Ironworks Gaming Forum - View Single Post - Heard something outrageous this morning about the evacuation of the superdome

Thoran · 09-02-2005, 06:49 PM

I agree on the politics point but I think you're being too generous on the deployment side. Someone fubar'd and did it big.

In the first 10 days of Desert Shield there was the better part of a division on the ground in Saudi (Congressional Budget Office based on data from the U.S. Transportation Command and Ronald Rost, John Addams, and John Nelson, Sealift in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm: 7 August 1990 to 17 February 1991, CRM91-109 Alexandria, Va.: Center for Naval Analyses, May 1991). The first forces hit the ground in Saudi in less than 48 hours. Now, based on the reports i'm hearing, the current buildup in N.O. is... at best... along roughly the same time frame. The difference of course it the forces were travelling 6000 miles to get to Saudi, and a fraction of that for this situation.

IMO the evidence points to a serious 'misunderestimation' somewhere along the line .

Part of the problem is that the LA governator should have requested federal forces IMMEDIATELY, and she didn't (still hasn't to my knowledge). Reserve callups are good for longer term but you can't rapid deploy reservists... just doesn't work.

Part of the problem is the Mayor of N.O. didn't bother to REALLY try to get his city emptied (I love the picture of hundreds of N.O. school buses all parked in neat rows... buses that COULD have been evacuating those without the means to get out themselves). Of course now he's screaming like a girl and blaming everyone else for something he bears some responsability for.

Part of the problem is that the entire government from G.W. down was slow in realizing the enormity of the problem... and that is something I just don't understand, and I have yet to hear a viable explanation from anyone.

Part of the problem is the criminals and dumasses who decided to stay in N.O... either to cause problems or because they were 'too tough' to be skeered by a lil ole storm. The first category should be shot, the second have probably learned their lesson I imagine.

I'm sure there's more blame to go around, like all the city planners in New Orleans over the last 100 years who've trusted to luck to protect them from a Cat4 or 5 hit... when they knew DAMN WELL that it was just a matter of time.

[ 09-02-2005, 06:57 PM: Message edited by: Thoran ]

09-02-2005, 06:49 PM	#35
Thoran Galvatron Join Date: January 10, 2002 Location: Upstate NY Age: 57 Posts: 2,109	I agree on the politics point but I think you're being too generous on the deployment side. Someone fubar'd and did it big. In the first 10 days of Desert Shield there was the better part of a division on the ground in Saudi (Congressional Budget Office based on data from the U.S. Transportation Command and Ronald Rost, John Addams, and John Nelson, Sealift in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm: 7 August 1990 to 17 February 1991, CRM91-109 Alexandria, Va.: Center for Naval Analyses, May 1991). The first forces hit the ground in Saudi in less than 48 hours. Now, based on the reports i'm hearing, the current buildup in N.O. is... at best... along roughly the same time frame. The difference of course it the forces were travelling 6000 miles to get to Saudi, and a fraction of that for this situation. IMO the evidence points to a serious 'misunderestimation' somewhere along the line . Part of the problem is that the LA governator should have requested federal forces IMMEDIATELY, and she didn't (still hasn't to my knowledge). Reserve callups are good for longer term but you can't rapid deploy reservists... just doesn't work. Part of the problem is the Mayor of N.O. didn't bother to REALLY try to get his city emptied (I love the picture of hundreds of N.O. school buses all parked in neat rows... buses that COULD have been evacuating those without the means to get out themselves). Of course now he's screaming like a girl and blaming everyone else for something he bears some responsability for. Part of the problem is that the entire government from G.W. down was slow in realizing the enormity of the problem... and that is something I just don't understand, and I have yet to hear a viable explanation from anyone. Part of the problem is the criminals and dumasses who decided to stay in N.O... either to cause problems or because they were 'too tough' to be skeered by a lil ole storm. The first category should be shot, the second have probably learned their lesson I imagine. I'm sure there's more blame to go around, like all the city planners in New Orleans over the last 100 years who've trusted to luck to protect them from a Cat4 or 5 hit... when they knew DAMN WELL that it was just a matter of time. [ 09-02-2005, 06:57 PM: Message edited by: Thoran ]