There are complaints galore over the federal response to Hurricane Katrina. As far as Adm. Timothy Keating is concerned the problem with US Northern Command’s efforts was that natural disaster response is not the command’s primary mission. Nonetheless, he told reporters that NORTHCOM “responded well,” but the command has “lessons to learn” and will “study them hard.” As far as past exercises for hurricanes, Keating blamed not having “sufficient fidelity” in simulating a situation in which civil first responders and communications are wiped out. Let’s see if this helps: Exercise planners, please write up an exercise in which ….
A new report from the Government Accountability Office calls for the Pentagon’s Chief Technology Officer to have budget certification authority over the military services’ research and development accounts—a move the services say would add a burdensome and unnecessary layer of bureaucracy.
