BP Oil Spill: Is it time for the Pentagon to take over?

The Guard and Reserve are heavily involved in the Gulf. Hundreds of reservists and state National Guard troops are laying booms, flying helicopters, and otherwise contributing front-line manpower to the fight against the spreading oil. Two C-130s from an Ohio reserve unit have been converted to allow them to spray dispersant on oil-slicked waters, for instance. The Louisiana state Guard this week finished sandbagging eight breaches on Pelican Island in Plaquemines Parish, and installed six miles of a shoreline protection system near Venice, Louisiana.

BP knows more about oil than the Navy does. The military has lots of equipment, but it is oriented toward combat, not clean-ups. The US Army and Navy have little in the way of specialized knowledge that would add anything to the fight to stop the spill, said the nation’s top officer on May 31.

“We’ve looked at that continuously since the leak started, whether or not we would have submersibles that could go do this,” said Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “And the fact is the best technology in the world with respect to that exists in the oil industry.”

Proponents of a larger military role say it is not just the Pentagon’s material resources, but its attitude, that’s needed. What’s lacking in the Gulf now is a hierarchy that takes orders and executes them and processes information quickly and efficiently.

“Whether the Coast Guard should stand down for the Navy and the Army, I don’t know . . . but the command structure is broken,” said Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) of Louisiana on Friday.

IN PICTURES: The Gulf oil spill's impact on nature

Related:

• President Obama: Government is in charge of oil disaster response
• Gulf of Mexico oil spill: Once again, US military gets the call
• Obama moves to take political control of BP Gulf oil spill

Editor's note: The photo caption on an earlier version of this story got Sen. Bill Nelson's first name wrong.

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