DOHA, Sept 3: Three hundred US airmen deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan have begun returning to Mississippi to help their families cope with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a spokesman for US Central Command Air Forces said on Saturday.

“The US Central Command Air Forces is sending 300 Active Duty and Air Force Reserve Airmen home who were assigned to Keesler Air Force Base (in Biloxi, Mississippi) so they can attend to their families’ needs after Hurricane Katrina,” Captain David Small said.

“The airmen have already begun redeploying (from Iraq and Afghanistan) and will all be home as soon as possible,” he said.

“Nearly 100 airmen who were scheduled to deploy from Keesler AFB (to the Central Command area of responsibility) will not deploy now” in order to help with the rescue effort in Mississippi.

Their jobs will be filled by others throughout the Air Force not affected by the hurricane, he said. Capt Small said many of the 300 airmen being sent back to Mississippi had served for nearly four months. —AFP