The state of Florida appears to need a very small fraction of the level of military support generated for Hurricane Katrina, although the Pentagon geared up numerous forces for a quick response. So far, the Air National Guard has airlifted hospital patients from the Florida Keys and has provided communications teams, whose primary benefit to state and local responders has been to enable disparate communications equipment to communicate.
The Air Force is requesting about $141 million for initial enlistment bonuses in its fiscal 2026 budget, while Space Force wants $13 million.
