First Hand Account of Initial Relief Effort

[Stanley]

It's a long read, but well worth it. Here's the start:

I am sitting at home in air-conditioned comfort, watching a disaster of biblical proportions unfold on the idiot box in the corner. I am a man of action, not talk - always have been and always will be. What action could I take? How could I personally make a difference to what was going on? Even inaction is a form of action, but it has never been my choice. Now the news is telling me that getting food and water to the survivors is the number one priority. I rarely agree with television talking heads, mainly because they are so liberal and also so ignorant about the world around them. I had to concede that, for once, they were right.

What do I do? A plan. A plan is a good thing and helps you anticipate difficulties before they become disasters. I would need transport. I personally own an ex-army vehicle called an M35A2, better known as a deuce and a half. It is 30 years old, has ten driven wheels and is still camouflaged in its original paint scheme. All 3 axles are driven and it is one of the best all-wheel drive off road vehicles in existence. It also has a large cargo bed, with a 5 ton load carrying capacity. Perfect for getting large quantities of food and water into remote areas with difficult terrain.

The rest is here: http://lonestar-mvpa.org/events/2005/05_Katrina.htm

[Loquat15]

Oh my... the duce and a halves... harder and harder to come by these days. The military... at least the army... doesnt really use them anymore. They've been practically replaced by 5-tons... looks like the duce but... well... a bit bigger.

Im not sure about its off road capabilities... but i'd stick with a Humvee (hmmwv). If that fails, bring out the 8x8 HEMTT Wreacker and pull it out, if that fails, bring out the M88 Tracked Recovery Vehicle.

Fun stuff. Tracks tend to "Float" on water saturated dirt while trucks tend to make deep ruts.

just a little peice of mind. Just the duce and a half isnt what i call one of the best peices of equipment. It's a manual and is heavy.