| Hon. Paul McHale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense, visited U.S. Northern Command headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo. Feb. 22 to discuss homeland defense and civil support issues with its commander, Adm. Timothy J. Keating. |
Hon. Paul McHale visits USNORTHCOM
Feb. 23, 2006
By U.S. Army Reserve Maj. Maria Quon
U.S. Northern Command Public Affairs
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – “I’m leaving with a clear sense of confidence in the vision and planning of U.S. Northern Command to deal with any emerging threat, whether an occurrence of pandemic flu, a 2006 hurricane in the vicinity of New Orleans or a terrorist attack still being planned by our adversaries,” said Paul McHale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense, at the conclusion of a visit here Feb. 22.
USNORTHCOM commander Adm. Timothy J. Keating and deputy commander Lt. Gen. Joseph R. Inge welcomed McHale to the Colorado Springs headquarters to discuss a number of issues, including transnational terrorism, defense support of civil authorities, avian flu and hurricane season preparations. In addition to meeting with key members of the command, McHale toured the USNORTHCOM Joint Operations Center and received planning and operational updates from various subject matter experts.
“The superb presentations provided to me today significantly increased my sense of confidence that NORTHCOM without question is well prepared and getting better each day,” McHale remarked.
The visit was prompted in part by McHale’s wish to commend USNORTHCOM members for their role in the Hurricane Katrina response.
“Under Admiral Keating’s leadership, NORTHCOM has just recently completed the largest, fastest civil support mission in the history of the United States -- the hurricane relief provided by the military in Louisiana, Mississippi, and throughout the Gulf Coast. Although there were undeniable challenges in our national response to Hurricane Katrina, NORTHCOM’s mission was a clear success and so my first reason for coming to Colorado Springs was to convey a message of thanks to Admiral Keating and his command for a job well done.”
McHale said he also visited USNORTHCOM to discuss the way ahead in the areas of homeland defense and civil support.
“The Department of Defense needs to look forward toward the challenges that are emerging, including the possibility of an avian flu epidemic and the continuing homeland defense requirements related to the Global War on Terrorism. In each of these areas, NORTHCOM has a vital role to play … Whether it’s the continuing threat of Al-Qaeda, or the very substantial and foreseeable risks associated with avian flu, NORTHCOM will very likely be at the very forefront of military engagement.”
McHale, who served on active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps and holds the rank of colonel in the U.S.M.C. Reserve, was nominated by President George W. Bush to be the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense on January 9, 2003 and was confirmed by the Senate on February 4, 2003. In this position, he is responsible for the supervision of all homeland defense activities of the Department of Defense. USNORTHCOM began operations in 2002 to provide command and control of Department of Defense homeland defense efforts and to coordinate defense support of civil authorities.
McHale noted that USNORTHCOM is a unique combatant command ultimately responsible for safeguarding the physical well-being of American citizens, the protection of their property and the continuing assurance of their Constitutional rights. He urged the men and women of the command to “take pride in who you are, what you do, why your command was created, and how important you are to the well-being of your fellow citizens.”
He added, “In a period of uncertainty and organizational confusion, NORTHCOM stood out during Hurricane Katrina by providing consistent, even inspiring competence in the face of urgent need … Historians are going to be writing about that military success for the next hundred years.”