3 Navy ships to be deployed to Gulf of Mexico to help with disaster.

[rodeodance]

a little late.

[rodeodance]

1. this was on Keith Olberman just now.

[rodeodance]

3. No national preplanning==just hobnailing this resucue effort hr by hr.

[aquart]

5. You noticed that? Me, too.

[Raster]

2. and hey, how 'bout the National Guard. Good thing they were on the

spot and available to help with Katrina.

:sarcasm:

[acmejack]

4. Did they say which ones?

[rodeodance]

15. no, and they did not say how long it would take or anything else.

[KeepItReal]

6. With all due respect, the Navy does have to clear outta paths of storms

Lest their ships become victims of the hurricane, too.

I'm more concerned about the National Guard that should be more in effect.

[KittyWampus]

9. I learned this from some good DU'ers the other night in response to a

stupid question... why naval ships couldn't evacuate...

[leftchick]

7. what can they do?

I mean really? I think they need National guard troops like 3 days ago. Unless all of the Naval service people are coming in to evacuate folks to the ships? Any ideas?

[KeepItReal]

12. 3 Amphibious ships...if they are Marine carriers, they'll have helicopters

But they are coming all the way from Virgina!?

"The Navy is sending three ships to the Gulf Coast with water and other supplies for those hit by Hurricane Katrina, but officials are urging service members not to try to return to their military bases in New Orleans.

The three amphibious ships will be leaving from Norfolk, Va., in the next few days. The Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida will be a base for the relief effort."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5244277,00.html

[VADem11]

13. They're bringing supplies

Water, food, and medicine are all surely needed.

[leftchick]

23. that is good news

I am so distraught over this I am not thinking straight. I just pictured big old Navy ships sitting out in the ocean and can't get close to the city.

[jackstraw45]

8. For Dumbya to land on?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

10. Interesting.... navy ships that are helping with civilian needs cannot

make war... I am reminded of "beating swords into plowshares" just a tad... if this sort of thing continues, we will have our hands full with just taking care of our own... we'd better get on the global warming issue FULL AHEAD.

[DELUSIONAL]

11. ABOUT TIME

When my father retired from the Navy -- he said he was retiring because the "new" Navy was one he didn't recognize.

Plans should have been made and people should have been preparing long ago.

No excuses -- in the old Navy -- they would have already been in New Orleans.

Perhaps the ships would have to come from hurricane hiding holes -- but the personnel and small boats could have been airlifted in.

What we are seeing is poor planning -- poor organization and poor communication.

What not to do in a crisis? Letting a dip-shit like bushie take over the white house. He doesn't have a clue -- if it isn't written down for him then he doesn't know what to say.

[rodeodance]

16. yes, about time-past time.

[acmejack]

20. when did he retire?

The question is which "new" navy? There have been several iterations.

[DELUSIONAL]

27. Yes there have been lots of "new" Navy(s)

The one he was talking about were the changes that happened at the end of the 60s.

My father joined the Navy right after Pearl Harbor was attacked and remained in the Navy until about 1969. He was an Airdale -- Navy air with most of his service on Naval Air bases, and some Carrier service.

[stillcool]

22. Which is why this is so messed up....

First to hear days in advance what was coming. Then to read things like this:
'An exposed nerve'
In case Congress hasn't gotten the message, former FEMA director Witt recently restated it in strong terms. "I am extremely concerned that the ability of our nation to prepare for and respond to disasters has been sharply eroded," he testified at a March 24, 2004, hearing on Capitol Hill. "I hear from emergency managers, local and state leaders, and first responders nearly every day that the FEMA they knew and worked well with has now disappeared. In fact one state emergency manager told me, 'It is like a stake has been driven into the heart of emergency management.'"

"This is an exposed nerve in the emergency management community, in the sense that resources have been shifted away from hurricanes, tornadoes and other kinds of disasters – the kind of disasters that are more likely to occur than terrorism."
http://www.sfbg.com/38/52/news_fema.html

or this:
One of the hardest-hit areas of the New Orleans district's budget is the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project, which was created after the May 1995 flood to improve drainage in Jefferson, Orleans and St. Tammany parishes. SELA's budget is being drained from $36.5 million awarded in 2005 to $10.4 million suggested for 2006 by the House of Representatives and the presiden

[CountAllVotes]

14. too bad it is not 3,000+ ships

That might make a difference if our troops weren't in an unjust war with Iraq!

BRING OUR TROOPS HOME NOW!

AMERICA NEEDS OUR TROOPS HERE AT HOME!

NATIONAL EMERGENCY FOR GOD's SAKE!

:kick:

[rodeodance]

17. and the LA wants their equipment back from Iraq.

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. Will they be able to house

any of those poor people being evacuated?

[rodeodance]

19. I do not know. but here is an article just posted on du about this.BRITS

again inform us.

Tue Aug-30-05 07:38 PM
Original message
Guardian: Navy Sending Ships to Gulf Coast


"The Navy is sending three ships to the Gulf Coast with water and other supplies for those hit by Hurricane Katrina, but officials are urging service members not to try to return to their military bases in New Orleans.

Navy bases in Gulfport, Miss., and New Orleans were evacuated and suffered heavy flooding and wind damage.

The three amphibious ships will be leaving from Norfolk, Va., in the next few days. The Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida will be a base for the relief effort. "

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-524...

[daleo]

28. Speaking of Brits, perhaps the U.S. could take a page from British history

At the evacuation of Dunkirk all kinds of boats, including private ones, were pressed into service. Perhaps the same may be have to be done in the evacuation of New Orleans.

[proud2BlibKansan]

29. I posted this on Sunday but I will repeat

I heard a story several months ago about a naval vessel in a harbor somewhere in Florida (I think?) that is 'retired' from service and is used as a museum. During a recent hurricane, it was the shelter for several hundred people in the nearby community. They said this ship didn't even rock during the hurricane and those aboard were very safe.

How sad that we use our military for useless wars when we could have actually saved lives by putting people on naval vessels in the Gulf?

[riverwalker]

21. Feds are just NOW responding?

Yet the people who had to stay are criticized for not being to leave their minimum wage jobs, pack up the three kids and grandma in her wheelchair, and evacuate 200 miles with only 10 hours notice.

The next person who says "but it was a mandatory evacuation!" is gonna be sentenced to volunteer just one day at any hospital in any city. I have patients who can't even get a ride home from the hospital, much less evacuate before a hurricane. There are elderly people who DON"T have families to help, and the chronically ill, on oxygen, in wheelchairs. They are alone. They are the ones who are now dead, who couldn't make it to the attics to chop holes and beg to be rescued. They are now dead, and I fear they will number in the hundreds.

[Cleita]

24. I guess better late than never.

Who was it that said ships were a stupid idea? Apparently, they aren't now.

[FloridaPat]

25. Are they going to be helping with the people or the oil wells?

[NYC]

26. On the radio now, about Navy ships:

http://www.wdsu.com/video/4907831/detail.html

[Skwmom]

30. They need to get search and rescue teams in there now! n/m

[DoYouEverWonder]

31. They need to fly this stuff in

the ships are going to take too long.