Casting Connections: Keesler Airmen Experience Gulf Islands National Seashore

In June 2025, active duty airmen from Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi spent the weekend at Gulf Islands National Seashore for a weekend of camping, fishing, and connection in their local national park site. This amazing weekend experience was made possible through a partnership between the National Park Trust, the National Park Service (NPS), and the United States Air Force Office of Outdoor Recreation. Together, this partnership provides active duty servicemen at U.S. Air Force and Space Force bases with deep and engaging outdoor experiences at national park sites close to their homes. Through shared experiences in nature with NPS rangers and outdoor staff, active duty service members and their families are introduced to outdoor spaces and places in their local community that they can recreate on their own in the future.

The weekend began with a morning of surf fishing with gear provided by the National Park Trust, followed by a welcome and engagement from NPS Rangers, including each participant from base receiving their military annual park passes, granting them access to all public parks, lands, and waters across the country for the year. For the rest of the weekend, airmen fished and enjoyed the national seashore for all it had to offer.

This Gulf Islands event marked the third of several planned events in partnership with the U.S. Air Force. Through these experiences, the National Park Trust continues to offer active duty airmen and their families the opportunity to engage deeply in our national public parks, lands, and waters.