PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – U.S. Northern Command is coordinating Department of Defense’s support to FEMA, state and local response in anticipation of Hurricane Ike and preparing for its landfall in the United States.
The following is a list of DoD assets and personnel that are part of U.S. Northern Command’s support efforts:
NEW OPERATIONS:
- FEMA has requested, and USNORTHCOM will support four additional mission
assignments, to include 88 high watervehicles and 21 small boats; Randolph Air
Force Base, Texas to be utilized as a National Logistics Staging Area; additional
ground and air search and rescue assets to include helicopters, aircraft and
waterborne assets to assist in search and rescue efforts; and Emergency
Preparedness Liaison Officers to support the Defense Coordination Officers.
- The 331st Air Expeditionary Group at Randolph AFB, Texas pre-positioned 42
search and rescue aircraft to assist FEMA with post landfall search and rescue.
USNORTHCOM coordinates search and rescue operations with mission partners in
accordance with the National Search and Rescue Plan and in support of FEMA.
- USNORTHCOM has established a link on its Web site to Aidmatrix, which provides people access to technology that connects donors with relief organizations. Aidmatrix is a nonprofit organization which is FEMA sponsored/funded. More than 35,000 corporations, nonprofits, and government partners use Aidmatrix to mobilize aid in areas of hunger, medical, and disaster. Aidmatrix provides resource management tools for unsolicited donations of cash, in kind products, and unaffiliated volunteers. You can find additional information on Aidmatrix at www.aidmatrix.org.
ONGOING OPERATIONS:
- USNORTHCOM, working with U.S. Transportation Command, provided aeromedical
evacuation of medical patients from Beaumont Airport, Beaumont, Texas to Kelly Air
Force Base and Easterwood Airport, College Station, Texas. The evacuation of medical
patients is managed through the National Response Framework and the DOD will respond
with a total force team of Active, Guard and Reserve medical units.
- Designated two military installations (Lackland Air Force Base, Texas and Randolph
Air Force Base, Texas) as base support installations. The installations will serve as
locations where military units conduct logistical operations.
- USNORTHCOM’s Air Forces Northern is establishing a search and rescue unit in
preparation of Hurricane Ike landfall and in support of Texas Search and Rescue.
The 331st Air Expeditionary Group is responsible for search and rescue operations
is located at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.
- USNORTHCOM is providing medium lift helicopters military aircraft to conduct
search-and-rescue efforts and movement of personnel and supplies in support of
disaster operations in the affected region.
- USNORTHCOM, working with U.S. Air Forces North, is providing personnel and air
management systems in direct support of the Texas Military Forces Aviation
Coordination Group. These assets will assist Texas manage air operations during
operation in response to Hurricane Ike in Texas.
- DoD has designated the military installation, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, as a FEMA
National Logistics Staging Areas to support forward distribution of supplies and
equipment to affected areas as required prior to Hurricane Ike making landfall.
- Defense Coordinating Officers/Elements for FEMA Regions X and VI have been
activated in support of the response to Hurricane Ike to support FEMA as the lead
federal agency. They are located in Austin, Texas and will work very closely through
FEMA with other federal, tribal, state, and local officials to determine what unique
DoD capabilities can be brought to assist in mitigating the effects of a natural
disaster.
U.S. Air Forces Northern missions as the air component to U.S. Northern Command, located in Colorado Springs, Colo. 1st Air Force/AFNORTH assist USNORTHCOM in fulfilling its Homeland Defense and Defense Support of Civil Authorities missions.
U.S. Army North provides defense support of civil authorities as the Army component of U.S. Northern Command, the combatant command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., that is responsible for homeland defense and civil support.
USNORTHCOM’s subordinate commands are Joint Forces Headquarters National Capital Region, Joint Task Force Alaska, Joint Task Force Civil Support, Joint Task Force North, and Standing Joint Force Headquarters North.
USNORTHCOM is the joint combatant command formed in the wake of the Sept.11, 2001 terrorist attacks to provide homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities. Supporting FEMA, state and local response in anticipation of Hurricane Ike, USNORTHCOM is preparing for the hurricane’s potential landfall in the United States.
See http://www.northcom.mil/ for more information and to download high-resolution pictures.