PRESS RELEASE 18 09-004 - U.S. NORTHERN COMMAND POSITIONED TO RESPOND

U.S. Northern Command
Courtesy Story

Date: 09.15.2018
Posted: 09.15.2018 18:56
News ID: 292990

PRESS RELEASE 18 09 004 - SEPT. 15, 2018

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – United States Northern Command, its component and subordinate commands, Department of Defense partners, the military services and the National Guard are actively supporting the Federal Emergency Management Agency, states and local partners in response to the recently-downgraded Tropical Storm Florence.

"The collaboration between the Department of Defense, FEMA, and state and local partners is absolutely critical to our National Response Framework,” said Gen. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy, Commander USNORTHCOM. “We remain well informed of the emergency response requirements and are ready to respond when military assistance is requested.”

Below is an updated summary of DoD support to FEMA, state and local partners as of September 15, 2018:

The DoD has assigned 13,470 personnel to support hurricane relief efforts. The specific numbers continue to change as individuals respond to the area:

Active Duty: 5,400
National Guard 7,857
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: 121
Defense Logistics Agency: 92

The DoD deployed 1,286 military assets to establish air and ground transportation and search and rescue capabilities. The specific assets available are as follows:

Rotary Wing: 100
Fixed Wing: 16
High Water Vehicles: 1,154
Swift Water Boats: 14
USN Amphibious Ships: 2

The Department of Defense authorizes local commanders to execute life-saving actions to assist their local communities without waiting for orders. This is called local response authority.

On Sept. 14, upon request from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., provided shelter for displaced people around New Bern, N.C. In less than three hours, 209 people arrived by bus and were sheltered at Cherry Point.

At the request of city officials in Onslow, N.C., Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune sent two Humvees and two Amphibious Assault Vehicles to assist in the rescue of about 20 stranded personnel near Piney Green road in Jacksonville. The Marines then transported the personnel to the Piney Green Volunteer Fire Department for follow on transfer to Onslow County shelters.

Additionally, Camp Lejeune dispatched12 high-water-vehicles at the request of Onslow city officials to support transport of state rescue personnel in the Onslow area.

The services will perform accountability, damage assessments, recovery (if required), and preparation of forces for follow-on support at all of the installations in the affected area. The DoD is ready for any request for assistance.

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For additional imagery of DoD’s hurricane support mission visit https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/hurricaneflorence

For more information about NORAD, refer to http://www.norad.mil/
For more information about USNORTHCOM, refer to http://www.northcom.mil Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at http://www.facebook.com/noradnorthcom and http://www.twitter.com/norad_northcom