Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.), the ranking democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, talked with Rumsfeld last week on President Bush’s position that the military needs a larger role in disaster relief operations—namely helping to restore civil stability. The upshot: The Pentagon “has no plans to recommend changes to the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the participation of active duty military forces in domestic law enforcement activities.” Skelton said that does not rule out greater military participation. Rumsfeld told Skelton the Pentagon has recommendations in the works that do not include changes to the Posse Comitatus law.
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
