Soldiers Continue to Support Irma Response

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13, 2017 — The Army -- including active duty, Reserve, and National Guard members -- remains involved in, or is prepared to support state, territory, or other federal agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as part of Hurricane Irma relief operations in the continental United States and the Caribbean, Army spokesperson Cynthia O. Smith said today in a statement.

Governors are best postured to determine the needs of their residents and establish response priorities, Smith said, and are currently using both Army National Guard and active duty soldiers to help meet those needs. As they continue to assess their support requirements in the aftermath of the hurricane, Army equipment and personnel remain in the affected areas to ensure additional resources are readily available if/when needed.

Army Support Highlights as of 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Sept. 13, 2017

-- The current Total Army response for Hurricane Irma is more than 15,000 soldiers and Army Corps of Engineers civilians in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the continental United States.

-- The Army has 48 aircraft, more than 515 trucks, and more than 80 generators already committed to relief efforts. The Army has more than 100 aircraft, more than 80 generators, 150 boats, and 2,900 trucks on standby to support response efforts if called upon.

-- Army National Guard soldiers from Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are currently on State Active Duty status and are either responding, or prepared to respond to each Governor’s priorities. Additionally, National Guard units in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina are conducting routine inactive duty training, which they will utilize to prepare for a Hurricane Irma response, if required.

-- The Army Corps of Engineers is working in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico to assist with power restoration efforts and have teams on stand-by to assist in Florida if/when needed. The Corps is also monitoring conditions at the Herbert Hoover Dike (Lake Okeechobee) and continues to provide expert status updates.

-- Army Reserve officers assigned with FEMA Regions II, IV, and V Headquarters are assisting with providing expert military advice on storm response efforts.

-- Fort Jackson, South Carolina, is providing shelter to 128 personnel displaced by the hurricane and are still accepting persons seeking shelter.

-- The Corps of Engineers has three divisions and three districts activated to support federal response operations, with more than 400 deployed at key response nodes and 158 personnel manning key communication nodes.

-- Since operation began, the Army National Guard units in Florida have conducted more than 113 ground missions.