The Civil Air Patrol has flown 50 sorties—roughly half the Air Force total—for Hurricane Rita, providing photo reconnaissance of potential damage, oil spills, traffic congestion, flood assessment, and live multispectral imagery for state and federal agencies.
President Donald Trump’s nominee for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff touted his highly unusual background for the job as an asset and reaffirmed his commitment to stay apolitical during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on April 1.