People * Spotlight on achievers : The New Big Gun at the Naval Station

The new commander of the U.S. Naval Weapons Station in Seal Beach did not have to travel far for his new job. He has spent the past two years as chief staff officer of the Pacific Division Naval OrdnanceCenter, which is headquartered at the Seal Beach weapons station.

Before his promotion to weapons station commander, Jerry W. Keesee served under Ordnance Center Cmdr. Andrew Hammond, working with staff members who oversee the Navy’s four West Coast weapons stations.

He replaced Seal Beach Weapons Station Cmdr. Joel F. Steadleyon April 29, and now oversees about 600 military and civilian employees on the 5,200-acre base.

Keesee, 42, has spent 21 years in the Navy, just one year less than his marriage, he likes to point out. The father of two high-school age sons, Keesee says that despite the rigors of military life, family comes first.

“My family and the Navy are both a big part of my life,” he said.

Next come long-distance running and competitions with a Long Beach city indoor volleyball league.

Born in Greensburg, Kan., Keesee says he joined the Navy to “get out of Kansas” after earning a bachelor’s degree in biology from Kansas State University. His wish was granted.

After boot camp in San Diego, he was sent to Pearl Harbor where he served as a third-class quartermaster aboard the USS Somers. Keesee subsequently graduated from officer candidate school in Newport, R.I., and trained as a deep-sea diving officer. After serving at various Navy bases throughout the United States, he became commander of the USS Conserver, a rescue and salvage ship operating out of Pearl Harbor.

In 1992, Keesee became executive officer of the Concord Naval Weapons Station in Northern California, coming to Seal Beach two years later as chief staff officer of the Pacific Division Naval Ordnance Center.

During the latest round of federal base closings, Seal Beach residents worried about the future of the weapons station. But Keesee said he sees no indication that the 51-year-old ammunition storage and supply depot will be closed.

“We’ve just got through several years of base realignment and closures, and the mission that the Seal Beach weapons station provides was considered important enough not to close it,” Keesee said. “The Navy needs all of its weapons stations, so this weapons station is staying open.”