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.
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
