The military has the know-how and the experience to step in and do the things that an overwhelmed civilian government may not be able to handle.
President Bush broached the issue in a Sept. 15 speech and again last weekend when be visited Colorado. But before he publicly discussed using the military, Gen. Peter Pace, the Marine who will take over Friday as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called for a military presence.
As reported on mca-marines.org, Pace said at a U.S. Naval Institute forum that "when something like New Orleans happens," the military could begin rescue and disaster relief operations early.
Of course this would require congressional changes to the post-Civil War law that prohibits the military from carrying out domestic operations unless requested by a governor for a specific event. The 1878 Posse Comitatus Act prohibits active-duty forces from assuming standard police powers, but they can provide humanitarian aid.
The president, the general and civil libertarians are presenting the proper outline for a debate that should take place.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, commenting in The Mobile (Ala.) Register, rightly questions whether the only option for a large-scale response to a disaster is to breach the line that keeps the military out of civilian affairs. Collins is the chairwoman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that will examine the response.
Military commanders have been training their troops to handle unforeseen problems and could do an exemplary job of helping with evacuating people, restoring the peace and rebuilding communities, but some retired military contend that the military has a role, just not the lead role. Hugh Shelton, a former Joint Chiefs chairman, said in U.S. News & World Report that Congress should be careful before it throws out the rules restricting the military enforcement of civilian laws.
Congressional hearings should be long-running and thorough. Congress shouldn't be quickly to act. Any response should be for extreme circumstances and the details should be spelled out clearly.
In the meantime, governors can learn from the mistakes of those like Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco, who has been criticized for not reacting quick enough to seek help. Governors can ask the president for declaration of disaster areas and call for an appropriate military response based on the size of a potential storm. And, of course, the law already allows the president to act in some circumstances to preserve order.