tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-354138312024-03-10T21:34:39.122-04:00The Lion speaksWriting about the status of mass care in the nation and getting ready for the next Big One.Mike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.comBlogger206125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-24035525449144039022024-03-10T21:34:00.000-04:002024-03-10T21:34:03.956-04:00My Memory of the War in Iraq 20 years later: March 2024 “From: Whitehead, Michael (USA) Sent: Saturday, March 6, 2004 7:55 am Subject: Iraqi hoops During my last three days at CPA [Coalition Provisional Authority] in Hillah KBR [Kellog, Brown, & Root, our life support contractor] set up a basketball tournament. 3-on-3, half-court, 12 points or 15 minutes, whichever came first. A regular basket was one Mike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-40361323125292717272024-02-10T17:33:00.000-05:002024-02-10T17:33:17.898-05:00My Memory of the War in Iraq 20 years later: February 2024“From: Whitehead, Michael (USA)Sent: Friday, February 13, 2004 10:22 AMSubject: Looking at Iran On Feb 11 we made our long planned and once canceled visit to the Iran/Iraq border. One of the three major crossing points from Iran into Iraq is in our sector in Wasit province, just north of Al Kut. We had heard many times concerns from many people, including Iraqis, about the lack of Mike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-27235700484288336572024-01-10T19:23:00.000-05:002024-01-10T19:23:20.432-05:00My Memory of the War in Iraq 20 years later: January 2024 “From: Whitehead, Michael (USA)Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2004 5:36 PMSubject: Alan Prizzey, CBS News, reportingI saw a familiar face in a crowd of news people at the Woman's Rights Center in Diwaniyah today. He identified himself as Alan Prizzey, CBS news. We ended up escorting them to Hillah and dropping them off with our press person at the Hillah Woman's Rights Center. I guess if I getMike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-58110804006944129012023-12-18T18:31:00.000-05:002023-12-18T18:31:58.673-05:00My Memory of the War in Iraq 20 years later: December 2023 “From: Whitehead, Michael (USA)Sent: Friday, December 05, 2003 7:39 AMSubject: Hail and farewell The staff here continues the normal Army custom of a Hail and Farewell evening. The room normally fills up on Saturday and Sunday night for football games. They get a cake for a birthday, some wings and pizza chips for a farewell. We even had a promotion there the other day. This Mike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-38313909443499164952023-11-11T14:50:00.001-05:002023-11-11T14:50:25.968-05:00My Memory of the War in Iraq 20 years later: November 2023From: Whitehead, Michael (USA)Sent: Thursday, November 27, 2003 9:28 AMSubject: The end of Ramadan and Thanksgiving. Ramadan ended Tuesday night according to one Najaf cleric and Monday night according to another. Evidently, Ramadan starts on the full moon and ends on the new moon. The leading cleric is supposed to make this determination. Confusion reigns because they cannot decide Mike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-17546222723371909122023-10-04T20:53:00.005-04:002023-10-04T21:02:38.357-04:00My Memory of the War in Iraq 20 years later: October 2023From: Michael Whitehead Sent: Friday, October 3, 2003 4:40 AM Subject: Moving across the street We went to Baghdad yesterday (1 OCT) to discuss our mission with the Powers That Be and FINALLY got some resolution. We are moving to the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) Regional Headquarters in Hillah, which is five minutes away from Camp Babylon. Our move is only five minutes Mike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-16886194177773559332023-09-06T17:55:00.001-04:002023-09-06T18:07:56.708-04:00My Memory of the War in Iraq 20 years later: September 2023 From: Michael Whitehead Sent: Friday, September 12, 2003 11:14 AM Subject: The dates are getting ripe Most of the palm trees around us are full of dates, and they are beginning to get ripe. When I say most, I understand from Phil McMillan, our agricultural officer, that there are male and female date palm trees. The females carry the fruit. TheMike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-30597660968781861642023-08-14T21:23:00.000-04:002023-08-14T21:23:30.151-04:00My Memory of the War in Iraq 20 years later: August 2023 “From: Whitehead Col Michael Sent: Sunday, August 10, 2003 8:50 AM Subject: It is HOT here”“Did I mention that it is hot here? I mean really, really, REALLY hot. I'm from Florida and I know hot, and this is HOT. My buddy Phil McMillan from Blountstown, Florida says that it is so hot he saw two fire hydrants fighting over a dog. What a miserable place this country Mike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-46138203200635643302023-07-08T13:34:00.000-04:002023-07-08T13:34:45.360-04:00My Memory of the War in Iraq 20 years later: July 2023 “From: Whitehead Col Michael Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2003 8:08 AM Subject: I saw history being made On July 9, 2003 at 9:21 in the evening I saw history being made. I was walking from the Palace to visit one of our new portapotties lined up on the road when I saw a large convoy, a string of headlights, positioned to enter the front gate: the Polish Army had arrived atMike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-64580371509570166902023-06-17T09:14:00.002-04:002023-06-17T09:14:34.002-04:00My Memory of the War in Iraq 20 years later: June 2023 “From: Whitehead Col Michael Sent: Friday, June 20, 2003 10:22 AM Subject: Laundry Day Today is laundry day so I have to empty my pockets. Laundry day is signaled by the fact that my clean clothes bag is almost empty and my dirty clothes bag is REALLY full. I monitor my dirty clothes bag by using it as a pillow every night (my pillow was stolen in Mike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-2068304361646170802023-05-07T15:38:00.002-04:002023-05-07T15:38:58.364-04:00My Memory of the War in Iraq 20 years later: May 2023 “From: Whitehead Col Michael Sent: Sunday, May 18, 2003 6:12 PM Subject: Magical Iraqi tour I left Babylon for seven days and civilization arrived. Washing machines. And dryers. No more bucket brigade. Ten of us left in three vehicles, me in command for a tour of the provincial capitals in our area. We went eastMike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-35904769426631205112023-04-07T21:50:00.000-04:002023-04-07T21:50:17.733-04:00My Memory of the War in Iraq 20 years later: April 2023 “From: Michael Whitehead Sent: Monday, April 7, 2003 4:57 pm Subject: Haircut day The sky has clouded up and the wind has increased so things have cooled down considerably. Earlier, we felt like we were in a sauna. SGT Manning gave me a crew cut and I have a picture of me to record the event. How your hair looks doesn't seem very important out here. I Mike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-83944705992075344082023-03-19T10:31:00.000-04:002023-03-19T10:31:36.232-04:00My Memory of the Iraq War 20 years later: March 2003March 21, 2003, Pope Air Force Base, North CarolinaI took this picture on March 21, 2003 at Green Ramp on Pope Air Force Base. The line of faceless, helmeted soldiers carrying rucksacks and rifles was dramatic. Since the Army liked to do things in alphabetical order I was, as usual, at the end of the line. I vaguely remembered and discarded a prohibition against taking photographs on Green Ramp. Mike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-71543243446294267062021-10-06T19:56:00.004-04:002021-10-06T20:46:03.083-04:00On awaiting my 50-year HS ReunionThe Orlando International Airport inherited the airport code MCO in 1975 when McCoy Air Force Base shut down and the Orlando Airport Authority took over. Most of the horde of visitors to the airport today head West to Mouse Land and the rest to the theme parks, hotels and restaurants hacked out of the scrub pine and palmetto 50 years ago. When I land at the airport I head North on State Mike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-44662133534639974862019-12-15T15:52:00.001-05:002019-12-15T15:52:30.314-05:00Puerto Rico 2017 & Maria: Review of "Out of the Whirlwind" by Phillip Palin
A mass care buddy of mine and I ran into each other at FEMA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. this summer. The topic of Puerto Rico and Maria came up.
"That response still bothers me," I told him.
"You need to read Out of the Whirlwind," he replied.
So I did. A lot has been written about the September 2017 rendezvous of Maria, a Category 5 hurricane, and Puerto Rico, a beautiful Mike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-375814179581628072019-11-28T12:10:00.001-05:002019-11-28T12:45:11.806-05:00Thanksgiving 2003, Al Hillah, Iraq
“From: Whitehead, Michael (USA)
Sent: Thursday, November 27, 2003 9:28 AM
Subject: The end of Ramadan and Thanksgiving.
Ramadan ended Tuesday night according to one Najaf cleric and Monday night according to another. Evidently, Ramadan starts on the full moon and ends on the new moon. The leading cleric is supposed to make this determination. Confusion reigns because Mike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-53836175677162692922019-03-31T09:57:00.002-04:002019-03-31T10:08:36.543-04:00Review of Jose Andres’ book on Puerto Rico after Maria
Jose Andres is a Big Time Chef in Washington, D.C. and he wrote a book about his participation in the response in Puerto Rico to the impact of Hurricane Maria. The book is called We Fed an Island: the True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico, One Meal at a Time, by Jose Andres with (a mediocre performance by) Richard Wolffe.
I saw this book in a bookstore and picked it up because I thought that Mike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-16249196560050936232018-07-04T16:49:00.003-04:002018-07-04T16:49:51.305-04:00The Year the State of Florida Tried to Burn Down
The series of fires
that ravaged Florida in 1998 began in mid-May and continued through the early
part of July. During this period approximately 500,000 acres were burned in
approximately 2,200 separate fires. (U.S. Fire Administration/Technical
Report Series Wildland Fires, Florida – 1998)
I’ve spent at least a year’s worth of days in a State
Emergency Operations Center (EOC), working a Mike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-801720003546273492018-02-25T18:16:00.002-05:002019-11-02T18:06:14.718-04:00The 20 year anniversary of the epic 1998 Florida disaster year
This month marks the 20th year anniversary of the
epic series of disasters that afflicted the State of Florida in 1998. That year
we were activated in the State EOC for 202 days (almost 7 months), a record
that wasn’t to be broken until the Deepwater Horizon activation in 2010. The
Deepwater Horizon activation was continuous, and I didn’t work every day in
that activation, but in the series ofMike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-68769321423427110972018-01-28T18:15:00.001-05:002018-01-28T18:16:09.952-05:00Working the Bugaboo Fire
The biggest wildfire season in
Florida for headline-inducing drama was the 1998 season, when the whole state
almost burned down, and we had every other disaster except volcanoes and
locusts. The Bugaboo fire didn’t hit the headlines like the others but was
personally the most dramatic fire that I ever worked from the State EOC.
Florida Division of Forestry firefighters working a wildfire in Mike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-52993331598348006032017-11-21T16:58:00.001-05:002017-11-24T21:33:26.258-05:00What I learned in Puerto Rico
There’s an old saying in emergency management, “There are no
new lessons learned in emergency management, just new people learning the same
old lessons.” Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico was the 21st hurricane response in
which I had participated, the first being Hurricane Opal striking Florida in
1995.
A much younger Michael Whitehead at the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee Mike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-72442172941626704802017-06-17T11:45:00.000-04:002017-06-17T12:06:14.471-04:00"Reflections" on student life from 1981I was reminded of when I was a columnist for the Independent Florida Alligator, the student newspaper, during my long ago graduate student days in 1981. One of my columns, which I have excerpted below, will give you younger folks some perspective on the great issues of the day that we have discussed, are discussing and will discuss.
Mike Whitehead in 1981 with his graduate student "look"Mike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-53659820242679954222017-05-29T12:26:00.001-04:002019-05-25T08:36:17.379-04:00My memories on Memorial Day
I first met Bob Zangas in Kuwait at the start of the war. He was a Marine Corp Lieutenant Colonel, a Reservist, and part of the civil affairs contingent for the First Marine Division. He and I were waiting in Kuwait while the invading army sliced through the hapless Iraqi Army on the way to Baghdad. We worked on a project together and I got to know him. After I moved to Camp Babylon Bob moved toMike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-47458776498295780092016-07-30T12:54:00.000-04:002016-07-30T12:54:39.638-04:00Mass Care in Richwood, West VirginiaA frontal system got stuck over the hills of West Virginia the night of June 23, 2016 and caused historic flooding over the central and southern counties of the state. Twenty three people were killed, including a 2 year old who's lifeless body was found by search and rescue workers on the Greenbriar golf course. On June 24 the American Red Cross, in response to the flooding, deployed me from my Mike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35413831.post-61356634991433599652016-05-30T11:50:00.000-04:002016-05-30T11:50:07.107-04:00At the National Response Coordination CenterThe National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) is housed on the Mezzanine Level of FEMA Headquarters on C Street in Washington, DC. "When activated, the NRCC is a
multi-agency coordination center located at FEMA Headquarters. Its staff coordinates the overall
Federal support for major disasters and emergencies, including catastrophic incidents and
emergency management program implementation." Mike Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358934104662462100noreply@blogger.com0