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Commander of Katrina Relief Effort to Retire

Honoré will concentrate on improving country's disaster readiness

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted Jan 8, 2008 5:27 PM CST
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(Newser) – Russel Honoré, the general who gained renown for his handling of the Hurricane Katrina relief effort, will retire from the army Friday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Honoré had a storied career, from Korea to Katrina, and although he’s “transitioning” (his preferred word) out of military life, he already has his next challenge lined up: improving America’s disaster preparedness.

"The ultimate human experience is to save someone else's life," said Honoré, adding that he thinks the nation is ripe for a national dialogue on readiness. The general, who said he lies awake thinking about how the US would respond to a tsunami like the one that battered Indonesia in 2004, is working on a book about lessons learned from Katrina.

AMERON PRAIRIE, UNITED STATES: US Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, head of the military component of the hurricane relief effort, looks over a map of damage caused by hurricane Rita 25 September 2005 at the Cameron Prairie Wildlife Refuge, north of Creole, LA. (AFP PHOTO/Robert SULLIVAN)
AMERON PRAIRIE, UNITED STATES: US Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, head of the military component of the hurricane relief effort, looks over a map of damage caused by hurricane Rita 25 September 2005 at the Cameron...   (Getty Images)
Lt. Gen. Russel Honore of the U.S. Army attends the Monday Night Football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints on September 25, 2006 at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. General Honore served as Commander of Joint Task Force Katrina, coordinating military relief efforts, after...
Lt. Gen. Russel Honore of the U.S. Army attends the Monday Night Football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints on September 25, 2006 at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana....   (Getty Images)
Lt. Gen. Russel Honore delivers remarks during a Hurricane Katrina memorial service in New Orleans 29 August 2007 on the second anniversary of the disaster. Two years on, much of the city famed for its jazz and Creole cooking still lies abandoned after surging seas whipped up by the hurricane...
Lt. Gen. Russel Honore delivers remarks during a Hurricane Katrina memorial service in New Orleans 29 August 2007 on the second anniversary of the disaster. Two years on, much of the city famed for its...   (Getty Images)
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, front, and Lt.Gen. Russel Honore,( in uniform) attend a Hurricane Katrina memorial service in New Orleans, Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2007 on the second anniversary of the deadly hurricane which flooded the city. They are both standing with memorial bells (AP Photo/Bill Haber)
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, front, and Lt.Gen. Russel Honore,( in uniform) attend a Hurricane Katrina memorial service in New Orleans, Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2007 on the second anniversary of the deadly...   (Associated Press)
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Katrina-era profile of Gen. Russel Honore
Christian Science Monitor

Honore: 'We need a culture of preparedness'
Associated Press

US

 
Hurricane Katrina • New Orleans • Russel Honoré

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