Jerrod W. Keenum
Shelby

Jerrod W. Keenum, 23, of Shelby, unexpectedly passed away at his home on Thursday, Oct 27 in Crestview, Fla.

The service for Jerrod Keenum on Tuesday, Nov. 8, at Alabama National Cemetery, Montevallo included full military honors performed by the Hurlburt Field Honor Guard. Pallbearers were Jerrod’s fellow Airmen from the Hurlburt Field Honor Guard.

Jerrod Wayne Keenum was born in Birmingham to Rebecca Diane Keenum on Dec. 14, 1992. He graduated from Shelby County High School in 2011.

Jerrod enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 2013 and graduated from the extremely rigorous AC-130U “Spooky” gunship Sensor Operator training program in 2014. This accomplishment put him in the highly elite .01% of all U.S. Air Force Airmen to serve as a gunship Sensor Operator. He was then assigned to the flying operational unit, the mighty 4th Special Operations Squadron where he joined the Spooky brotherhood.

Jerrod was a combat veteran of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE battling ISIS in Iraq and Operation FREEDOM’S SENTINAL halting the Taliban’s plans to retake Afghanistan. He attained the rank of Senior Airman and was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War On Terrorism Medal, the Expeditionary Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the Air Force Achievement Medal, and three Air Medals for combat actions.

Jerrod is survived by his love, Andrea Michelle Keenum, to whom he was married on May 14, 2016 in Shelby.

Also surviving are step-daughter, AnnaLynn Michelle Rice, and Jerrod and Andrea’s unborn child; mother, Rebecca Diane Keenum; brothers, John Henry Edmondson and Joesph Zane Sykes; sister, Jayda Michelle Sykes; and many other beloved family and friends.