Former NO Mayor: We Need Troops In NOW

[canegrl04]

The former mayor was on CNN.He is angry that Bush hasn't called in military troops to handle this disaster.Says everyday that goes by means more people will die.

[kevin]

They're coming soon. I agree they should have been prepped as the storm was making landfall and ready to arrive after the winds and rain ceased. Hind sight is after all 20/20

[Air Force Met]

The former mayor was on CNN.He is angry that Bush hasn't called in military troops to handle this disaster.Says everyday that goes by means more people will die.

The troops have been called in...we just can't get them there. We don't have star trek transporter technology to just beem them in...they have to drive in seeing how the airports are damaged/under water. The former mayor needs to keep his mouth closed on issues he knows nothing about.

[manapua]

Yeah, I just caught that pathetic interview. Dude seemed a little addled. The logistics of this are staggering and that asswipe expects the amtrackers to be rolling in Hollywood-style.

And shame on CNN, too, for not bothering to inject some reality into the idiot's rambling.

[artist]

You know we all want it done yesterday but we have to face the realities - at first they thought the city had dodged the bullet only to have the levee's give. It is a nightmare out there - I would not want to have to be the ones trying to figure out how to get help there as well as get people out.

[simplyme]

Not to mention to get ships there, they have to go a LONG way if they're on the East coast...

[wwicko]

Bataan stands ready to help Katrina victims
By Christopher Munsey
Navy Times
August 30, 2005

As the amphibious assault ship Bataan stood by ready to help the hurricane-devastated communities of the Gulf Coast, the Navy readied three more Norfolk-based ships for relief work, if needed.

The amphibious assault ship Iwo Jima, amphibious dock landing ship Tortuga and amphibious transport dock ship Shreveport were ordered Monday to get ready to get underway, if ordered, said 2nd Fleet spokesman Lt. Mike Kafka.

The ships were told to be ready to go within 24 hours if ordered, Kafka said...

...Working through Northern Command, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is responsible for requesting military assistance to help deal with the hurricane’s aftermath, Kafka said.

“If FEMA requests the assets, the Navy is standing by to assist,” he said.

More: http://www.navytimes.com/story.php?f=1- ... 067044.php

Does anyone have confirmation that FEMA has requested Navy (and/or other military) assets? There is no mention of deployed military assets on the FEMA news page. I understand that posting to the website may not be high priority, but they have posted a number of medical team deployments. People keep asserting on these boards that the military is on the way. Is there any confirmation of this?

Also, in the presidential disaster declarations on the FEMA news page, there is only mention of funding as the response of the Federal govt. in response to the disaster. Who actually has the authority to request military assets? and what is the usual procedure?

[temujin]

The Navy isn't just on it's way. The Navy and Marines are ALREADY THERE:

http://www.bataan.navy.mil/

[Praxus]

"We don't have star trek transporter technology to just beem them in..."

The US army can drop troops in a battlefield situation; but not into a flooded city ? What about using helicopter transports ?

[slowjoe]

"We don't have star trek transporter technology to just beem them in..."

The US army can drop troops in a battlefield situation; but not into a flooded city ? What about using helicopter transports ?

Oh yes....let's have thousands of troops parachute into 8 foot high waters. Brilliant idea.

[wwicko]

Thanks for the Bataan link. Two helicopters seems almost insignificant given the magnitude of this catastrophe.

ABOARD USS BATAAN (LHD 5) AT SEA IN THE GULF OF MEXICO – The multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) was tasked to assist with the Hurricane Katrina disaster relief efforts on Tuesday August 30, 2005 . Two MH-60 Search and Rescue Helicopters from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 28 based out of Norfolk, Virginia flew off the flight deck at 5 pm (central time) Tuesday to assist in the search and rescue efforts that are currently ongoing in and around the New Orleans area.

At 6:30 pm (central time), two MH-53 helicopters from Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 15 based out of Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, also took off to assist with efforts in the New Orleans area.

USS Bataan is currently steaming in the Gulf of Mexico approximately 100 miles South of New Orleans. The ship's involvement in the humanitarian assistance operations is an effort led by the Department of Defense (DoD) in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

[oneness]

Situation made for the V-22 Osprey.

2 cents

[NCECOM]

Great site for the Bataan, thanks for the link.

[wwicko]

Situation made for the V-22 Osprey.

2 cents

http://pma275.navair.navy.mil/

[Praxus]

"Oh yes....let's have thousands of troops parachute into 8 foot high waters. Brilliant idea."

Yes thats exactly what I meant. Parachute into the floodwater. Sheesh. Last time I looked there was still flat surfaces
above water where I'm sure choppers could land or at least drop troops
from a rope or whatever. Example - those reports about looters beseiging
a hospital ? Why not send a squad of troops and drop em on the roof.

[wwicko]

Norfolk Ships Deploy to Support Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts
Story Number: NNS050831-01
Release Date: 8/31/2005 10:13:00 AM
Top News Story - Editors should consider using these stories first in local publications.

From Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet Public Affairs

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- Three amphibious ships and a rescue and salvage ship based in Hampton Roads are getting underway Aug. 31 and heading for the Gulf of Mexico to support relief operations along the U.S. Gulf Coast following widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina.

The multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) and the amphibious transport dock USS Shreveport (LPD 12), both based at Naval Station Norfolk; the dock landing ship USS Tortuga (LSD 46) and the rescue and salvage ship USS Grapple (ARS 53), both based at Naval Amphibious Base (NAB) Little Creek, Va., will join the Norfolk-based multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5), which is already off the Gulf Coast.

Navy support elements from Mobile Diving Salvage Unit 2, Assault Craft Unit 2, and Beach Master Unit 2, all based at NAB Little Creek, will also join the disaster relief effort.

The four ships will bring with them six disaster relief teams that include amphibious construction equipment, medical personnel, and associated supplies to assist with the relief effort.

The Navy's involvement in the humanitarian assistance operations is an effort by the Department of Defense in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

For related news, visit the Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet Navy NewsStand page at http://www.news.navy.mil/local/c2f/.

Source: http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display ... y_id=19826

[alicia-w]

The former mayor was on CNN.He is angry that Bush hasn't called in military troops to handle this disaster.Says everyday that goes by means more people will die.

The troops have been called in...we just can't get them there. We don't have star trek transporter technology to just beem them in...they have to drive in seeing how the airports are damaged/under water. The former mayor needs to keep his mouth closed on issues he knows nothing about.

I'm sure he knows about that stuff, but he's probably SO frustrated, like every other resident there. Any wait probably seems too long. Any delay probably seems unreasonable.

[Air Force Met]

"We don't have star trek transporter technology to just beem them in..."

The US army can drop troops in a battlefield situation; but not into a flooded city ? What about using helicopter transports ?

Goodness...where to start. If everything were only as easy as people think it is. We are talking less than 48 hours after this...and a little more than 24 hours after the flooding started.

Look...I work for 5th Army...which is not lead agency (1st Army is because of MS)...but I am working orders right now to be gone from my family for a while...and trust me when I say (I've been doing this for 18 years) all is being done as fast as it can. I promise you all the ideas on how to get troops in (even by parachute) have been thought of LONG AGO...not just now. We have exercises for all types of scenarios...and then try to think of ways to help...get people/supplies in. Trust me when I say all the ideas have been thought of and they are in the works. If you haven't seen a battalion of troops being parachuted in...or the V-22 landing...there is a very good reason for it...and one of those reasons is we do not put troops (or any rescue personnel) into a situation that may lead to their loss of life with out the possibility of them fulfilling their mission. Battle is a different story...I am speaking of natural disasters.

People think this is sooo easy...if only you worked the exercises and then the real thing you would have a completly diffrerent perspective.

[Courtnay Mccullers]

really, the people in New Orleans are lucky we are trying to help at all.

the evacuation was mandatory. that means you are on your own until it is safe for emergency crews to come back in.

as terrible as it sounds from a humanity standpoint, perhaps it would have been better to just let those in New Orleans fend for themselves until it was absolutely safe to go in. If you die, you die... you were told to get out.

I know, from a humanity standpoint it is awful... but maybe people wouldn't be so reluctant to leave if they knew help wouldn't get to them for weeks and there would be nothing to eat or drink.

[InimanaChoogamaga]

As far as the preperations go everything should have been ready to go ahead of time -- not when it was too late. We all saw the warnings the NWS was giving and no doubt the government did too. This is all acting after the fact which is why you have the former mayor complaning.

There were plenty of other advance warnings ignored. For the past several years letters have been written trying to get the government to do something about the levees and build up the grassland in front of NO. But no funding was provided despite continued letters and requests. In fact no one even bothered to visit the area. This was in the Times-Picayune blog the other day.