Paul McHale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense, told a Congressional committee investigating government response to Hurricane Katrina, that while the Pentagon responded well, the Administration as a whole did not follow the game plan. McHale noted that the Pentagon deployed personnel and assets before receiving a formal request from FEMA. He pointed an accusing finger at Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who, said McHale, had the responsibility for appointing a single principal federal officer to coordinate the government response. Chertoff was late, said McHale, adding, “We acted in advance, … and we would do so again.”
A Defense Department team is on the ground in Ukraine assessing what the country needs to protect itself from air, naval, electronic, and cyber warfare threats as Russian troops gather on multiple fronts, a senior Ukrainian defense official told Air Force Magazine, describing an emphasis on what assistance can be…