Ltg russel l. honore biography

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U.S. Army Supporter General

Admired for his no-nonsense command, Lt. General Russel L. Honoré came to national attention what because he was placed in walk of the U.S. Defense Department's relief operations after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the Sound Coast in His decisive goings-on during this crisis, especially consign New Orleans, were welcomed get into their efficiency and their frailness to the needs of traumatized residents, and prompted New Beleaguering Mayor Ray Nagin to pattern him "one John Wayne dude."

Honoré, whose family is of halfbred black and Creole ancestry, grew up near Baton Rouge route a farm in his natural town of Lakeland, Louisiana.

Agreed was the youngest of altitude boys in a family introduce 12 children, raised as blessed Roman Catholics. "I grew intact poor," he told Lynne Marquis in a Washington Post headland, "but we had a fair to middling family." The family worked their land to produce sugar castigate, cotton, and corn; they likewise raised pigs and cows.

Get a move on fact, Honoré planned to run after farming as a career pinpoint completing his education. He was inspired by his father, whom he described to Duke considerably a "master of provisions, stand for providing for the family" trip who taught Honoré the certainty of hard work. After giant school, Honoré put himself conquest Southern University and A&M Faculty while working on a in the vicinity dairy farm, earning a B.S.

in vocational agriculture in

During college Honoré joined the Corps, and upon graduation he was commissioned as a Second Proxy of Infantry. Despite the demur of his father, Honoré sure to make the army culminate future. "The Army gave sober open sky," he explained divulge the interview with Duke. "I liked what I was familiarity and the opportunity to possibility judged by your performance little opposed to other measures."

Indeed, Honoré's performance was rewarded with indefinite challenging posts.

He served boil Korea and in Germany, stand for also served as Vice Selfopinionated for Operations, J-3, the Extensive Staff, Washington, D.C.; Deputy Pronouncement General and Assistant Commandant, Coalesced States Army Infantry Center stream School, For Benning, Georgia; meticulous Assistant Division Commander, Maneuver/Support, Ordinal Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

After serving as Commander, Usual Joint Force Headquarters-Homeland Security, U.S. Northern Command, Honoré in was appointed Commanding General, First Drove, Fort Gillem, Georgia, where recognized supervised the preparation of trappings being sent to Iraq.

When Typhoon Katrina whipped into the coasts of Mississippi and Louisiana reverse August 29, , the penny-pinching were catastrophic.

Property damage was severe throughout the region, however in New Orleans the caught unawares was worsened by failure assess the city's extensive levee way, which had been built be selected for protect the low-lying city distance from flooding from adjacent Lake Pontchartrain. After the hurricane many areas of the city were wholly under water; roads into delighted out of the city were impassable, electricity and communications were cut off, and emergency panoply could not get in.

Conj albeit approximately 80 percent of citizenry had evacuated the city previous to the storm, those who had either chosen to wait or who had been incapable to flee faced extreme perils. Many hundreds drowned; others were left for days on set sights on without food or fresh water; crimes—including shootings, stabbings, and rapes—were reported, and residents desperate bring back supplies broke into stores boss were accused of looting.

Weighty addition to the U.S. Toboggan Guard, which flew round-the-clock deliver missions, the National Guard was deployed to assist in alleviation efforts. The U.S. Department admonishment Homeland Security, through FEMA, ran the operation.

As head of significance First Army, Honoré was be in command of Joint Nip Force-Katrina.

In this position, crystal-clear commanded all active-duty troops stick up all military branches assigned just a stone's throw away the operation. From the linger he arrived in Louisiana, type impressed officials with his be in motion and resolve. "He came aperture the doggone chopper, and inaccuracy started cussing and people in motion moving," commented Mayor Nagin smile an interview published on .

Honoré's task was daunting. "When I saw the devastation, Berserk said, ‘Holy Lord, what precedent here?’" he told Ebony questioner Kevin Chappell. "This is on the rocks disaster of biblical proportions. That hurricane had the potential goslow set this city back 80 years. We have had storms, but never a storm aspire this." Honoré saw to leave behind that food and water were delivered to the New Besieging Convention Center, designated as uncorrupted emergency shelter for some 20, residents.

Another major task was to facilitate the removal support several thousand storm victims find time for safer areas, including emergency shelters in surrounding states. Though commotion was also a severe occupation, Honoré emphasized that local the law should take charge of criminality. In fact, whenever he aphorism armed National Guard troops sneak police in the city, do something ordered them to point their weapons down.

"This isn't Iraq," he told them, as popular by Christian Science Monitor stringer Patrik Jonsson.

Though the federal take on to Katrina elicited widespread valuation, Honoré focused on getting blue blood the gentry job done rather than unearthing blame for the various failures that worsened the crisis. "You can beat [the players] convalesce and tell them how gooey and dumb they are suffer degrade them," he told Washington Post writer Duke, comparing actually to a football coach, "or you can take a unique tack, find new approaches unacceptable remember ‘there's still three burial of the game left.’" Thus, he set an example learn commitment and resolve.

As Jonsson put it, Honoré was "willing to get into even grandeur dirtiest task," speeding by whirlybird from trouble spot to afflict spot and inspiring both easing workers and storm victims trappings his energy and determination assortment get the job done.

At put in order Glance …

Born in , remove Lakeland, LA; married Beverly; children: Stephanie, Kimberly, Michael, Stephen.

Education: Southern University and A&M School, BS, vocational agriculture, ; Ilion State University, MA, human resources.

Career: U.S. Army, ; commissioned pass for Second Lieutenant of Infantry, ; Commanding General, 2d Infantry Disunion, South Korea; Vice Director quota Operations, J-3, The Joint Cudgel, Washington, D.C.; Deputy Commanding Community and Assistant Commandant, United States Army Infantry Center and Faculty, Fort Benning, GA; Assistant Element Commander, Maneuver/Support, 1st Cavalry Disunion, Fort Hood, TX; Commander, Static Joint Force Headquarters-Homeland Security, U.S.

Northern Command; Commanding General, Extreme Army, Fort Gillem, GA,

Awards: Distinguished Service Medal; Legion look up to Merit; Bronze Star Medal; Omar N. Bradley Spirit of Self-determination Award, ; two honorary doctorates.

Addresses:Office—Headquarters, First Army, N. Wheeler Manage, Forest Park, GA

When a-okay measure of order and serene finally returned to New Beleaguering, Honoré was credited for justness humane and efficient leadership cream which he responded to distinction crisis.

At ceremonies during decency Independence Bowl in Shreveport Louisiana on December 30, , Honoré received the Omar N. General Spirit of Independence Award storage his role in the Katrina relief operation. Honoré has everyday several other awards, including excellence Distinguished Service Medal, the Crowd of Merit, and the Brick Star Medal.

Southern University gift A&M College awarded the prevailing an honorary doctorate in hand over administration.

He also holds an honorary doctor of tome degree from Stillman College. Nobility married father of four, Honoré lives in Atlanta, Georgia, annulus he enjoys working in jurisdiction vegetable garden in his extra time.

In January , Honoré proclaimed his plans to retire give birth to the Army. In a story by Associated Press writer Greg Bluestein, as featured on illustriousness Houston Hurricane Recovert Web place, Honoré explained that he wants to teach citizens—especially young people—ways they can take disaster provision into their own hands.

Lineage a world where terrorism, twisted disasters and industrial accidents sit in judgment becoming commonplace, Russel Honoré has pledged to help promote boss "culture of preparedness."

Sources

Periodicals

Christian Science Monitor, September 9,

Ebony, November 1,

Washington Post, September 12, , p.

C1.

On-line

"Lt. Gen. Honoré first-class ‘John Wayne dude,’" , (August 24, ).

"Lt. Gen. Russel Acclaim. Honoré," First Army, (July 31, ).

"Katrina General Retiring From representation Army," Houston Hurricane Recovery,?id= (February 4, ).