The US military, built for man-made battles, could end up leading fights against Mother Nature.
In the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita -- and the federal government's sluggish response to the first -- US President George W. Bush is raising the possibility of putting the Pentagon in charge of search-and-rescue efforts for catastrophic natural disasters.
Such a precedent-setting shift would require not only some change in law but a greater degree of consensus. Congress is divided over the prospect of troops massed in US cities and increasing the power of the federal government at the expense of the states.
And there's the question of what would be left for the recently created Homeland Security Department to do.
Bush has described the armed forces as "the institution of our government most capable of massive logistical operations on a moment's notice," and defense analysts echo that assessment.
With its wealth of all-terrain vehicles, helicopters, boats, satellites and coordination and control operations, the military can quickly dispatch what a lot of people need in a hurry after a disaster, whether that means 1,000 choppers to pluck residents from rooftops or shallow-water vessels to navigate flooded streets.
Still, the Pentagon seems lukewarm about taking control and providing the core of disaster relief.
"It's something we've thought about," General Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Tuesday. But he said there is a long way to go before "you ... decide you want to give active forces law enforcement authority."
Retired General Charles Wilhelm, who accompanied the army general in charge of the military's hurricane response, said civilian agencies, not the Pentagon, should continue to lead the response.
Turning the military into first responders risks making it "a jack-of-all-trades, master of none," he said.
In response to Rita, navy and air force teams, flying from the deck of the USS Iwo Jima and Randolph Air Force Base in Texas, conducted rescue missions into Texas and Louisiana. During the weekend, they transported several thousand people to safety, including 1,300 patients.
Four navy ships were off the Gulf Coast on Tuesday, providing hurricane relief, including the salvage ship USS Grapple, which was beginning survey operations. About 600 members of the 82nd Airborne Division were sent from New Orleans to southwestern Louisiana late on Monday to assist in rescue and recovery.
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