Lt.
General Russel Honore (for those of you who are not familiar with military ranks, that is a three star general) has a new mission.
In addition to training new recruits for the urban combat environment of Iraq and Afghanistan, General Honore is now touring the country, speaking to churches and Rotaries, in town halls and community government auditoriums not as an ambassador for the United States military but rather as an evangelist preaching the gospel of preparedness.
General Honore served with distinction, pride, and true leadership in New Orleans, Louisiana in the days and weeks following Hurricane Katrina.
In the year and a half since Katrina much attention has focused on the recovery effort, or lack thereof, in the ninth ward; but little attention has been paid to preparedness in Louisiana or elsewhere.
Everyone believes that the Federal government will take care of preparing cities yet in the newest iteration of the free online education from the Federal government a prominent point in the first objectives of each lesion is the fact that the Federal government pays for none of the community's preparedness plan.
That is right, it is up to us.
Now it may not seem like an unusual mission for a 3 Star General to tour the country.
Eisenhower, McArthur, and Patton toured the United States during the bond efforts of World War II.
It is however an unusual mission for a 3 star general to tour the United States in support of humanitarian preparedness.
General Honore calls this "a new normal.
"According to General Honore we are in an environment now where terrorism, major natural disasters, and industrial accidents are unavoidable and due to the technological complexities of our society potentially catastrophic.
General Honore points out that there is a "nine ward" in every city.
A place where the infirm and the elderly, children and the disabled, the poor and the homeless live and are unable to help themselves in the event of disaster.
General Honore's message: no government and no military no matter how strong or well prepared can protect an unprepared citizenry.
General Honore advises that at Christmas and birthdays: "Don't give grandpa a tie, give him a weather radio.
" "Don't give grandma a picture frame...
give grandma a weather radio.
" To this I would add give mom a three day disaster pack with all of the clothes, food, water, and personal toiletries that she will need for 72 hours to ensures that she will see next mother's day.
Give dad an electronic personal medical records dive watch and ensure that if dad ends up in the emergency room or a field hospital and cannot speak for himself his electronic personal medical records speak for him.
General Honore's mission reminds us that government can teach, government can reinforce our own preparedness, but it is up to each of us individually to prepare for the next Katrina or the next 9/11.
General Russel Honore (for those of you who are not familiar with military ranks, that is a three star general) has a new mission.
In addition to training new recruits for the urban combat environment of Iraq and Afghanistan, General Honore is now touring the country, speaking to churches and Rotaries, in town halls and community government auditoriums not as an ambassador for the United States military but rather as an evangelist preaching the gospel of preparedness.
General Honore served with distinction, pride, and true leadership in New Orleans, Louisiana in the days and weeks following Hurricane Katrina.
In the year and a half since Katrina much attention has focused on the recovery effort, or lack thereof, in the ninth ward; but little attention has been paid to preparedness in Louisiana or elsewhere.
Everyone believes that the Federal government will take care of preparing cities yet in the newest iteration of the free online education from the Federal government a prominent point in the first objectives of each lesion is the fact that the Federal government pays for none of the community's preparedness plan.
That is right, it is up to us.
Now it may not seem like an unusual mission for a 3 Star General to tour the country.
Eisenhower, McArthur, and Patton toured the United States during the bond efforts of World War II.
It is however an unusual mission for a 3 star general to tour the United States in support of humanitarian preparedness.
General Honore calls this "a new normal.
"According to General Honore we are in an environment now where terrorism, major natural disasters, and industrial accidents are unavoidable and due to the technological complexities of our society potentially catastrophic.
General Honore points out that there is a "nine ward" in every city.
A place where the infirm and the elderly, children and the disabled, the poor and the homeless live and are unable to help themselves in the event of disaster.
General Honore's message: no government and no military no matter how strong or well prepared can protect an unprepared citizenry.
General Honore advises that at Christmas and birthdays: "Don't give grandpa a tie, give him a weather radio.
" "Don't give grandma a picture frame...
give grandma a weather radio.
" To this I would add give mom a three day disaster pack with all of the clothes, food, water, and personal toiletries that she will need for 72 hours to ensures that she will see next mother's day.
Give dad an electronic personal medical records dive watch and ensure that if dad ends up in the emergency room or a field hospital and cannot speak for himself his electronic personal medical records speak for him.
General Honore's mission reminds us that government can teach, government can reinforce our own preparedness, but it is up to each of us individually to prepare for the next Katrina or the next 9/11.
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