Sgt. 1st Class David Keefer, of Charleston, Illinois, was honored for more than 30 years of military service during a retirement ceremony at Camp Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois, October 13.
Keefer enlisted in the Tennessee Army National Guard on December 30, 1991, as an 88M Motor Transport Operator with the 1455th Transportation Company in Dresden, Tennessee. In April 1994 he became a Military Police (MP) Officer with the 438th MP Company in Murray, Kentucky.
He deployed several times on State Active Duty in a Joint Service Operation with the Kentucky State Police for law and order missions at the Kentucky Derby, Governor’s Ball, many civic events, and several prison riots at Eddyville State Penitentiary. Keefer was also sent to Panama to work on the National Police Force at Ft. Cobbe, Clayton, and Sherman for post closure and transition.
After 9-11, Keefer was sent to federal training to assist in airport security as a police officer at Greater Cincinnati International Airport and Louisville Airport. From there he went to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to establish a prison system and collection point for terror suspects and war criminals. While stationed there he was selected for the Detainee Interment Systems and Collection, flying all over the world to bring prisoners to Camp X-Ray and Camp Delta.
In September 2004, Keefer transferred to the Illinois Army National Guard stationed with the 233rd MP Company in Springfield, Illinois, and was quickly selected to become a 79T recruiter in Sullivan, Illinois. He served in the same office for 17 years as a recruiter. In 2019, Keefer became a retention noncommissioned officer and believes it was the most rewarding job he had in the Army National Guard.