According to base officials, Hurricane Katrina took a big bite out of Keesler, USAF’s major technical training facility near Biloxi, Miss. Water surged over the base, sometimes at depths of up to six feet, nearly destroying many base houses and crippling industrial areas. There is no power and base officials expected to keep base residents in central shelters at least through Thursday. The base’s runway was damaged, but C-17s and C-130s have been able to land to deliver supplies.
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…