U.S. Army Takes Over Massive Mission to Save Puerto Rico

[DonViejo]

Source: The Daily Beast



More than a week after Hurricane Maria, the response is finally being federalized as the island struggles to distribute supplies and restore power.

INGRID ARNESEN
09.28.17 2:37 PM ET

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico—The U.S. Army will take over recovery operations in Puerto Rico, Col. Jorge Santini of Puerto Rico's National Guard state command told The Daily Beast. The announcement is expected Thursday afternoon.

U.S. Northern Command appointed Army Brig. Gen. Richard Kim on Wednesday to oversee operations. The Army will oversee every facet of the massive mission and coordinate with the National Guard, FEMA, and Gov. Ricardo Rossello’s office, Santini said. Approximately 2,600 U.S. military personnel and Guard members are currently involved in Hurricane Maria relief efforts, the Pentagon said.

"We need more manpower, more resources, more help, quickly and efficiently," Santini said. "We needed to federalize the recovery plan."

Ret. Gen. Russel Honore, who led the military effort in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, told NPR on Thursday morning and far more troops are needed. “Puerto Rico is a bigger and tougher mission than Katrina,’ Honore said, adding 20,000 federal troops and 40,000 National Guard were under his command. Honore said twice as many are needed for Puerto Rico.

Read more: http://www.thedailybeast.com/us-army-takes-over-massive-mission-to-save-puerto-rico

[Ligyron]

1. Maybe NOW they'll finally get some help.

[Baitball Blogger]

2. Go Army!

Just a side question - is the Army still the most diverse branch of the military?

[jmowreader]

3. It is.

Hopefully, the Army's first move for Puerto Rico is the same as it was for Hurricane Andrew: we sent Spanish linguists from the 110th Military Intelligence Battalion to every company in the division with authority from the commanding general to take everyone who could speak Spanish and get them on the ground in Florida.

[Baitball Blogger]

6. .

[IronLionZion]

7. Navy has been most diverse (% racial minorities) since 2005

Air Force has most % women. Coast Guard is most LGBT friendly

But Army is still the largest branch by a very wide margin



http://www.businessinsider.com/us-military-demographics-2014-8?op=1/#norities-in-the-reserves-make-up-less-than-20-of-the-officers-in-the-force-12

[dubyadiprecession]

4. Wow! They have a plan now!

It's good to see that the authorities stopped smoking dope long enough to figure this out! Someone write it down for them, so they don't have to cluelessly, stumble around in the dark next time!

[lindysalsagal]

5. Ok. This is good. I think they'll benefit from the army's organized command center.

From what I've heard, no one there is really diagnosing the real problems, setting an action plan that works, and implementing it. That's what the army does: They already know what they'll need to do everything, and in what order.

This is good news. It won't be pretty, but right now they need fast and effective, rather than pretty.

[BigmanPigman]

11. This is the first sign of realistic and logical

thinking since this began. A gerbil would've figured out that this was necessary long before now. Duh!

[CanonRay]

8. Long overdue

If Trump gave a shit, this would have been ready to go day 1

[Beartracks]

9. I don't get how they can do that if they can't drive trucks there.

I mean, isn't Puerto Rico an island???



============

[bluedigger]

10. The 101st Airborne is sending a helicopter brigade.

Air Freight!

[TomSlick]

12. Hooyah!

The Army is good at killing people and breaking things but what it does really well is logistics.

Hooyah!