"Tim" wrote in message
...
On Jan 20, 8:57 pm, "Don White" wrote:
We keep hearing complaints that the US military is hogging the main
airport
with its' one runway for their own purposes (flying in soldiers) rather
than
letting all the relief planes arrive. Saw a report tonight of a makeshift
hospital, a couple hundred feet from the airport, sewing a couple of kids
up
without anesthetic or other medical supplies.
Might be time for the Americans to go out and play soldier while someone
else runs the airport.
The Haitian people need all manner of medical supplies today...not next
week.

Don, I really think tha in this type of a situation the old saying
still applies: "Too many chief's and not enough indians"


Well, maybe not. "Too many chief's and way too many indians" would
probably be more ike it.

So many rushing in to do a lot of good stuff, but even the relief
workers are getting in each others way. Everybody has an idea of how
it should be done.And when that happens you have an unorganized
effort.

It will get straightened out though. Or that's what im hopeing for.


reply:

My SIL is in law enforcement. His jurisdiction sent a contingent to aid
after Katrina. He had some interesting stories when he came back. Upon
arrival, he was given a $300 sleeping bag, which was too warm to sleep in.
He slept in a light shirt with a thin blanket instead. He was given cases
of MREs, which he demonstrated to us. They were fed in a kitchen of a
church they barracked at, and a professional cook prepared their meals. The
MREs are not bad if it's all you have to eat. He said there were so many
people there that all they did was ride around all day, and talk to people
who stayed in their homes, and who were guarding their property. They drove
1800 miles one way in a 20 vehicle convoy, taking all manner of field
equipment, which was never used. He came back with lots of "goodies" he was
given for free, including a pair of Steiner binoculars. He said he got
terribly bored after a week, but they had obligated for two weeks. There
were so many layers of management that they had to go through that they
couldn't get anything approved in the two weeks they were there, and one
could not take it upon themselves to make a decision without approval from
higher ups.

Sounds like Haiti all over again.

Steve