Base Commander Leaves Los Alamitos

The Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base is on the hunt for a new commander.

Brig. Gen. Keith D. Jones has been transferred to Camp Roberts near Paso Robles, leaving the base under the interim command of Col. Susan Russell. California National Guard officials hope to have a permanent replacement for Jones within the next few weeks.

News of Jones’ departure was met with disappointment around the community, as he had earned high marks for his accessibility and community outreach efforts during the ongoing effort to add a new Black Hawk helicopter company to the base.

“It’s very disappointing,” said Los Alamitos City Councilwoman Marilynn Poe. “He was a very nice gentleman, and he was so willing to meet with members of the community and work on any issues that came up. It made is easier to identify issues and address them.

“I am sorry he is gone. I think it’s unfair that we don’t have the ability to have one person stay in that position for a significant amount of time. They are here for such a short time.”

Jones served in Los Alamitos for less than two years. He came to the base in 2009 after serving as the U.S. commander in the NATO peacekeeping mission in the Balkans, said Maj. Jonathan Shiroma, spokesman for the California National Guard.

Jones was a good community partner, but his departure is no surprise, said Los Alamitos City Manger Jeff Stewart. “He is a soldier, and soldiers go where they are told to go,” said Stewart.

Jones will also be missed in neighboring Seal Beach, where he met with city leaders and spoke to residents from the College Park East neighborhood, which is most impacted by noise form the helicopter crews that train at the base.

It’s too bad he had to leave after such a short amount of time, said Seal Beach City Councilman Gary Miller.  “He was a pleasure to work with.”