COLUMBUS – On the way to the assembly line at Airbus, a sign reads, “392 days without an accident.” It’s a reminder of the care and attention to detail required by the workers, both for their own safety and the safety of others who will be flying the aircraft.
For technician Keith White, those values and the attention to detail are extra important. He comes from a family of servicemen including his father Frank, who served in the Air Force, his father-in-law Thomas Breland, who served in the Army and his sons Nolan and Chase, who are Air National Guard veterans.
They are also his Airbus coworkers.
Nolan is a quality engineer, having picked up the trade through seven years in the Air National Guard. His younger brother, Chase, also works at Airbus as a flightline technician and has been a member of the Air National Guard since 2022, where he works on fueling systems and aircraft maintenance.
Call to serve
“I’ve always wanted to serve my country, and being fresh out of high school, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do in life,” Nolan said, reflecting on his decision to enlist. “I saw I could learn a trade and a skillset that I could carry into civilian life, and it paved my way, honestly. I learned, I made great friends and found opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”
Both brothers graduated from West Point High School, where Chase was a state champion with the Green Wave football team.
The two enlisted right after high school, Nolan in 2017 and Chase in 2022. They were drawn to the military partly through their family, with their paternal and maternal grandfathers being veterans of the Air Force and Army, respectively.
Their father, though not a veteran, was also a big source of inspiration for his sons. His work as a firefighter showed them the importance of serving the community, but it went beyond that.
Keith worked as a plumber more than 30 years ago, before joining the fire department, but he kept those trade skills handy, maintaining his own house as well as helping neighbors and friends when called upon.
“Watching him serve the community, it pushed me in that direction,” Nolan told The Dispatch.
“I always tried to teach them to help people … inspiring them to serve their country,” Keith said. “I did not serve in the military, but I always taught them to honor their country and serve others. I was proud when they both decided that’s what they wanted to do, and I’m very proud of them now.”
“Seeing him serve the community, and both of our grandfathers serve our country, that inspired me, as well as seeing (Nolan) join,” Chase said. “They were teaching us the core values without us really knowing what they were.”
Those core values, instilled in them as children by their parents and grandparents, resurfaced in a place they didn’t expect – basic training.
“I didn’t realize it at the time, but they were teaching us realistically the Air Force’s core values, which are integrity, service before self and excellence in all we do,” Nolan said. “Watching my dad in his job, and even plumbing at people’s houses, it was always about excellence. He didn’t cut corners, and that inspired me to serve.”
The next step
The values of integrity and service both helped the Whites find their respective next steps at Airbus.
“That goes back to the maintenance on (the aircraft),” Chase said. “You have to have integrity. You can’t look at something and think, ‘Oh, no one will ever know.’ You can’t work anywhere around aircraft like that. … That’s one thing the military taught us, and that correlates with working here and working around aircraft.”
Among the many lessons, Nolan also remembered how his father had always spoken highly of Airbus. When he was finishing his engineering education at Mississippi State, he took an internship opportunity, which led to a career.
Chase followed his brother’s lead, as did Keith once he retired from the fire department.
According to an Airbus spokesperson, nearly 35% of the workers at the Golden Triangle facility are veterans or active duty, which has helped the White brothers find community and trust within the workforce.
“It’s prideful, being brothers who have both served, but also being in the 1% of the country that serves, it’s a special thing,” Nolan said. “And we’re still working towards a common goal too.”
Keith takes great pride too, in both the young men he raised and his Airbus coworkers, but he didn’t take much ownership of it, something his eldest made a point to counter.
“I’m proud, and the whole family is. A lot of people told us when they went to basic training, when we saw them again, they’d be completely changed,” Keith said. “… But as far as how he acted, both of them were just about as they were. They matured some, but I guess they were already good guys before they went. Nothing I did, I’m sure.”
“No, it is,” Nolan replied quickly. “It definitely is.”
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 31 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
