Paul McHale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense, told a Congressional committee investigating government response to Hurricane Katrina, that while the Pentagon responded well, the Administration as a whole did not follow the game plan. McHale noted that the Pentagon deployed personnel and assets before receiving a formal request from FEMA. He pointed an accusing finger at Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who, said McHale, had the responsibility for appointing a single principal federal officer to coordinate the government response. Chertoff was late, said McHale, adding, “We acted in advance, … and we would do so again.”
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited the site of U.S. Space Command’s future home Dec. 12 and endorsed the move to establish the headquarters in Alabama after years of political back and forth.
