Why doesn't the military help in disasters more quickly?

[BlueIn_W_Pa]

Watching the Hawaii footage and remembering Katrina and others where it was difficult in getting supplies in or people out. I know many cases the National Guard can be brought in, but I don't think they have this kind of capability.

Does anyone know why the military can't use it's massive capabilities to send in housing, water, food?

I mean just this one helicopter can carry between 15-18 tons of emergency supplies in one trip? Even the older versions can carry 12 tons.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

1. The paltry 860 billion dollar budget is not enough to help the citizens it's said to be protecting?

[jimfields33]

4. That is not their job.

We have a national guard to do this. If they are slow, insist they go faster. The active duty military is not part of weather emergencies in the United States. Attacks by foreign countries is when they’d get involved.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

8. No country has attacked America ever other than Pearl Harbor. Been 80 years! That's not it!

[SomewhereInTheMiddle]

13. Not quite true ...

No country has attacked America ever other than Pearl Harbor.

There have been other attacks on American soil and assets in our history by nation states or state sponsored organizations.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_attacks_on_U.S._territory
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_the_United_States

Depending on how you define "attacked America" and "country" you might also include cyber-attacks and economic warfare.

In answer to the OP question - They do help, just not all the time, and it can take time to get all the permissions and pieces in place.

https://www.army.mil/humanitarian/
https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/s/sampling-of-us-naval-humanitarian-operations.html
https://www.usmcu.edu/Research/Marine-Corps-History-Division/Information-for-Units/-Marine-Corps-Humanitarian-Operations/

As you can see many of the humanitarian missions of the regular forces are in other countries. The National Guard is better trained and positioned to help in US emergencies.

Not saying the response time and capabilities could not be improved. That would require refocusing priorities in Congress, Statehouses, and the Pentagon.

We, as voters, can help drive that.

[BlueIn_W_Pa]

15. Appreciate the links

...an interesting read

[RandySF]

2. They can't just roll in unless the state requests it.

[LiberalArkie]

3. The chain of command has to authorize it. At present, some of that chain is not available.

[jimfields33]

5. They have acting leaders in every role.

They’d have authority to approve.

[Johnny2X2X]

6. There are good reasons the military stays out of the business of the American people

There's a wall there for a reason. Republicans have been itching to use the military against Americans for decades now. In an emergency like this one I don't think they could have done much good as they would have needed time to get supplies, fuel, and take off.

[BlueIn_W_Pa]

7. At least until recently

the Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463 (HMH-463) was based in Hawaii? The unit was decommissioned recently, but I read the helicopters are still there.

In emergencies, I think it's abhorrent that we can't use even a few aircraft to help the citizens they are there to protect.

[atreides1]

12. Okay

The helicopters are still there, but the same cannot be said of the crews needed to operate them.

[sarisataka]

9. The National Guard is the military

Available to the governor for state use. They have many of the same capabilities as full time military although personnel have to be called to duty from their civilian jobs.

Active military is Federal. They cannot be used in a state except by request of the state and approval from Washington. The only exception would be if a disaster left a state without an effective government.

[getagrip_already]

17. And so is the coast guard

Both have been on site since day 1.

Both have the ability to use assets from other branches of the mitary, you just don't see them.

Katrina was a different kind of cluster f$%^. Don't confuse that response with anything else.

[BlueIn_W_Pa]

18. Katrina, yeah you're right

and I have seen some military presence just a bit ago on the news, but they need mass food, shelter and water.

Maybe I'm being too simplistic, but one heavy lift copter could bring everything that's urgent, really anywhere in one flight.

They're still trying to get road access for supplies, where the Stallion could get there no problem.

[allegorical oracle]

10. Now that FEMA is activated, it can summon the DoD. The Stafford Act, which proscribes

what powers are available to FEMA in presidentially declared disasters, places it in charge of DoD, Army Corps of Engineers, DoT, SBA, and other agencies.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

11. Because that's not their job,

that's the job of the National Guard.

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

14. The use of active duty military domestically is complicated by Posse Comitatus

Some laws have been passed to ease this for domestic disaster relief, but its still primarily the National Guards role. I believe one of the NDAA's authorized the use of Reserve personnel for disaster relief, but active duty are still restricted. DSCA rules limits the military to support roles only I believe.

[BlueIn_W_Pa]

16. Appreciate it

you gave me some reading to do