Northern Command Continues to Aid Relief Efforts

From a U.S. Northern Command News Release

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo., Aug. 29, 2011 – U.S. Northern Command is continuing to support relief efforts in the aftermath of a powerful hurricane that struck the East Coast over the weekend, causing extensive flood and wind damage.

Northcom is coordinating the Defense Department’s support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and state and local response efforts in the wake of Hurricane Irene, Northcom officials said today.

Northcom is providing numerous DOD assets and personnel to support relief efforts, officials said. For example, air and space power experts are helping to synchronize air operations with Army, Navy, Air Force and National Guard aviation resources in support of FEMA air operations.

Northcom officials also have:

-- Designated Fort A.P. Hill, Va., as a FEMA federal teams staging facility to support disaster operations in Virginia;

-- Provided aircraft for federal operations support to assist in transporting key personnel and supplies to support disaster operations in North Carolina;

-- Activated the U.S. Army North’s defense coordinating officer and defense coordinating element to support FEMA Region III in Virginia;

-- Designated Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass., as an incident support base to stage asset movement to impacted counties in North Carolina and South Carolina;

-- Designated Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., as an incident support base to stage asset movement to impacted counties in Region II and III;

-- Activated the Region IX U.S. Army North’s defense coordinating officer and defense coordinating element to support FEMA Region I regional response coordination center;

-- Activated U.S. Army North’s defense coordinating officer and defense coordinating element to support FEMA Region I;

-- Activated U.S. Army North’s defense coordinating officer and defense coordinating element to support FEMA Region II-New Jersey and New York;

-- Designated Westover Air Reserve Base as an incident support base to stage asset movement to impacted counties;

-- Activated U.S. Army North’s defense coordinating officer and defense coordinating element to support FEMA Region II-Puerto Rico;

-- Activated U.S. Army North’s defense coordinating officer and defense coordinating element to support FEMA Region IV-North Carolina;

-- Activated U.S. Army North’s defense coordinating officer and defense coordinating element to support the FEMA National Response Coordination Center and to provide assessments and coordination as required;

-- Activated emergency preparedness liaison officers to support the National Response Coordination Center.

-- Activated and deployed transportation specialists to the FEMA movement coordination center to augment and assist in strategic-level movement and logistics planning; and

-- Designated Fort Bragg, N.C., as an incident support base to stage asset movement to impacted counties in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Northcom officials also are providing FEMA with pararescue and 18 rotary wing aircraft in anticipation of search and rescue operations.