Individuals are evacuated from Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi August 30, 2005 due to flooding from Hurricane Katrina. They were transported by the Mississippi Air National Guard on a C17 to Kelly City Base USA.
Posted on 09/04/2005 5:30:29 AM PDT by AmericanMade1776
While the Army ordered its Louisiana-based troops to stay and fight in Iraq, the Air Force said Saturday it would send 300 airmen home from Iraq and Afghanistan to handle emergencies on a Mississippi air base devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
The airmen, all based at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss., will start flying home during the next two weeks, said Air Force Capt. David Small, spokesman for U.S. Central Command Air Forces in Qatar.
Nearly 100 more airmen scheduled to leave Keesler for war duty also will stay behind, said Brig. Gen. Allen G. Peck, the deputy commander of coalition air forces in the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters.
"While our focus remains on fighting the war on terrorism, taking care of people is a top priority," Peck said in a statement. "They can't effectively perform the mission if their heads and hearts are focused on the safety and welfare of their loved ones."
(Excerpt) Read more at sunherald.com ...
Individuals are evacuated from Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi August 30, 2005 due to flooding from Hurricane Katrina. They were transported by the Mississippi Air National Guard on a C17 to Kelly City Base USA.
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