterans, and there’s also a real sense of community here,” he noted.

Reflecting on the significance of Veterans Day, Keene said, “I believe that freedom isn’t free. Somebody paid the price for our freedoms.”

“We should honor every veteran – particularly the men and women who have been deployed to war zones. Some of them have made the ultimate sacrifice. Freedom of speech, freedom from religious persecution, all of our rights – some veteran fought to defend them.”