Russel L. Honoré is a retired lieutenant general who served as the US First Army's 33rd commanding general at Fort Gillem, Georgia. He is best known for commanding Joint Task Force Katrina, which was in charge of organizing military relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina-affected areas along the Gulf Coast and commanding the 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea. He remained in the Army until January 11, 2008, when he retired. Honoré is known as "The Ragin' Cajun" on occasion.
Lieutenant General Russel L. Honore was born in 1947 and brought up in Lakeland, Louisiana, as the 9th of 12 children, born to a Louisiana Creole family with a West Indian ancestry who had arrived in Pointe Coupee Parish via the port of New Orleans. The Honoré surname is still common among the Creoles of the Cane River.
Honoré graduated from Southern University and A&M College with a B.S. in vocational agriculture in 1971. He also has a master's degree in human resources from Troy University and an honorary doctorate in public administration from Southern University and A&M College. The international civilian Center for Creative Leadership provided him with leadership development training.
Honoré self-identifies as an "African-American Creole," a mix of French, African, American Indian, and Spanish origin. He was brought up in a Catholic household. Honoré received the Omar N. Bradley "Spirit of Independence Award" during halftime of the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana, on December 30, 2005, for his efforts in the recovery of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. During the third anniversary of Katrina events, Honoré was also given the Key to the City Award by New Orleans to recognize his exemplary military service.
He and his wife, Beverly, live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with their four children. Russel got married to his wife, Beverly, in 1971. They gave birth to children named Stephanie, Kimberly, Michael, and Stephen.
Lt. General Honore served in various assignments including, the General First Army, Commanding General 2nd Infantry Division in Korea, Deputy Commanding General at the United States Army Infantry Centre, and School located in Fort Benning. He has also served as Brigade Commander, Senior Mechanized Observer, National Training Centre, Commander of 4th Battalion, 16th Infantry Brigade, 1st Infantry Division in Germany.
Honore led the Department of Defense in its management of Hurricane Rita and Katrina. When Hurricane Katrina whipped into the banks of Mississippi and Louisiana on August 29, 2005, the outcomes were disastrous. Property harm was severe all through the region. Still, in New Orleans, the circumstance was intensified by the disappointment of the city's broad levee framework, which worked to protect the low-lying city from flooding from contiguous Lake Pontchartrain. After the tropical storm, numerous city regions were submerged; streets into and out of the town were blocked, power and correspondences were cut off, and crisis supplies couldn't get in. Even though approximately 80 percent of occupants had cleared the city before the storm, the individuals who had either decided to remain or who had been not able to escape confronted outrageous dangers.
He has led over 220,000 military personnel, 20 ships, and 200 aircraft in the recovery tasks performed in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Honore joined CNN as the emergency preparedness contributor. His work functions at CNN include reviewing the actions taken by the government during crises and the recovery actions performed by it. He also provides necessary help in disaster management, recovery, and response in reaction to the reports given by CNN during natural disasters and other crisis-filled situations.
General Honore has used his 37 years of experience in the military to lead organizations and businesses boldly and straightforwardly, aiding them to be prepared well for the challenges they will face in the future. He has more than one occasion shown how the private and public sectors can solve the issues that they face daily by proper risk assessment, social entrepreneurship, and giving importance to innovation.
| Profession: | Emergency preparedness contributor, Professor and Director |
| Salary: | Not revealed |
| Date of Birth: | He was born in 1947 |
| Nationality: | American |
| Employer: | CNN, Crawford & Company, Emory University |
