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Maybe so, but training in what? Are they trained exclusively for disaster response?

Not exclusively, but that is part of the training. Training for saving people wounded in battle and wounded during a hurricane or earthquake is not much different. And training to stay alive in a desert with little water is not much different then training to stay alive on an island where essential services (like fresh water are not available).

And they have the equipment and know how to use it.

Then help them yourself. Without taking my money first.

I do. I have before, and will again.

But how much assistance is anybody going to be without money? How much do you think the relief after Katrina cost? Or in Haiti?

You can't send thousands of people anywhere (be they civilian or military) without money to support them.

And at the same time, all the money in the world will do you no good if there are no people willing to go and help.

The US spends a third or a fourth of it's money on the military, doesn't it? Are you saying it's the most efficient way to deal with disasters?

Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. And most of that money goes to such things as pay, housing, medical and schooling for dependents, and the like. There are roughly 3 dependents (spouses, children) for every person serving in the military. So not only do you support the servicemembers themselves, you provide for their families.

And a lot of other services. Things like the American Red Cross, who have offices on every military installation (and in return provides a lot of services to the ARC for free). They also provide back things like blood (by percentage the military is the largest provider of blood for local blood banks).

During any natural disaster, you will find the military giving support. From providing food and shelter to safe drinking water and emergency medical services. They simply have a supply of personnel that leaves every other disaster service far behind.

An average Army Battalion has 5 mobile kitchens (which are able to support 1,000+ people each), 6 trailers that can supply 400 gallons of fresh water, tents to shelter 2,500+ people, 20 trained paramedics (and normally 300+ emergency medical techs), and vehicles to transport all of those personnel.

And to give an idea, the 101st Airborne has 41 Battalions. That is just one of 28 Divisions (18 active, 10 National Guard-Reserve).

For Katrina alone, you have the National Guard of 4 states activated (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana) activated, totalling over 10,000 personnel.

You had the Coast Guard activate units from as far as Cape Cod and moved to the Gulf Coast. Over 39,000 Coast Guard personnel were mobilized into the area.

9 US Navy ships were brought to the area (USS Truman, USS Bataan, USS Iwo Jima, USS Shreveport, USS Tortuga, USS Whidbey Island, USNS Arctic, USNS Comfort [hospital ship], and USS Grapple. Plus you had the Canadian Navy ships HMCS Athabaskan, HCMS Toronto, and the HMCS Ville de Quebec deploy to assist, along with the Dutch Frigate HS can Amstel and the Mexican Frigate Papaloapan.

The Air Force sent SAR and aeromedical evacuation support, relief supplies, and support. They medically evacuated over 4,000 people to hospitals in areas not affected, as well as emergency evacuations of over 25,000 people. They also ran an emergency hospital and provided over 9 million meals.

The Army also supplied assistance, including helicopters from Fort Rucker to supply SAR support and to bring supplies to the hardest hit areas.

All told, over 65,000 military personnel assisted in disaster relief. And all brought their own support and supplies, in addition to giving to those that were hit in the disaster.

Now tell me, what other organization can bring close to that number of people to assist in a disaster? And not just people, but over 300 helicopters, 20 transport aircraft, mobile hospitals, water and waste purification, food, tents, security, and everything else needed.

And I defy you to tell me of a more efficient way to do it. Civilians? That would cost even more, because no civilians would do that job for the money the military pays.

The top pay in the military is just over $224k per year. And starting pay? Just over $17k.

Tell me a group of 60,000+ civilians that will work for that kind of wage. The President of the American Red Cross pulled down over $651,000. That is just under 3 times what the highest paid General makes, with a lot less danger or responsibility.

And the average ARC employee makes around $30,000 a year. That is a lot more then people in the military make (an ARC "Volunteer Coordinator" makes $36k a year).

So please tell me, what is a more efficient way to have that many people constantly on call to assist in disaster relief? I would love to hear it.

The military is pretty much the "911 of disaster support" for the US. Everything from flooding on the Mississippi river, tornadoes, hurricanes, even winter storms and earthquakes. If you watch the news, you will see them doing everything and everything needed, from standing in -20 degree weather to restore power, to running water purification and sanitation systems. Evacuation of the wounded to emergency shelter.

And not just in the US. Mexico, Haiti, Philippines, this assistance is given world-wide. Nobody else in the US even comes a close second in this kind of support and assistance.