Officials at Columbus AFB, Miss., must have breathed a sigh of relief that Katrina petered out before reaching the base—bypassing its new state-of-the-art, seven-story tall air traffic control tower. They officially opened the $5.2 million tower last week.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach told lawmakers Apr. 30 that the service’s biggest airlifter, the C-5 Galaxy, has a 37 percent mission capable rate—one of several challenges facing the mobility fleet.