Airmen at Keesler AFB, Miss., see the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s devastation as a benchmark in a remarkable process of recovery. Katrina, which wreaked nearly $1 billion in damage to the base, had forced evacuation of the base’s student population, but within three weeks, the base had several courses running again and took on an entirely new course within two months. The Air Education and Training Command technical training facility has seen a 26 percent increase in its student load in its post-Katrina life. Re-establishing courses in a priority order, officials now say the tech center is ready to teach its full load of courses. The base has repaired academic facilities and student dorms, opened a temporary pharmacy July 31, and resumed medical center services this month.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
