As an Air Force Vet, I CANNOT believe the lack of response!!!

[Rick Myers]

An old C-130 Hercules can airdrop loads up to 42,000 pounds or use its high-flotation landing gear to land and deliver cargo on rough, dirt strips. Load and flight prep, LESS than 2 hours. It can fly 1200+ miles at about 350 mph!!!

Reservists could do it... IF THEY WERE'T IN IRAQ!!!!!!!!!

[Renew Deal]

1. I was having this discussion with someone tonight.

These guys can drop food on Iraq and Afghanistan and they can't do it here? Something is not right.

[buddysmellgood]

2. Thank you for posting this. This is what I surmised just from observing

our capabilities. It's great to hear it from someone in the know.

[liberalpragmatist]

3. Under Clinton there WAS a Plan in place

Check out this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4565117

[democracyindanger]

4. You might find this interesting

I have just received word from officers on Fort Rucker

That the reason why helicopters from Fort Rucker have not been used for rescue and to drop food and water to Katrina survivors is because the Commander of the National Guard has said that he wants no help from the Army until it has been shown that the National Guard can't handle it anymore. He seems to be the only one who doesn't know that THEY HAVE BEEN SHOWN THAT THEY CAN'T HANDLE IT! How has this kind of insanity fruited on the vine?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/9/1/175159/9135

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. Good grief

How much more proof that THEY CAN'T HANDLE IT does this guy need?

[Spinzonner]

6. The military officer mind

It's about credit and career

[bullwinkle428]

17. So it comes down to an effing TURF WAR??? There are

really no words that would suffice...

[Bouncy Ball]

18. Pride kills.

Literally.

[Nikki Stone 1]

38. So this is two branches of the service playing politics while people die?

That actually sounds believable. There is fierce competition between various branches of the military.

[etherealtruth]

7. As a human being I am mortified

[AuntiBush]

31. I'm right there with you, etherealtruth.

[Wheaty]

8. yes my ex was 82nd airborne

I lived long enough at Fort Bragg and right beside Pope AFB to see how fast they could load up a C-130 for an airdrop. I used to go over near the Drop Zones all the time and watch them practice dropping loads. Those C-130 pilots can do some amazing flying and hit their marks almost every time

[rstlne]

9. Sad but true

Unfortunately, the main concern seems to be lawlessness.

Did it ever occur to these fools that if they removed the people, there would be no one left to break the law?

They're only treating symptoms and not the problem.

[Clintmax]

10. I know THAT'S right!

Chimpyboy obviously doesn't care enough to order them there. The chimp is worthless.

[Booster]

27. I think the Dimson wants riots; if you think about it, it's the only way

this administration can operate. Riots will take the heat off Bush regarding the Sept. 24th peace march, Iraq, and all the other things he has screwed up. He and his coherts want those poor black people to die so they will be off of welfare and Medicare. Make no mistake, this is on purpose.

[tamtam]

11. As an Air Force vet

I share your frustration. The c-130 is massive and could carry plenty of supplies not to mention people.

[democrank]

12. I think your idea is

a little too rational. In order to have the U.S. government`s seal of approval, a plan must include 23 different committees to study the committees. Then, all major corporate donors must be contacted to make absolute certain the plan will not decrease their tax breaks or create any regulations which might benefit the people.

In other words, why fire up a bunch of C-130s when you can get the job done with a Bush41/Clinton fundraiser?

[me b zola]

13. I am outraged.

I am filled with sorrow & anger at the non-response. The longer it goes on, the more I see the inappropriate statements from the administration & FEMA, the more I wonder why. WHY?

WHY?

WHY?

WHY?

[LevelB]

14. Well, and here is a thought,

If they can get charter buses in, why not 18-sheelers?

B.

[Star]

39. Here's another thought

If they can get buses in, why don't they load them up with supplies first, send them in, unload the supplies, load up the people, send them out.

What the F*** is so hard about that?????

[leftchick]

15. it is because bush does not want to do it

I am convinced they WANT them to die. :(

[Lisa]

16. and a lot of agencies can even air-drop personnel

Canada's Search and Rescue Technicians have entered disaster sites at night, during storms -- they are trained as emergency medics. And British Columbia has firefighters who can deploy into impassable areas by sliding down ropes from hovering choppers -- and set to work clearing debris, even in mountainous terrain. Canada doesn't have anywhere near the budget of the US, either.

[Rick Myers]

19. The Primary AF Special Ops units are based ONE hour away!!

There is NO doubt the response is being hampered by bureaucracy!!! By NOW I could have loaded, plotted and FLOWN a fully-loaded Herk alone!!! This is simply SICK!!!

[crispini]

20. This thread is making me cry.

Thank you for your honesty.

[bloom]

21. It's like we don't even have a military.

We might as well not. Here they were with two days notice of the hit. If it had been an (non-existant) enemy - we would have had NO warning. It's nuts.

[Nothing Without Hope]

26. At some point you have to begin to suspect it's DELIBERATE, a form of

passive genocide. There is no other explanation. They are not only doing virtually nothing to save all those people, they have forbidden other countries to give aid either.

Or maybe the Administration is waiting for dehydration and starvation and lack of shelter to tear away the veneer of civilization as it did in Iraq. We keep hearing so much about all the looters, as if that were the PRIMARY concern. Yes, there is violence and looting, but when living conditions are allowed to decay to this desperate point and there is no prospect of aid, then violence will erupt. Then the fearson LOOTERS™ can become the new TERRA-ISTS™, ready to get you if you don't have massive Pentagon-directed domestic military police to protect from them.

I believe the desire of the Bush Administration for such a military police force is one of the reasons the National Guards were sent to Iraq. After all, a Guard might not want to shoot people from their home areas. The Chinese ran into that same problems during protests and ended up importing "foreign" troops from far away from Peking to smash the demonstrations by force.

[WhoWantsToBeOccupied]

33. And once they've been dehumanized by killing in Iraq, bring 'em home!

[BlueIris]

22. I'm sorry, Rick. This must be hard for you. nt

[Old Mouse]

23. and now that everyone knows there will be no forthcoming help

lawlessness will break out the at the BEGINNING of the next major disaster. Instant martial law.

What will be the next disaster? A natural one, or a terrorist attack?

[Just Me]

24. No shit!!! Aid could have been delivered within 24 hrs. It didn't happen

I've been through several natural disasters. Aid was mobilized in LESS than 24 hours.

This failure is beyond unacceptable and inexecusable. The facts and information and possibilities were ALL accessible.

The response is beyond criminal negligence, in my opinion.

[Nothing Without Hope]

25. There are still planes and pilots and resources in this country. They are

NOT being used. I believe this is deliberate, a form of passive genocide. People are dying of THIRST, for crissake!

During the Indonesian tsunami aftermath, a US nuclear aircraft carrier went to Acer (sp?) and provided MASSIVE amounts of pure, fresh water from its huge onboard water processing plant. I can't use the DU search feature to get the exact number from a post I made about it then, but it is a prodigious source of clean dirking water and it saved many, many lives there.

Why can't water and supplies be airlifted in? And how about water treatment equipment? There are smaller units that are sold all over the world by US companies and they could be purchased and set up in communities.

There are MANY things that CAN be done - but are NOT being done. It has to be deliberate...at some point incompetence and callousness isn't enough to explain it.

[JPK]

28. Our military......

.....can invade and conquer a country, half way around the world and move thousands of personnel, thousands of tons of material, hundreds of miles in a matter of a few days and yet in our own country we see little or next to nothing to help our own. The american taxpayer via an illegitimate government showers more money on the citizens of a foreign country than they do on their own in a time of dire need. We spend billions to repair a country our federal officials have destroyed and we can't afford to maintain and improve our own infrastructure here in our own cities. Where is our national guard? Sent far away into a war they were never formed in the first place to be a part of. Our "leaders" are financial vampires draining our national treasures both human and material and will leave us with nothing when they are done with us. At the same time they will tell us we should be thankful. May God save us all when they are through with us.

[GreenPartyVoter]

29. Thank you! If only people like you who had a clue were running this

thing. :cry:


---------------------------------------------------------
Would Jesus love a liberal? You bet!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/liberalchristians.htm

[GumboYaYa]

30. Don't forget that Barksdale is just a 45 minute flight to New Orleans.

There is no way that Barksdale can't spare a plane or two to drop some suuplies. It's just criminal what they let happen.

[JPK]

32. Eglin AFB, Hurlbert Field.......

.......Are less than an hours flight from NO. Hurlbert has C-130's that could have been pressed into service along with Blackhawks. C-5's and C-17's could deliver the relief supplies from anywhere in the country to west FL for staging.

[greblc]

34. This Marine agrees...

It's a fucking disgrace.

[Sugarbleus]

35. Thanks Rick....you hit the nail on the head...except for one thing

We DO have pilots all over this country; many may have flown in military service from the past. Why couldn't the feds ask them or commandeer their service to fly the air craft you speak of?

WHY didn't the Prez allow the military assistance and rescue assistance of the Canadians? We have the equipement all over the country........There are people, like you, who know what to do. It's pure INCOMPETENCE and lack of concern for fellow human beings by those in power. I'm outraged.

As you state, there are COUNTLESS ways to have gotten into the City to aid those folks and NO ONE DID ONE DAMN THING but give lip service.
NO ONE prepared before hand and since the storm died off, NO ONE is showing any balls or INTELLIGENCE toward fixing the problem.

I just hope that this feeble rescue operation is over soon. I'm deeply sorry for those who died and those who suffer still, in the "Crescent City". I also hope that bush get's his ass kicked in for his blantant failure in leadership over this and all the rest of the crap he's pulled..

Edited to add: Addendum: I DO appreciate those people/military or otherwise who HAVE GONE IN and HAVE done what they can. Bless them...

[Bouncy Ball]

36. It amazes me how little is being done

[KT2000]

37. Afganistan got crackers

peanut butter and crackers as I recall and they were in the middle of bombing the country.

[hayu_lol]

40. C-130s could also stage out of Keesler in Biloxi...

just a few minutes by air from NO. Both cargo(water, food, medicines)could be dropped right along with troops to protect the drop.

ex AF loadmaster, dropmaster, jumpmaster.

[symbolman]

41. USAF 1971-74

Procurement agent, WE know that this is more than incompetence, this is CRIMINAL.

What if the actual terrorists hit us RIGHT NOW? WHat are they seeing on TV?

That we are helpless, held hostage by a moron, criminal dickless,coward capitalistic swine and his homies.

We are doomed if this is how we respond.

Thanks for your service and post, Having been in the USAF I KNOW what you are saying is the God's truth.

[EFerrari]

42. Genocide. n/t

[RBHam]

43. Martial Law is the goal.

Posse comitatus anyone?

[Karenina]

44. Bingo!

Lots of empty facilities ready and waiting to be filled up.