Richmond Supply Center Prepares to Help Haiti

American Forces Press Service

Jan. 14, 2010 - Defense Supply Center Richmond is preparing to support humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti. As Defense Logistics Agency's aviation demand and supply chain manager, the Richmond center primarily supports military aviation activities with parts, supplies and services, but it also manages other items historically used by the military during disaster response.

"We are assessing our stock of on-hand items we may need to provide, including cargo slings used for airlifting supplies; herbicides, insect repellents, insecticides and rodenticides to help control the spread of diseases; and water purification items," said Marine Corps Col. Gary Wiest, the center's deputy director of operations.

The Richmond center supplies the military with water purification tablets and parts for reverse-osmosis water purification units. The various models of those units -- some reaching the size of large trailers -- rely on chemicals, filters, membranes and high-pressure pumps to purify large amounts of water for consumption from sources that include brackish and salt water. The supply center here provides three types of support kits for the purification units, each with about 20 items ranging from chemicals to machine lubricants.

Wiest said the center is also ready to send personnel to the military's U.S. Southern Command in Miami to help in coordinating supply efforts. Southcom is working with the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development to assess the need for humanitarian support in Haiti, said Marine Corps Col. Scott Dalke at DLA's Joint Logistics Operations Center at Fort Belvoir, Va.