One of the many CYA moves the federal government used last week was to accept the offer of several states' National Guard units to help with Katrina cleanup and relief. One of the units was from Wisconsin. They left last Sunday, September 3, and set up camp at a military air field just south of New Orleans on Tuesday, September 6. They didn't get a mission until Sunday, September 10, and they're
leaving tomorrow, Wednesday, September 14.
I'm not sure what to make of this. More on the flip.
I can't help but think shlepping a couple hundred people from Wisconsin to New Orleans for three days of
vehicle maintenance and guard duty was a waste of gas, a waste of time and a waste of Wisconsin taxpayer money. It feels to me like the Bush administration was trying to look good ... "See! We're sending in the troops!" .... even though they had no real plan to use those troops effectively or efficiently.
On the other hand, maybe they plan to rotate units in and out this quickly so that nobody has to be away from home for too long. But I doubt it. I really think it's just another example of trying to look good in spite of poor, poor planning.