According to the head of US Northern Command, Adm. Timothy Keating, a lack of adequate communication between military and civilian relief agencies responding to Hurricane Katrina made it extremely difficult to discover what was being done and where to send help. Speaking to reporters in Washington last week, Keating said the damage was “so complete, so comprehensive,” that it was some time before authorities figured out how bad it really was. NORTHCOM and civil agencies are still in the midst of developing lessons learned from Katrina, but Keating said one thing the Pentagon did differently for Hurricane Rita was to get USAF’s E-3 AWACS in the air to provide air traffic control to military aircraft.
Billy Mitchell: Lessons a Hundred Years Hence
Dec. 16, 2025
Exactly 100 years ago, on Dec. 17, 1925, Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell was convicted by court-martial for violating an order that required approval before he could engage with the media. Mitchell’s provocative thoughts and unorthodox methods sought attention for a cause that he saw as uniquely American
