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.
Airmen basic rarely go on to become four-star generals, but one who did retired last week after a 42 year career that saw him rise from a lowly slick-sleeve to the head of one of the Air Force’s most important major commands.