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■"Military May Propose an Active-Duty Force for Relief Efforts," by Eric Schmitt and Thom Shanker, New York Times, 11 October 2005, p. A15.
Adm. Tim Keating is considered by most to be one smart flag. We're lucky to have the quality we've got right now in Northcom, Pacom (Adm. Fox Fallon), Centcom (Gen. John Abizaid), and Eucom (Gen. Jim Jones). Then you're talking Gen. Pete Pace as Chairman and Adm. Ed Giambastiani as the Vice, and that's one helluva package of talent, really.
Well, Keating's not afraid to say controversial things if he feels they need to be said, and a recent study of the military's role in Katrina and Rita is something he's obviously getting ready to act on by proposing "to organize a specially trained and equipped active-duty force that could respond quickly to assist relief efforts in the event of overwhelming natural disaster, like major hurricanes, foods or earthquakes.
Trust me, the domestic SysAdmin force is coming, because the military knows it's coming and if it's gonna come, they might as well get started now on trying to get it right, because these things don't spring into being one afternoon.
For now we're just talking in the hundreds, but these on-call types would be pure SysAdmin: "military communications technicians, logistics specialists, doctors and nurses, engineers and even infantry."
Notice that military police are mentioned. That's to get-around the need to revamp the Posse Comitatus law, ancient and out of date as it is, because the slippery-slope types would start screeching about one-world government, UN command and control and black helicopters flooding the sky.
God I miss the "X Files."
So this force would be everything but the police, leaving that role to the Guard.
Fine and dandy, but then consider this: huge natural disaster hits key ally like . .. I dunno . . . Pakistan?
We have these special units sitting here in States, doing nothing at the time (just speculating, mind you). Do they sit it out or does America do the right thing?
So then ask yourself: what's the key "home" versus "away" game distinction here? Or does that concept remain possibly the dumbest strategic idea anyone has ever dreamed up?
The SysAdmin force is coming, my friends, by Congressional hook or to catch some Gap crook. It's coming.
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