According to base officials, Hurricane Katrina took a big bite out of Keesler, USAF’s major technical training facility near Biloxi, Miss. Water surged over the base, sometimes at depths of up to six feet, nearly destroying many base houses and crippling industrial areas. There is no power and base officials expected to keep base residents in central shelters at least through Thursday. The base’s runway was damaged, but C-17s and C-130s have been able to land to deliver supplies.
Three of four congressional committees with influence over defense policy have voted to change the official name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War—but final approval of the Pentagon rebrand is months away and not yet assured.