‘One John Wayne dude’ tackles relief efforts - Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honoré (mayor Nagin term for him)

Stars and Stripes ^ | September 4, 2005 | Stars and Stripes

[Former Military Chick]

The man in charge of coordinating the military’s hurricane response is a Louisiana native with previous experience in flood disasters who already has received high marks from one state official for his efforts.

Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honoré, the man in charge of U.S. Northern Command’s Joint Task Force Katrina, is a former 2nd Infantry Division commander.

Honoré, from Lakeland, La., led 2nd ID in South Korea from October 2000 until July 2002.

During that time he dealt with monsoon-season flooding on many Area I installations and oversaw flood prevention measures put in place following a disastrous 1998 flood that caused more than $150 million in damage to Area I bases.

Honoré is a man who announces his presence with authority.

In an interview with local WWL radio, New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin was expressing dismay at the lack of federal help for his city, but said of Honoré:

“I give the president some credit on this, he sent one John Wayne dude down here that can get some stuff done, and his name is Gen. Honoré, and he came off the doggone chopper, and he started cussin’ and people started movin’!

“And he’s getting some stuff done,” Nagin said. “They ought to give that guy — if they don’t want to give it to me, give him full authority to get the job done.”

Honoré was commissioned a second lieutenant of infantry in 1971. He also has served as commander, 4th Battalion, 16th Infantry Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Germany.

[farmer18th]

Nagin's an idiot.

He knows enough not to praise anyone who isn't on the team. If your sister were being raped in the convention center would you want a commander who was more angry with law breakers or his own troops?

[Salvation]

Those goeos Naggin again!

[twntaipan]

It is painfully obvious that Nagin hasn't got a clue that HE is supposed to be providing local leadership and coordination, using the resources made available to him from federal authorities. He really doesn't grasp that everyone outside of NO is waiting on him to actually step up to the plate and lead.

Thus far all he has done is whine--but that is all demonRATs are ever capable of doing.

[Salvation]

I am thinking that Nagin will eventually be recalled.

Blanco should be recalled too.

[farmer18th]

Someone had to do it since the mayor and the governor sure as heck wasn't...

Honore is going to curse the city into submission? While he tells the troops to sling their weapons?

We don't remember Washington or Patton because of their swearing. We remember them because they won. If one of these guardsman can't get to the trigger fast enough because this political hack is doing sideshows like this, I wouldn't want to be the one to inform the family.

Restraint is a good thing in a commander, but a city raping and killing its own doesn't deserve restraint.

[NittanyLion]

If your sister were being raped in the convention center would you want a commander who was more angry with law breakers or his own troops?

I'd want a commander who can get the job done. You have no evidence that Honore's "more angry" with his own troops than with the lawbreakers.

[NittanyLion]

We don't remember Washington or Patton because of their swearing. We remember them because they won.

Then let's wait and see whether Honore "wins" this one, shall we? Getting all worked up because you don't like his language, or second guessing decisions that can best be made on the ground is foolish.

[farmer18th]

Don't know about Washington, but I gar-run-tee General Patton was not restrained in his language and would not give a "you know what" who heard him. (Blush!)

The difference is that Patton used profanity to get his troops to point their weapons. Honore uses it to make sure his troops are vulnerable to snipers.

And I don't care if it's George Washington himself, if an officer uses the Lord's name in vain I would tell him to fight his own war.

[farmer18th]

No, let's not "wait and see." This is a free republic, remember? This guy is not competent if he sends soldiers into a combat zone and tells them to sling their weapons. It's more than just the swearing. He's a coward.

[Willie Green]

If Rudy had been down there he would be in the middle of the city running things.

If 9/11 had wiped out ALL of NYC, Manhatten and Long Island, along with CT and half of NJ, Rudy would've been just as lost as Nagin.

This does not mean that I think highly of Nagin.
Quite the opposite. It's simply recognition that, with a catastrophe of
this magnitude, ANYBODY in his position would've been overwhelmed.
There are higher levels of incompetence to be dealt with.
IMHO, even Rudy would've been hamstrung by the Louisiana governor.

[NittanyLion]

This guy is not competent if he sends soldiers into a combat zone and tells them to sling their weapons.

His record proves otherwise, and he has the confidence of his commanders. He also has far more information available to him than we do.

You, OTOH, have no credentials whatsoever. Hmmm...who should I trust to get this job done? That's a tough one. LOL.

[farmer18th]

I've noticed that credentials seem to come up when the argument is lost.

Just what part of sniper response includes "slinging weapons?"

[farmer18th]

Just what part of sniper response includes "slinging weapons?"

Answer: surrender.

[hummingbird]

And I don't care if it's George Washington himself, if an officer uses the Lord's name in vain I would tell him to fight his own war.

Not trying to spar with ya', farmer18th (hence the blush in my original post), but if you have a look at http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1312065/posts, you'll see what I was saying about Patton. I've read glowing reports on Honore on other threads but I didn't see the situation posted about on this thread, so maybe the opinion of Honore is changing. Your post & this thread compel me to check out Honore further...tho, I'm sure Honore could care less about my opinion! He's there and I'm behind a keyboard...guess who wins that debate!

[NittanyLion]

I've noticed that credentials seem to come up when the argument is lost.

Just pointing out the obvious. People like Honore are on the ground getting things accomplished, while armchair generals like yourself do little more than post whiney screeds second-guessing their decisions.

Too bad, but I'm sure Honore will get the job done even as you moan and complain about his language.

[farmer18th]

Patton's swearing was legendary, and not in dispute. There were, however, two Pattons--the Patton for public consumption that your four year old could listen to and the Patton the troops listened to. That sense of decorum seemed to go out about the same time we started losing battles. If you're not fighting on God's side, you're losing.

It appears to me that Honore is a political hack who actually performs for the cameras in a way that doesn't inspire anybody. If he had entered the city with rhetoric that went like this, "if you are a rapist or a looter or a murderer, you better beware, because my boys are going to shoot you down like a cornered hog," then I might approve of his grandstanding, but running around telling troops to sling weapons in a city of random snipers is just the actions of a bureaucratic boob. I'm truly sorry I can't confess more confidence in him.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

He's a coward.

That's a mighty big statement to make about someone whose military service has earned him the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Army Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters.

If you don't like his language, then I suggest you turn down the volume on your television the next time you see a news piece about Honore...Good grief!

[farmer18th]

Just pointing out the obvious. People like Honore are on the ground getting things accomplished, while armchair generals like yourself

...then why are you opining at all yourself? If credentials are the only thing that matters, why don't we just shut down freerepublic and leave it to certified retired generals? If credentials matter, your endorsement of him doesn't matter a jot. If credentials teach you to send soldiers into a known sniper zone with slung rifles, then credentials are the enemy.

This is America, remember? Generals take their orders from civilians. I'm a Stanford educated small business owner and that means I could probably do that job better than a civil servant for life. Got that?

[farmer18th]

Didn't John Kerry get a few medals?

What battles has he won? What faith does he profess? Tell me about this man who tells our volunteer soldiers to sling their weapons in the middle of a sniper zone.

[hummingbird]

but running around telling troops to sling weapons in a city of random snipers

One thing I have noticed with NOLA police and NG troops - even before Honore arrived - is that peace officers don't seem to have too many protective helmets. I've seen numerous pictures of them in flak vests but no helmets at all. Some had the baseball-type hats - with and without NOLA PD insignias - but not hard helmets in so many of the pictures.

With snipers running around, I cringe every time I see one of those pictures. Maybe it is too hard to see or it is too hot to wear heavy helmet but I really feel for those guys - multiple tasks to accomplish in a dangerous zone and no helmets.

Any idea why no protective headgear in some of the pictures?