Reading for the Road

The debate continues. Here's some information on the logistics of a disaster relief effort provided by an experienced Marine:

There's something called "logistics." Check it out.

You cannot just snap your fingers and make the military suddenly appear somewhere.

Nor can you legally send federal troops willy-nilly to shoot looters, courtesy of the Posse Comitatus act. You should know this, Ann. You're a lawyer by profession. You shouldn't need a dumb grunt to explain it to you.

But watch for much of our news commentary and public debate to predicate itself around a vast ignorance of logistical capacity and principals.

For instance: Suppose you got a brigade worth of troops (5,000 or so) available,. How are you going to support them? How will you transport them? Think organic trans is sufficient? Think again. Even at 100% operational readiness, a typical infantry battalion can only self transport perhaps a company at a time. And if every soldier is bringing a rucksack and a dufflebag, you're really talking about maybe two platoons. And unless you expect the unit to become a drain on local resources, every company is going to take a half truck or more of MREs and a half truck or more of bottled water, along with its own water trailers. I've seen it happen. I've done it. I've been a battalion S4 in combat, an HHC XO for dozens of major moves of a hundred miles or more, and an HHC company commander for six hurricane mobilizations.

(A tip of the cap to Juliette.)

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And when you're done reading the whole post above, go read this, as well.

(A tip of the cap to Margi Lowry.)

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Finally, a message from the Mayor of Houston. Would that more people in a position of power had his roll-up-the-shirt-sleeves attitude and ability to get things done.

Good on you, Mayor.

(A tip of the cap to El Capitan.)

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One last thought for today.....

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