Regular military personnel have already been deployed. The amphibious assault ship USS Bataan is already on station off the coast of LA, loaded with helicopters to support search and rescue ops. Special forces boat crews are on their way from Florida (I believe these are NG or Reserve Units; all volunteers). The USNA hospital ship Comfort will leave its port in Maryland on Sept. 3rd arriving off the NO coast about Sept. 10th with hospital staff from Maryland, making a stopover in Florida to pick up additional medical personnel. This ship staffed by a maritime crew and medical personnel can deploy in five days when necessary. Here is a link to a story on the Hospital Ship deployment. http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=19867
Someone said on another thread that state troopers or other law enforcement personnel from one state could not be used in enforcement duties in another state. This is not true in a disaster/emergency situation such as this. If a local magistrate agrees they can be deputized immediately for a period of time and put to work, but they must report to & be directed by the chain of command in the hosting municipality or state.
Not to be picky but won't the Comfort arrive too late to be of help?
People will be gone from NO by 9/10.