Where’s My Posse?: The President has this idea that the military should have a domestic role in restoring order after disasters—natural or otherwise. Lawmakers are pursuing the idea as well. Republican Sen. John Warner of Virginia has asked the Pentagon to review the legal precedents. (DR, 9/16/05) Rumsfeld maintains that it’s a question for Congress and the President. “We do those things that we’re authorized to do and are instructed to do,” he says. Still, he told reporters that DOD does “have an obligation and a responsibility and a capability and a capacity in that regard.” However, “the trigger” lies elsewhere, he says.
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.
