Discuss the Kansas National Guard's efforts in the hurricane-damaged South with Tod Bunting
September 26, 2008
First came Hurricane Gustav, then came Ike, resulting in an overwhelming need for relief aid and manpower in the Gulf Coast states this month. The Kansas National Guard answered that call, with members responding to both disasters. Want to know when our troops will come home? Curious about what it was like on the ground, or whether Kansas would be prepared for a disaster of that magnitude? Participate in this Web chat with Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting. He answers viewers' questions and discusses what he saw as recovery began in the South. Submit your question and then take a look at this photo gallery taken when 49 News traveled to Louisiana to cover the Guard's mission in response to Gustav.
Moderator: I'm Lisa Coble-Krings, KTKA Web editor, and I'll be hosting this chat with Adjutant General Tod Bunting, who also leads the Kansas National Guard. Bunting made time in his busy schedule to answer your questions right here on KTKA.com, and we thank him. Let's get started.
Moderator: Maj. Gen. Bunting, right off the bat, we'd like to know are all of our troops home?
Kansas Adjutant General Tod Bunting: All of our troops are home from the Gulf Coast, but we still have several hundred in Iraq and Afghanistan.
oread: Maj. Gen. Bunting, During last year's Greensburg tornado recovery, Gov. Sebelius mentioned recovery efforts were hampered by National Guard equipment being used in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Was that a problem during the Kansas National Guard's work in Ike and Gustav recovery, and do you foresee it as a potential problem for potential in-state disasters?
Kansas Adjutant General Tod Bunting: The overall equipment issue is improved but we still have a few shortages. It did not impact Gustav as we did not need engineer equipment. We have made plans to use private assets where we have current shortages if needed here in Kansas while we expect a better equipment status by late next year as more of what we need arrives.
ShayneSawyer: Do the states that receive help from our our National Guard troops reimburse Kansas for wages and property?
Kansas Adjutant General Tod Bunting: Basically yes. All support from state to state falls under what is called the Emergency Management Assistance Compact that all 50 states are signed in to. SO yes, our expenses are reimbursed by the supported state or FEMA in some cases.
Moderator: So, what do your coffers look like now, meaning are they depleted? Could we afford to respond to a statewide disaster? How fast or slow is FEMA in reimbursing your department?
Kansas Adjutant General Tod Bunting: The state process for paying its portion of storm damage does not have a coffer per say but used a Finance Council to tap state resources and at times there is an amount of authority that council is to use. We have been hard hit these last two years especially but we have the resources to cover our obligations. FEMA has made improvements in many of their reimbursements, but we still have a difficult process for repayment of the RECs for damage to electrical lines. So I would summarize by saying many things are improved but much work remains. FEMA response is vastly improved, recovery still has too much bureaucracy from my standpoint. We work this hard everyday. Nearly all of our counties have had to tap their reserves so it would sure be a good thing if we had a few calm years to let us refull those coffers.
Moderator: 49 News' Liz Zamora and Bill Edwards were with you for a time in Louisiana after Hurricane Gustav blew through. What's it like balancing relief efforts and organization of troops with your responsibilities to keep the public informed?
Kansas Adjutant General Tod Bunting: They really go hand in hand. Bill and Liz going with us allowed the rest of Kansas to see the damage, to see their fellow ctizens helping out, and to provide assurance that those responsible to respond were in fact doing their jobs correctly. We see the media is a first responder in storms as we can focus on the task at hand and you can help us keep people informed. You can help get us the help we need but also help keep an area free from onlookers who are well meaning but can get in the way at times. We work a balance there and we need to media to partner with us to get it right.
Moderator: Here's something many are probably wondering. How would you compare the damage and response with Hurricane Katrina with the damage and emergency response with Hurricanes Gustav and Ike?
Kansas Adjutant General Tod Bunting: OK - damage first. Much worse for Katrina in area and just the destruction of New Orleans due to being underwater. Have never seen anything worse. Gustav was mostly a bad storm because it wiped out all the power system all the way into the Northern part of the state, so actual recovery of power was worse than Katrina. Ike was similar to Katrina in the total destruction of anything within a few miles of the shore. Just the "hand of god' everything is wiped away much like the tornado in Greensburg. Response and recovery for Gustav and Ike were worlds better. People evacuated so rescue was not as intense, though we still had to do some. Resources arrived quicker and FEMA and Lousinane were much better at getting goods and people where they needed to be. Communications were better but we definitely learned again we must have portable communications as towers, etc are gone so you have to bring your communications with you. Our communications vehicle from Kansas was a true "lifesaver' for much of Lousiana as it was the only source of keeping people informed and communicating needs.
Moderator: In many cases, natural disasters occur without much warning. Explain, for those who aren't members of a military family, what toll being called to respond to a natural disaster takes on National Guard members and their families.
Kansas Adjutant General Tod Bunting: First off of course is responding is our job, it is what we do so we prepare for being gone and our families are just incredible. The biggest toll is not being with your family during a difficult time and the common status of simply not knowing how they are doing because we are busy miles away and have no way to talk with them. like eveyone else not knowing is hard - just a short talk to say everyone is fine is all we need and we at times go days without that. This was really the case with katrina where the local fire and police, emergency managers and National Guard were on scene for days with no idea if their family was OK, had their home survived? Imagine doing your job helping others while having to hope someone is helping your family. These are the true heroes and they are more than just us in uniform, they are anyone in Public Safety and we cannot have enough of these people in our community. True heroes.
Moderator: We're going to close this chat, but if you have further questions, email them to me at lckrings@ktka.tv, and we'll try to get them answered in a timely fashion. We appreciate Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting's time and answers. Thank you for coming.
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