The commander of 
the 81st Training Wing at Keesler AFB, Miss., Brig. Gen. Bill Lord, said Saturday that repairing the damage done by Hurricane Katrina to the base would take at least $500 million, according to the Associated Press service. The medical center, which normally sees some 1,200 patients per day, is closed, with extensive damage.
Trainees in Basic Military Training and technical school no longer have the option to try alternate PT drills if they fail an initial assessment, according to a policy change the Air Force made in April. The move is part of a larger shift out of the classroom and into hands-on,…