Shortly after Hurricane Wilma tore through south Florida last Monday, the 482nd Fighter Wing opened Homestead ARB, Fla. for relief efforts. The Florida Air National Guard, working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and local officials, used the airfield as a staging area for supplies flowing south. Though the base itself was hard hit by the storm, operations soon were running at full tilt. Helicopters flew damage assessment missions. Aircraft delivered medical supplies to towns on the Florida Keys.
Air Force Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost—a trailblazer and one of the first 10 women to reach a four-star rank across the U.S. military—retired and passed control of U.S. Transportation Command to Air Force Gen. Randall Reed on Oct. 4, finishing an eventful tenure at TRANSCOM.