Russel L. Honoré

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Russel L. Honoré

Lieutenant General Russel L. Honoré
Nickname The Ragin' Cajun
Allegiance United States
Service/branch U.S. Army
Years of service 1971-present
Rank Lieutenant General
Commands First Army
2nd Infantry Division
Awards Legion of Merit (5)
Bronze Star Medal
Expert Infantryman Badge

Lieutenant General Russel L. Honoré (pronounced ON-or-ay) (born 1947), also known as "The Ragin' Cajun"[1] (although actually of Louisiana Creole background), is the commanding general of the U.S. First Army in Fort Gillem, Georgia, and was the commander of Joint Task Force Katrina responsible for coordinating military relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina-affected areas across the Gulf Coast.

A native of Lakeland in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, and youngest of 12 children, Honoré earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Vocational Agriculture from Southern University and A&M College in 1971. He also holds a Master of Arts in Human Resources from Troy State University as well as an Honorary Doctorate in Public Administration from Southern University and A&M College. He has received leadership development training from the Center for Creative Leadership.

Prior to his appointment on July 15, 2004, General Honoré served in a variety of command and staff positions in Korea and Germany. He served as Commanding General, 2nd Infantry Division in 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, Georgia; and Assistant Division Commander, Maneuver/Support, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. Most recently, General Honoré served as Commander, Standing Joint Force Headquarters – Homeland Security, U.S. Northern Command.

On June 13, 2002, in South Korea, soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Division were on a training mission near the North Korean border when their vehicle hit two 14-year-old girls on a narrow public road. In July 2002, the U.S. military indicted Sgt. Mark Walker and Sgt. Fernando Nino on charges of negligent homicide. They were later found innocent. Honoré (then a Major General) responded by visiting the victims' parents and promising the U.S. military would build a memorial near the accident site to honor the girls. Stars & Stripes

On August 31, 2005, Honoré was designated commander of Joint Task Force Katrina responsible for coordinating military relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina-affected areas across the Gulf Coast. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin was quoted on a radio interview September 1, 2005, saying: "Now, I will tell you this -- and I give the president some credit on this -- he sent one John Wayne dude down here that can get some stuff done, and his name is [Lt.] Gen. [Russel] Honore. And he came off the doggone chopper, and he started cussing and people started moving. And he's getting some stuff done." [2] Stars and Stripes, the official newspaper of the United States Armed Forces, reported that Honoré had previous experience dealing with flooding at many Korean bases during monsoon season and supervised the installation of flood control measures.

Honoré describes himself an "African-American Creole", a mixture that includes French, American Indian and Spanish.[3]

He makes his home near Fort Gillem in Forest Park, Georgia, located seven miles south of Atlanta.

On September 20, 2005 at a press conference with New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, Honoré made headlines nationwide when he told reporters not to get "stuck on stupid" in reference to questions about the government response to the Hurricane Katrina, asking them to stay on the topic of Hurricane Rita. Honoré went on to criticize the media's role in the hurricane, and urged; "Don't start panic here. Okay?"

During the halftime of the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana on December 30, 2005, Honoré was honored with the Omar N. Bradley "Spirit of Independence Award" because of his leadership in the recovery of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.


General Honoré's awards and decorations include the:

Qualification badges include the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Parachutist Badge, and the Joint Staff Identification Badge.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^  Ragin' Cajuns™ is the trademarked nickname of the athletic teams of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
  2. ^  "Katrina: The Aftermath: First Army's 'Ragin' Cajun, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 14, 2005

[edit] External links

Dead link--> * An article on battle command by Honoré

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../r/u/s/Russel_L._Honor%C3%A9_fc6b.html"
In other languages