Hurricane-affected Airmen to redeploy

More than 300 active-duty and Reserve Airmen who are deployed from Keesler AFB, Miss., will return early to attend to their families’ needs and to aid in base recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In addition, nearly 100 Airmen who were scheduled to deploy from Keesler will remain behind to help recover from the storm. Many of the 300, serving at multiple bases throughout the Middle East, have already served for nearly four months and will return as part of the Air Force’s normal air and space expeditionary force rotation. Others, including those who just arrived, are coming back, with replacements being provided from other units. Airmen with families living in the hurricane-ravaged areas who are not assigned to Keesler have been instructed to request emergency leave through normal Air Force channels. Such leave will be granted by commanders on a case-by-case basis.