Pentagon shares some lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina

[The Straight Story]

Pentagon shares some lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina

By Chris Strohm
[e-mail]
Senior Defense Department officials on Thursday outlined some of the critical lessons the Pentagon has learned from Hurricane Katrina that could help improve the federal government's response to future domestic catastrophes.

The officials told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee that the department is still in the midst of completing a full report, but that some of the issues that need to be addressed are already evident.

"U.S. military forces executed the largest, fastest, most comprehensive and most responsive civil support mission ever," said Paul McHale, assistant secretary of Defense for homeland defense, in written testimony to the committee. "In a domestic relief operation unprecedented in scale, over 72,000 federal military and National Guard forces flowed into the Gulf Coast region over a 12-day period to assist fellow Americans in distress."

McHale testified along with Navy Adm. Timothy Keating, commander of U.S. Northern Command, and Army Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau.

According to McHale, the government should:

http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=33378&dcn=todaysnews

[DELUSIONAL]

1. The Navy was there but not allowed to help

The ship just off the coast from New Orleans had the equipment and personnel to help.

I remember reading about two Navy helicopter pilots who helped but were later reprimanded by their C.O.

The military could have provided a whole lot more humanitarian aid. Also there is there major problem of the Louisiana National Guard off in Iraq -- when they were needed at home.

Since my dad was career Navy I am aware of just how much the military can do before, during and after natural disasters. Bush seemed to see this as a "military" action -- why did he want total control -- so he could lock up as many as possible non-white people??

But then DU knows all of this -- I'm sort of singing to the choir here.