Russel L. Honoré

1947—

U.S. Army Lieutenant General

Admired for his no-nonsense leadership, Lt. General Russel L. Honoré came to national attention when he was placed in command of the U.S. Defense Department's relief operations after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the Gulf Coast in 2005. His decisive actions during this crisis, especially in New Orleans, were welcomed for their efficiency and their sensitivity to the needs of traumatized residents, and prompted New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin to dub him "one John Wayne dude."

Honoré, whose family is of mixed black and Creole ancestry, grew up near Baton Rouge on a farm in his native town of Lakeland, Louisiana. He was the youngest of eight boys in a family of 12 children, raised as devout Roman Catholics. "I grew up poor," he told Lynne Duke in a Washington Post feature, "but we had a good family." The family worked their land to produce sugar cane, cotton, and corn; they also raised pigs and cows. In fact, Honoré planned to pursue farming as a career after completing his education. He was inspired by his father, whom he described to Duke as a "master of provisions, of providing for the family" and who taught Honoré the value of hard work. After high school, Honoré put himself through Southern University and A&M College while working on a nearby dairy farm, earning a B.S. in vocational agriculture in 1971.

During college Honoré joined the ROTC, and upon graduation he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry. Despite the objections of his father, Honoré decided to make the army his future. "The Army gave me open sky," he explained in the interview with Duke. "I liked what I was doing and the opportunity to be judged by your performance as opposed to other measures."

Indeed, Honoré's performance was rewarded with several challenging posts. He served in Korea and in Germany, and also served as Vice Director for Operations, J-3, the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.; Deputy Commanding General and Assistant Commandant, United States Army Infantry Center and School, For Benning, Georgia; and Assistant Division Commander, Maneuver/Support, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. After serving as Commander, Standing Joint Force Headquarters-Homeland Security, U.S. Northern Command, Honoré in 2004 was appointed Commanding General, First Army, Fort Gillem, Georgia, where he supervised the preparation of units being sent to Iraq.

When Hurricane Katrina whipped into the coasts of Mississippi and Louisiana on August 29, 2005, the results were catastrophic. Property damage was severe throughout the region, but in New Orleans the situation was worsened by failure of the city's extensive levee system, which had been built to protect the low-lying city from flooding from adjacent Lake Pontchartrain. After the hurricane many areas of the city were completely under water; roads into and out of the city were impassable, electricity and communications were cut off, and emergency supplies could not get in. Though approximately 80 percent of residents had evacuated the city prior to the storm, those who had either chosen to remain or who had been unable to flee faced extreme perils. Many hundreds drowned; others were left for days on end without food or fresh water; crimes—including shootings, stabbings, and rapes—were reported, and residents desperate for supplies broke into stores and were accused of looting. In addition to the U.S. Coast Guard, which flew round-the-clock rescue missions, the National Guard was deployed to assist in relief efforts. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, through FEMA, ran the operation.

As head of the First Army, Honoré was placed in command of Joint Task Force-Katrina. In this position, he commanded all active-duty troops from all military branches assigned to the operation. From the moment he arrived in Louisiana, he impressed officials with his authority and resolve. "He came off the doggone chopper, and he started cussing and people started moving," commented Mayor Nagin in an interview published on CNN.com. Honoré's task was daunting. "When I saw the devastation, I said, ‘Holy Lord, what happened here?’" he told Ebony interviewer Kevin Chappell. "This is a disaster of biblical proportions. This hurricane had the potential to set this city back 80 years. We have had storms, but never a storm like this." Honoré saw to it that food and water were delivered to the New Orleans Convention Center, designated as an emergency shelter for some 20,000 residents. Another major task was to facilitate the removal of several thousand storm victims to safer areas, including emergency shelters in surrounding states. Though lawlessness was also a severe problem, Honoré emphasized that local police should take charge of crime. In fact, whenever he saw armed National Guard troops or police in the city, he ordered them to point their weapons down. "This isn't Iraq," he told them, as reported by Christian Science Monitor correspondent Patrik Jonsson.

Though the federal response to Katrina elicited widespread criticism, Honoré focused on getting the job done rather than laying blame for the various failures that worsened the crisis. "You can beat [the players] up and tell them how stupid and dumb they are and degrade them," he told Washington Post writer Duke, comparing himself to a football coach, "or you can take a new tack, find new approaches and remember ‘there's still three quarters of the game left.’" Accordingly, he set an example of commitment and resolve. As Jonsson put it, Honoré was "willing to get into even the dirtiest task," speeding by helicopter from trouble spot to trouble spot and inspiring both relief workers and storm victims with his energy and determination to get the job done.

At a Glance …

Born in 1947, in Lakeland, LA; married Beverly; children: Stephanie, Kimberly, Michael, Stephen. Education: Southern University and A&M College, BS, vocational agriculture, 1971; Troy State University, MA, human resources.

Career: U.S. Army, 1971-; commissioned as Second Lieutenant of Infantry, 1971; Commanding General, 2d Infantry Division, South Korea; Vice Director for Operations, J-3, The Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.; Deputy Commanding General and Assistant Commandant, United States Army Infantry Center and School, Fort Benning, GA; Assistant Division Commander, Maneuver/Support, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX; Commander, Standing Joint Force Headquarters-Homeland Security, U.S. Northern Command; Commanding General, First Army, Fort Gillem, GA, 2004-.

Awards: Distinguished Service Medal; Legion of Merit; Bronze Star Medal; Omar N. Bradley Spirit of Independence Award, 2005; two honorary doctorates.

Addresses: Office—Headquarters, First Army, 4705 N. Wheeler Drive, Forest Park, GA 30297-5000.

When a measure of order and calm finally returned to New Orleans, Honoré was credited for the humane and efficient leadership with which he responded to the crisis. At ceremonies during the Independence Bowl in Shreveport Louisiana on December 30, 2005, Honoré received the Omar N. Bradley Spirit of Independence Award for his role in the Katrina relief operation. Honoré has received several other awards, including the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star Medal. Southern University and A&M College awarded the general an honorary doctorate in public administration. He also holds an honorary doctor of laws degree from Stillman College. The married father of four, Honoré lives in Atlanta, Georgia, where he enjoys working in his vegetable garden in his spare time.

In January 2008, Honoré announced his plans to retire from the Army. In a report by Associated Press writer Greg Bluestein, as featured on the Houston Hurricane Recovert Web site, Honoré explained that he wants to teach citizens—especially young people—ways they can take disaster planning into their own hands. In a world where terrorism, natural disasters and industrial accidents are becoming commonplace, Russel Honoré has pledged to help promote a "culture of preparedness."

Sources

Periodicals

Christian Science Monitor, September 9, 2005.

Ebony, November 1, 2005.

Washington Post, September 12, 2005, p. C1.

On-line

"Lt. Gen. Honoré a ‘John Wayne dude,’" CNN.com, http://edition.cnn.com/2005/US/09/02/Honoré.profile/index.html (August 24, 2007).

"Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honoré," First Army,http://www.first.army.mil/commandinfo/bio/lgbiorh.htm (July 31, 2007).

"Katrina General Retiring From the Army," Houston Hurricane Recovery,http://www.houstonhurricanerecovery.org/show_content_article.asp?id=192008-81440 (February 4, 2008).