In Lafayette, La., the 615th Contingency Response Wing, from Travis Air Force Base, Calif., was working to reopen the regional airfield as a potential staging area for incoming cargo and troops, Air Force officials reported.
A U-2 surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft from Beale Air Force Base, Calif., flew over the region to take high-resolution photos to help FEMA assist with disaster-relief efforts. The media processing facility at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, the only U.S. government facility dedicated to processing and duplicating U-2 imagery, is processing the imagery, Air Force officials said.
Woods said she expects NORTHCOM's supportive role to Hurricane Katrina to continue to grow as requirements increase for temporary housing and medical support for victims. "We think the sustainment mission is just beginning," she said.
Meanwhile, Army and Air National Guard members operating under their state governors' authority continued to make up the biggest percentage of the DoD response to Hurricane Katrina.
The Guard presence in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida jumped to 15,000 troops today, a number National Guard Bureau officials confirmed will double in the days ahead.
These troops are assisting in missions ranging from assisting law-enforcement agencies with traffic control and security, transporting and distributing food, water and ice, conducting searches and rescues, providing generator support, and carrying out other missions to protect life and property, National Guard Bureau officials said.
More than 320,000 National Guard soldiers and airmen from every state, as well as their equipment, are available to support emergency operations if needed, thanks to formal agreements between state governors, officials said.
