October 23, 2025 marked a milestone moment for Coastal Mississippi’s military, defense, and business communities. What began that morning at the Gulf Coast Business Council’s October General Membership Meeting at the Knight Nonprofit Center came full circle just hours later at the Mississippi Aerospace & Defense Symposium hosted by the Mississippi Enterprise For Technology (MSET) at the Golden Nugget Biloxi Hotel & Casino, when Governor Tate Reeves officially announced the launch of Mission 3: Military • Defense • Community — Mississippi’s first regional defense and military community support organization.
A Masters Class with a Mission
During the morning meeting, the 2025 Masters Leadership Class — GCBC’s largest to date — presented the results of a seven-month project focused on strengthening and growing South Mississippi’s military installations. The class studied national models, met with base commanders, and developed a detailed set of recommendations centered on one idea: collaboration.
Their presentation called for the creation of a unified, regional organization to support military installations, advocate for missions, and connect communities, governments, and industries across the Coast.
As class members Leo Manuel and Colonel John Haas shared, “Missions are no longer assigned just based on existing facilities. They’re awarded to communities who are aligned, prepared, and competitive.”
The class titled their proposed organization Mission 3, symbolizing the three pillars of its purpose: Military, Defense, and Community.
GCBC President & CEO Jamie Miller praised the group’s work, noting that the proposal directly aligns with GCBC’s long-term goals. “This class did amazing work,” Miller said. “You can see how much time they spent on this. The big announcement today is that when we sent out the application for the Masters Class last December, the topic was to create a South Mississippi defense and military affairs council — and as of yesterday, Mission 3 has been legally incorporated.”
He also introduced Mission 3’s first Executive Director, Colonel Paul Drake (Ret.), a decorated veteran and former instructor at the U.S. Army War College.
A Historic Statewide Announcement
Later that morning, at the Mississippi Aerospace & Defense Symposium hosted by MSET at the Golden Nugget Biloxi, Governor Reeves shared the news publicly:
“Today I am announcing the establishment of Mississippi’s first regional defense and military community support organization. This organization, called Mission 3, or M3 for short, stands for Military, Defense, Community. Mission 3 is a public-private partnership, and the state of Mississippi was proud to support it through a Defense Community Support Program grant from the Mississippi Development Authority.”
Governor Reeves underscored the economic and cultural importance of the military to the Gulf Coast.
“Mississippi has an incredible military legacy. We are home to more than 35,000 military and civilian defense personnel with $1.8 billion in annual payroll, and the three coastal counties of Mississippi alone are home to more than 15,000 military personnel. Between our military personnel and the $7 billion in defense contracts Mississippi firms receive, that is 6.1% of our total GDP. The military is vitally important to Coastal Mississippi — as fundamental to its identity as seafood and sunsets.”
He explained that Mission 3 will “develop and lead a culture of community support,” “coordinate efforts across our Gulf Coast to maximize workforce retention,” and “advocate for state and federal resources to support installation and missions.”
Governor Reeves concluded, “Mississippi is the most military-friendly state in all of America… and through Mission 3, Mississippi will add another valuable tool in our toolbox to better support those who have sacrificed so much in defense of our nation.”
Supporting with Intention
GCBC President & CEO Jamie Miller then took the podium to connect the announcement back to the Coast’s yearlong effort:
“Today’s launch of Mission 3 follows a year-long initiative led by our Masters Class, which studied successful military community support models in other states and recommended creating a permanent regional structure to guide strategy and community engagement.”
Miller emphasized the urgency of moving from good intentions to organized action.
“This isn’t just about being a good neighbor. It’s about keeping our missions here, attracting new ones, and building a future where our defense economy remains stable and strong.”
State and Legislative Support
Senator Scott DeLano, who helped secure the state funding to launch the initiative, spoke next:
“Today’s a great day. It’s been a long time in the making for us to get to this point. We’re very fortunate here in Biloxi to have more than seven military installations in our area. None of this would happen if it weren’t for the leadership of Governor Reeves… We have a lot of incredible projects for years to come.”
He reaffirmed the Legislature’s commitment: “The Mississippi State Legislature is here to work with you, to work with the Governor’s Office, to attract new investment and new opportunities here, and we are looking forward to an incredible future.”
A New Executive Director and a Clear Vision
Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Paul Drake, newly appointed Executive Director of Mission 3, outlined his plan to unite military, business, and community interests under one banner:
“I’m honored to accept the position of Executive Director for Mission 3, South Mississippi’s unified defense support organization. We face increasing competition for missions and federal investment, but we also have tremendous strengths that no other region can replicate — irreplaceable geography, senior congressional leadership, world-class installations, and something equally important: a Gulf Coast community that truly embraces military families.”
“Mission 3 exists to leverage all of these advantages as your unified voice. To our installation commanders — your missions will guide our priorities. To our industry partners — we will help you create conditions for growth. To our military families — your quality of life isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s essential to mission readiness.”
Drake closed with a message of shared purpose:
“Our vision is clear: South Mississippi as America’s premier defense community, where installations flourish, businesses grow, and families thrive. Other states are competing for what we have. Mission 3 will ensure we don’t just defend our position — we grow it together.”
A Unified Future for Coastal Mississippi
As Governor Reeves concluded, “The opportunity to make our state and our nation safer because of you is before us, and today’s announcement is going to go a long way toward continuing to help grow our state, grow this region, and make Mississippi an even better place to invest capital, create jobs, live, work, and play.”
The Gulf Coast Business Council is proud to have helped bring Mission 3 from concept to reality — a testament to what can happen when business, government, and community leaders work together with a shared vision for the future of Coastal Mississippi.
