Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta paid a visit to Lackland AFB, Tex., specifically to extend his thanks to the base’s airmen for their role in transporting and aiding evacuees from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In a 55-hour period during the Katrina evacuation, Lackland took in 9,788 evacuees on 89 aircraft. During Rita, the base processed 1,133 evacuees and set up a 24-hour reception center. Mineta called it the “largest domestic airlift in United States history.” He added, “How reassuring it must have been, knowing that they were in the hands of our nation’s finest, the men and women of Team Lackland.”
Planning an Air Show Is Hard. At Andrews, It’s Even Harder
Sept. 17, 2025
Joint Base Andrews opened its flightline this month to thousands of civilians, exposing a normally restricted airbase that regularly hosts the president and foreign dignitaries to a curious public eager to see current and historic military aircraft up close and in action.
