Army Support During the Huricane Katrina Disaster (Ocassional Paper)

The Army's response to Hurricane Katrina was both broad (a wide range of units with a variety of skill sets assisted) and deep (in that large numbers of Army troops answered the call for help). An in-depth examination of the actions of all of the Army units in the relief effort was not, therefore, feasible. Instead, this paper highlights the actions of some of the thousands of soldiers. It offers a dispassionate analysis of the Army's response to the natural disaster by providing a detailed account of the operations in Louisiana and Mississippi. Much good work was done by the Army team, but Wombwell shows that there is still room for improvement. The Army's response to Hurricane Katrina was both broad (a wide range of units with a variety of skill sets assisted) and deep (in that large numbers of Army troops answered the call for help). An in-depth examination of the actions of all of the Army units in the relief effort was not, therefore, feasible. Instead, this paper highlights the actions of some of the thousands of soldiers. It offers a dispassionate analysis of the Army's response to the natural disaster by providing a detailed account of the operations in Louisiana and Mississippi. Much good work was done by the Army team, but Wombwell shows that there is still room for improvement. A retired captain in the Naval Reserve, Mr. Wombwell's last assignment was at the Naval Historical Center in Washington, DC, where he served as a Navy historian documenting current naval operations. (A retired captain in the Naval Reserve, Mr. Wombwell's last assignment was at the Naval Historical Center in Washington, DC, where he served as a Navy historian. Originally Published by the Combat Studies Institute)