Why is it that militaries take the lead around the world

[nadinbrzezinski]

during disasters?

It is simple...

COMMAND STRUCTURE, COMMUNICATIONS and logistics.

When I was trained in disaster services and logistics, well the logistics part was handled by a Mexican Army Logistics Officer... why? If you are preparing for war, or you are planning a disaster... the issues are damn similar.

You need a supply chain, that is safe and secured. And you need the personnel to track all from a number two pencil to a sack of rice and in the case of the army, a box of ammo.

The problems are similar. It does not matter if I am filling my truck with 50 cal ammo, or 10 tones of food. If I am taking that truck into a disaster scene, or a war zone. I have security issues, fuel issues and food issues.

That is why the military does it.

And why for the most part even rescue teams like DMAT are organized on paramilitary lines and hitch a ride aboard C-130s, hell they drill for this.

Now I can already see one major revision to disaster deployment plans... and they involve heavy lift.

When DMAT moves inside the US... or even the Mexican Army deploys the DN-3 plan in Mexico, for the most part you can find trucks locally. So I can already see one area to be revised and involved coordination among allies to bring the equipment needed to move all these supplies and chiefly coordinate the damn thing.

So as somebody else put it, it might be making lemonade, but I'd rather have the support of a good military that knows it's logistics (and I don't care what flag) than not have them.

And this is more inside the hell that is logistics than I fear most folks want to know.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. DU burp, so I can find it

[Mimosa]

2. IDF is sending help

This warmed my heart:

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1263147891096&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Excerpt:


Web JPost.com

Middle East & Israel Breaking News » Israel » Article
Jan 14, 2010 13:35 | Updated Jan 14, 2010 22:50
IDF team will spend two weeks in Haiti
By YAAKOV KATZ

IDF medical teams are preparing to spend two weeks in Haiti and to see an average of 500 patients a day, Chief IDF Medical Corps Officer Brig.-Gen. Nahman Ash said Thursday, a day after a devastating earthquake ripped through the country on Wednesday.


The delegation will consist of 121 members, including 40 doctors and five search-and-rescue teams. The delegation will lift off on two planes at 8 p.m. from Ben-Gurion International Airport.

Ash said that the field hospital would likely be set up in an area in or around the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince and would remain for at least two weeks.

"We assume that in the first stage we will deal with trauma patients and then the next round will be people suffering from infections and secondary illnesses," Ash said. The field hospital, he said, would have surgery rooms, and several beds in an Intensive Care Unit.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. It is not surprising

they are always there...

[howard112211]

3. Yup. And every strategist knows that the enemies supply lines are the most vulnerable spot.

The bigger the war machine, the more maintainance it requires. Even the biggest war machine can come to a halt if it runs out of gas.

"The successful general will aquire resources on enemy territory."

Ah, the good ole Sun Tsu...

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. You will not laugh

but I was working for the Red Cross right? Well guess what? For that course we HAD to read The Art of War...

I've re-read it over the years.