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Katrina recovery: Work in progress inspectors seeing first hand how far Keesler has come

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  • By Susan Griggs
  • 81st Training Wing Public Affairs
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  Keesler's Katrina comeback story is a work in progress. 

Wednesday marks two years since the worst natural disaster in the nation's history clobbered the base and left $950 million in damage in its wake. 

The Air Education and Training Command inspector general's team conducting Keesler's first operational readiness inspection since 2004 is seeing firsthand the base's progress in its five-year recovery plan. The inspection concludes with an outbrief, 11 a.m. Tuesday in Welch Auditorium. 

"Keesler's hurricane recovery has exceeded all expectations," said Brig. Gen. Paul Capasso, 81st Training Wing commander. 

Training, Keesler's primary mission, has led the way, according to the general. 

"Training never went away entirely -- training was going on in base shelters at the height of the storm," General Capasso re-called. 

Fifteen days after Katrina's landfall, most dormitories and training facilities were habitable and all instructors were back to work. Four days later, basic military training graduates began returning to Keesler. 

By the time General Capasso took command from Maj. Gen. William Lord that November, nearly 2,000 students were in Keesler classrooms, more than the daily average before the storm. 

So far this fiscal year, 23,219 students have graduated. 

Once Katrina's winds, rain and flooding subsided, work began to restore buildings. So far, more than 430 separate repair projects have repaired more than 210 base facilities. 

"In one year, we've pushed forward construction projects that in dollar value equate to 30 percent of AETC's three-year military construction program," said Col. Rodney Croslen, 81st Mission Sup-port Group commander. "We've completed most re-pairs to Keesler Medical Center, along with Sablich Center, 81st Security Forces Squadron building, 403rd Wing headquarters, base operations, marina, fire station, dining facilities, dormitories and training facilities." 

Katrina devastated Keesler's landscape. Initially, 3,800 destroyed trees had to be removed, with 750 more removed later when internal damage became apparent. A $4.9 million project rejuvenated the grounds with 190,000 new plants, including about 700 trees. 

Before the hurricane, Keesler had 1,820 family housing units. Only 641 were livable after the storm. 

The largest military family housing project in Air Force history, with a price tag of $287.8 million, kicked off in March. The first of the 1,028 homes should be ready next spring, and the final units should be delivered in April 2010. 

Katrina delayed the demolition of old Cody Hall and Avery Manor so the facilities could be used for contingency office space while heavily-damaged buildings were repaired. Both structures are scheduled to be leveled next year. 

Work has begun on a $78.6 million shopping complex that replaces the storm-gutted main exchange and commissary. November 2009 is the target date for completion. Until then, the commissary is operating out of the former Keesler Community Center. Since March, the temporary exchange has operated in a 40,000-square-foot building constructed at a cost of more than $4 million. 

Colonel Croslen said in the coming year construction be-gins on a new fire station, training aids building, refueler maintenance facility, postal center, munitions inspection facility, flare storage building, events center, consolidated aircraft maintenance facility, central energy plant and diagnostic imaging center for Keesler Medical Center. 

Although the medical center took a beating from Katrina, significant strides have been made in returning its former operations. 

The major primary care clinics -- family practice, pediatrics and women's health -- returned to their pre-storm locations nearly a year ago following renovations. A steady flow of other basement clinics has followed. 

Surgeries resumed just over a year ago and renovated operating suite opened Nov. 30. The fifth floor inpatient surgery unit opened in June. Four operating rooms are now open, with plans to expand to seven rooms with incoming medical subspecialties. 

Installation of new magnetic resonance imaging equipment in the former X-ray film library was part of the "move up" plan from basement to higher floors initiated after Katrina flooded high-value medical equipment. 

The family birthing center opened Jan. 8, with more than 100 babies delivered through mid-July. A two-bed special care nursery within the birthing center opened July 9, and a full neonatal intensive care unit should be ready in November. 

The warfighter refractive surgery clinic reopened March 12, with the first laser procedure scheduled for this week. 

The medical center's dining facility was back in business April 23.
The catheterization lab resumed treating patients May 14 for cardiac catheterization and pacemaker/defibrillator implantation. 

Other major milestones involved resumption of dentistry and medical residency programs. July 2006 saw the return of advanced education in general dentistry. Last month, medical and surgical residencies resumed, along with dental general practice and endodontics residencies. 

Seven enlisted medical specialty programs restarted this year. In July, the nurse transition program graduated its second class of 12 since the storm. 

"Over the past two years, our focus has not been only on reconstituting our mission, but helping the surrounding communities recover and rebuild through more than 70,000 hours of documented volunteer efforts," General Capasso said. 

Steve Pivnick, 81st Medical Group Public Affairs, contributed to this report.
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