Keesler AFB,
Miss., which took heavy damage from Hurricane Katrina, is making huge strides in getting back on its feet, Gen. William Looney, head of Air Education and Training Command, tells Air Force Magazine’s John Tirpak. In fact, the base could be back up to its full complement of 1,400 students in a matter of weeks. “We were very fortunate,” Looney says, that many base facilities—dormitories, classrooms, dining hall, and other buildings—“were built to a 175-knot standard” of wind tolerance, and survived intact. Base housing and industrial areas took the biggest hit.
U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagles have roared out of Barnes Air National Guard Base, Mass., for the last time. The 104th Fighter Wing’s last three F-15Cs departed the base Oct. 23 for the “Boneyard” at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., ending the aircraft's era on the frontlines of homeland defense.


