FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii – Approximately 30 soldiers from the 8th Theater Sustainment Command departed for the Philippines this week to assist in Super Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda relief efforts.
Select logistics experts from the TSC’s headquarters left Sunday, and troops from the 45th Sustainment Brigade’s 18th Movement Control Team departed from Schofield Barracks today.
The 8th TSC soldiers are part of the broader U.S. Government effort to support the Philippines' request for humanitarian assistance that involves coordination by the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development, in constant consultation with Philippine authorities.
The unit’s logistics experts are now filling key positions in the Combined Joint Task Force 505, the Department of Defense’s lead agency in the relief efforts, where they are coordinating the flow of supplies into and throughout the country. JTF 505 is led by III Marine Expeditionary Force.
Maj. Jason Berdou, who’s serving as a planner liaison officer in the JTF, said the 8th TSC personnel’s goal is to make a difference in the relief efforts by synchronizing and integrating logistics for all the service components involved.
Upon arrival to the Philippines, the MCT troops will play their part in that goal by assisting in the movement of personnel and materiel (to include fuel and water) to designated areas and distribution locations.
Pfc. Joseph Adams, a transportation specialist with the 18th MCT, said they want to help out where they can with the transportation of supplies and generally make life better for the citizens affected by the typhoon.
8th TSC is the senior Army logistics command in the Pacific, responsible for logistics and supply for land operations throughout the theater. Its troops employ 167 different skill sets, with 35 unique capabilities designed to support a full range of operations, to include Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief efforts.
As of Nov. 18, U.S. military assets have delivered more than 1,300,000 pounds of relief supplies and equipment provided by USAID in support of the Government of the Philippines. U.S. military aircraft have also moved more than 2,000 relief workers into Tacloban and have airlifted nearly 8,300 survivors from the affected areas.