| Submit your comments on this article |
| Home Front: Economy |
| Keesler Begins Recovery Operations |
| 2005-08-31 |
| EFL: KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. â Base officials started assessment and recovery operations after declaring HURCON NORMAL yesterday and by evening provided the first hot meals to the 6000 military, civilian and family members who sheltered during Hurricane Katrina. âInitial reports showed drastic damage to the industrial and housing areas,â said Maj Ray Mottley, 81st Civil Engineering Squadron Commander. âApproximately 50% of the base was underwater. The commissary, Base Exchange and some of base housing had more than six feet of water. âWe donât have power on base due to the power outage in the local area. So we are using generators to power our critical facilities,â explained Mottley, âHowever, the base hospital is completely without power at this time due to the water surge from the Back Bay which flooded the basement.â In spite of the power outage, the air field is operational during daylight hours, and other utilities are available. âWe have a fully operational sewage system and drinking water,â said 81st CES commander. Base officials said 35 critical patients were medivaced to Wilford Hall, Lackland AFB, TX. One of the base dining facilities provided the first hot meal to the 6000 base shelter residents Tuesday night. âThe plan is to have two hot meals a day,â said Mr Don Cook, 81st Services Director, âOnce we get more cooks, we can provide a morning and evening hot meal.â âThe safety, health, and well being of our Keesler family is our priority, said Brig Gen William Lord, 81st Training Wing Commander. âThankfully our people who sheltered in one of our certified hurricane shelters are safe and we can now focus on reconstituting the base and reestablishing our mission. Iâm proud how our team is working together to help each other make it through these difficult times. I want everyone to know we are not alone and will do everything we can to keep people safe and get them home as soon as possible.â Base officials are in contact with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and with commanders from surrounding military bases who have offered assistance. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #8 lol, Frank. |
| Posted by: BA 2005-08-31 23:31 |
| #7 see? Flyboys get the beach. We dumb engineers have to stay inland...otherwise there'd be jetty's and berms and earthenworks all over the place |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-08-31 23:28 |
| #6 Yes, it is a pretty good ways inland. Leave it to the dern engineers to figure out to not be at ocean/gulf front property. I've actually had some dealings with the City of Gulfport recently (met the Mayor just 2-3 weeks ago). Their Public Works building is right near an airstrip on what I was told was the base. We had a Q&A session with the former P.W. Director, and would have to stop eveny 30 mins or so F-16 or 18's would land. Closest I've ever been to aircraft like that. |
| Posted by: BA 2005-08-31 23:02 |
| #5 Gulfport has the tech school training base for the SeeBees. It is situated pretty well far back from the seafront, as I remember... so they would be well situated to be able to lend a hand right away. |
| Posted by: Sgt. Mom 2005-08-31 20:22 |
| #4 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion :> Gotta show Dad that, they used to take him to work. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-08-31 16:15 |
| #3 Isn't/wasn't GulfPort the historic home of the SeaBees? |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-08-31 16:13 |
| #2 Marines rescued more than 100 people stranded by the destruction of Hurricane Katrina Monday after tides and high winds pummeled cities along the Gulf of Mexico coast. Leathernecks with the Reserveâs reinforced 3rd Platoon, Alpha Company, 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion, based in Gulfport, Miss., navigated the debris-filled streets of Biloxi late Aug. 29, plucking dazed citizens from their battered homes. About 130 people were rescued by the Marines, who drove two AAV7 Amphibious Assault Vehicles through the destruction. The amtrackers took the flood victims âto a designated drop-off point where they were returned to safety by civilian authorities,â according to a news release from Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport. One amtrac in the operation rescued 100 people, making four trips with 25 victims crammed into the crew compartment, a Navy spokeswoman said. Navy Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalions 1, 7 and 133 â based in Gulfport â are clearing a 10-mile-long stretch of road to the nearby town of Pass Christian so civilian authorities could rescue stranded citizens there, the spokeswoman said. The Marine amtrackers headed to the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport today for rescue operations there, but no further details were available. I wondered if the SeaBees still had a base there. Talk about being on the spot. |
| Posted by: Steve 2005-08-31 14:58 |
| #1 Good job by the AF, only the Navy could do a better job after a hurricane. Course the Navy has certain advantages. |
| Posted by: Spavilet Snaing7506 2005-08-31 13:55 |