katrina from a national guardsman's perspective

[ziggytrix]

good ol' National Guard. just got settled into a school schedule and got yanked to pull duty down here. I'm on 6 month orders so there goes this and next semester. this is my first time by a comp since i got here 3 weeks ago. We've been keeping it pretty routine. Patrols with the P.D. and going building to building in the dark areas of NOLA were our first duties. NOLA P.D. is not f*cking around down here at all. I've seen 6 shootings i'm sure haven't made the news. The damage done by the hurricane is beyond belief. Everyone of the locals here have told me part of them wants to just pick up and leave for good. Most houses that weren't under water sustained at least 10k in damages and the insurance companies are trying to get people to take 3k to settle. Looting is still pretty bad, and the drug dealers and gangs haven't left either. I was on patrol with Jefferson Parish Sherrif Patrol and these cats are crooked as hell. We pulled over a car of 4 black males. The officer told me to hold cover for him with my M4 while he proceeded to beat the living crap out of each one of them for "resisting." Once they were all cuffed we searched them and found 2 glock 9's, about $5000 in cash and at least $2000 in crack and various other drugs. The cop then broke me off a grand, pocketed the drugs and weapons, then uncuffed the suspects and told them to get the "F" out of dodge.
People that really want help down here are getting sent from one aid station to another with no results and less information than they started with. This is a crappy assignment, but some of the people still here are crappy people. I've yet to discharge my weapon at any of them and hope to keep it that way. The cops seem to be doing a good job of cleaning up. I can't figure out who is worse, the looters, the cops, or FEMA. this is all fucked up, and disorganized chaos. its become a free for all. i have no voice in the matter being a low ranking nco, so i just roll with it.
sad to say but
I miss Iraq.......at least they're honest there

[mburbank]

Zig; where did you get this?

[ziggytrix]

it's from an electronic dance music board i help moderate. reposted without permission cuz i thought it was too surreal. :/