I just received order that I will be sheltering on Keesler AFB instead of evacuating. Meanwhile the wife will be evacuating to Birmingham, Alabama.
I was originally scheduled to be part of a "Rapid Response" team, that would stay as late as possible here, and then leave for Columbus AFB in northern MS when ordered. We would wait until the storm passed, and once we got the all-clear, we would travel back down to help reconstitute the base.
However, it was determined tonight that we would, instead, be sheltering on base. Our shelters made it through fine with Katrina, which passed much closer to us (assuming Gustav doesn't decide to hook East suddenly), so I think we should be fine.
My primary mission will be to keep comm up, or, in the event that we lose communications, to restore those ASAP. Keesler AFB was one of the few places that maintained power during the storm, and the military was important in off-base restoration as well. The secondary mission will be inspecting and cleaning up the base once given the all-clear. I will be bringing a camera with me, and will do my best to take pictures of the surrounding Biloxi/Gulfport area if allowed to go off-base. (I'm hoping so, as I will want to see if my apartment suffered any damage, but the chances are slim that we'll be allowed. At least, not until a day or two has passed, most likely. Again, it will most likely be determined by how much damage it causes.)
My wife will be evacuating to Birmingham with other military wives, friends of our family. If you wish to pass on hope and/or prayers, please pass these on to her. After all, I volunteered for this, and she just married into it!
I expect to begin sheltering tomorrow, and I will try to write a diary of the experience when I am able. (Expect to hear lots of stories about playing spades, living off MRE's and the odor that arises when you trap 5 people or so in one room for more than a few hours...)