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| Pentagon sends ships, helicopters to Gulf Coast |
| 2005-08-31 |
| Been wondering if this would happen. Air American thinks Bush has been playing golf (which he didn't do). Instead, seems he has been giving some commands, activating our troops to our shores. He did it again, stayed quiet, but accessed the situation and issued the necessary orders The Pentagon effort includes the Navy amphibious assault ship USS Bataan, whose helicopters have been flying relief missions from off the Louisiana coast. The ship, which resembles a small aircraft carrier, can produce large quantities of fresh water and is equipped with 600 hospital beds. Several other ships, including a rescue and salvage vessel and the USS Iwo Jima, another amphibious assault ship, are on their way from Norfolk, Virginia, the Navy said. The USNS Comfort, a floating hospital based in Baltimore, Maryland, will depart in coming days. A medical crew from Bethesda Naval Hospital will staff the ship. It has full hospital capabilities, including operating rooms and hundreds of beds. More than 125,000 National Guard troops have been activated in 19 states and Washington, D.C., to help local agencies with traffic control, security, distributing food, and search and rescue, a Guard spokesman said. The Coast Guard, whose crews have been assisting in the rescue of people stranded by high water in the New Orleans area, is recalling 550 reservists to assist in the relief effort. These guys are working shifts around the clock The Air Force said it was sending two large cargo planes to the region -- a C-5 Galaxy to Louisiana and a C-17 to Mississippi. Lots of search & rescue teams on board Besides humanitarian aid, the C-5 is bringing in swift boats, which can maneuver in shallow floodwaters to ferry rescue workers and victims. The C-17 is outfitted to evacuate 36 sick and injured people at a time. The Air Force also deployed MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to Mississippi for search and rescue efforts. The Pentagon's Northern Command was setting up a joint relief task force at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, to coordinate military efforts with FEMA, officials said. Let the Kos Kids weep, Bush is responding the best way he can, with our military resources. Thank you guys and gals, again. |
| Posted by:Sherry |
| #13 Hospital beds for wounded AND a mobile fresh water facility. I had no idea we even HAD a mobile fresh water facility until now. I was Navy, all ships distill fresh water out of the sea, mainly for the engines (Steam Turbines mostly) and for crew washing and drinking. You're talking about tons an hour even for the smaller ones, naturaly the Hospital Ships would have larger condensers, and/or more of them. Park a ship, so the main turbines are not running, and only the smaller turbo generators run, and almost all the condensed water can be used, the only real problem is getting it ahore. A ship of any medium large size (200 feet or so and up)is an ideal Electric power generator and mobile water source. Just provide bunker oil every 20 days or so to keep the fuel tanks topped off. Got a nuke, such as a carrier, and even better refuel every 20 years or so. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2005-08-31 22:48 |
| #12 Charles, any fair sized navy ship is a mobile fresh water facility, especially if they must produce pure water for steam plant operations. Steam plant make-up water is purer than potable water by the way. The bigger the ship and crew, the more potable water they are capable of producing, especially if they ration the water on board by cutting out showers and/or flight ops on a carrier. |
| Posted by: Zpaz 2005-08-31 16:49 |
| #11 Per Fox: Air Force One to do a fly over today to see disaster area first hand before returning to Washington for disaster coordination meetings this pm. |
| Posted by: Capsu 78 2005-08-31 12:37 |
| #10 Thanks for links and other info. Re: looting Mississippi Gov. didn't mince words about looting, said looters will be dealt with severely. An improvement over the Mickey Mouse answer one of the NO authorities gave in a TV interview. Now let's see if they can get it together. |
| Posted by: mom 2005-08-31 10:40 |
| #9 So when's Jan Egeland gonna criticize the world for being cheap for not coughing up on the relief effort? When's Geldorf having the concert? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2005-08-31 09:58 |
| #8 Besides humanitarian aid, the C-5 is bringing in swift boats, which can maneuver in shallow floodwaters to ferry rescue workers and victims. I'm reporting for duty! |
| Posted by: John Kerry 2005-08-31 09:39 |
| #7 Early kudo awards to the Coast Guard. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-08-31 08:50 |
| #6 Was grumpily wondering why so many people ignored evacuation order. Maybe because people stayed behind to protect their property because they knew the government wasn't going to swiftly and harshly punish those who looted. And becasuse some choose to stay to loot knowing the government was not going to act swiftly and harshly to prevent them. How many lives would have been saved if in the past there had been zero tolerance of looting? |
| Posted by: Sleanter Whaique3382 2005-08-31 08:24 |
| #5 Mom, Check this. There are a map and instructions for how to get out of NO on the contraflow roads where traffic was one way on both sides out of town. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2005-08-31 08:14 |
| #4 Googled for information on other areas of Mississippi since most news reports seem to be on NO and Gulfport. National Geographic News has some coverage and photos; Jackson MS newspaper has best Mississippi info so far. Reading reports on Miss, husband suspects the plywood his relatives put on Granddaddy's house was more durable than the house itself; and figures the house is probably matchwood. Relatives left Saturday. Was grumpily wondering why so many people ignored evacuation order. Nat Geo says a lot of the people still in the area didn't have transportation out or had difficulties due to disabilities. I'm from the midwest. We have tornadoes and the occasional flood but nothing on this scale. So, 2 questions for anybody who knows more about this than I do: 1. Photos show traffic only in outbound lanes of interstate, with inbound lanes empty. Did anybody think of opening up inbound lanes to outbound traffic? 2. Was there anything in the disaster management plan that would have helped people without transportation? Thanks. |
| Posted by: mom 2005-08-31 02:32 |
| #3 Heard or read somewhere today, federal or some state stipulation... states must retain 50% of NGuard at all times. |
| Posted by: Sherry 2005-08-31 01:05 |
| #2 But, but, the MSM said we have this shortage of NG because of Iraq? I am |
| Posted by: Captain America 2005-08-31 00:59 |
| #1 can produce large quantities of fresh water and is equipped with 600 hospital beds. Hospital beds for wounded AND a mobile fresh water facility. I had no idea we even HAD a mobile fresh water facility until now. |
| Posted by: Charles 2005-08-31 00:56 |