An Air Force Reserve Command C-5 from the 433rd Airlift Wing, Kelly Field, Tex., airlifted 26,000 pounds of meals, ready to eat (MREs) to Homestead ARB, Fla., late last week to aid Hurricane Wilma relief efforts. At NAS JRB Fort Worth, Tex., airmen, sailors, and DOD civilians loaded a C-17 with pallets of food and water. The hurricane struck the Florida Gulf Coast as a Category 3, then downshifted somewhat as it raced across the state, sending off tornadoes in its wake. Some six million people were left without power.
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
