A shocking number of murders has affected the lives of Barksdale Air Force Base in just over a year.
Below is a statement from Col. Michael A. Miller, 2nd Bomb Wing commander, regarding the recent murders impacting Barksdale Airmen — in his own words:
“I’ve been stationed at eight installations in my 25 year Air Force career, and I have never experienced as many murders involving Airmen and their families. Since I took command in June of 2018, five members associated with Barksdale Air Force Base have been murdered. On Sept. 25, 2018, Joshua Kidd, a technical sergeant who was assigned to the 2nd Maintenance Group, was murdered outside of his home. On Nov. 8, 2018, Tech. Sgt. Kelly Jose and his spouse Heather Jose were murdered after giving a man a ride when they were shopping at Mall St. Vincent. Tech. Sgt. Jose was a reservist and full-time civil servant Airman for the 307th Logistics Readiness Squadron. On June 22, 2019, Mr. Antonio Williams, a U.S. Postal worker, was gunned down while delivering mail in Shreveport. He was the spouse of Ivy Shelby-Williams, a civil servant Airman in the 2nd Medical Group. On June 30, 2019, Perry Bailey, a technical sergeant assigned to the 2nd Medical Group, was murdered in a residence in Shreveport," Col. Miller said.He added: "I am deeply concerned for the safety of the military members and their families assigned to Barksdale Air Force Base. Not only am I concerned about their personal well-being, but also our ability to recruit and retain the necessary talent to complete our mission to defend our nation."
"I understand and respect our local law enforcement, and I know this is a complex challenge to solve in the community as a whole. This issue is not one we will solve quickly or by assigning blame. We must work together to build safe communities," the Barksdale commander said. "Our Airmen and I live in and, are invested in, the community and want to be part of the solution. Together, we can make Shreveport and Bossier safer for our families and the community.”
