PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – For the first time, U.S. Northern Command and Canada Command used the Civil Assistance Plan to coordinate Canadian military support that was in response to Hurricane Gustav.
"This was a great first use of the Civil Assistance Plan, “said Gen. Gene Renuart, Commander of U.S. Northern Command. “Everything went exactly as it was designed to."
After receiving approval of both the governments of Canada and the United States, Canada Command deployed a CC-177 Globemaster aircraft from Canadian Forces Base Trenton, Ontario to Lakefront, Louisiana and conducted evacuation of persons in the threatened New Orleans’s area. Canadian Forces aeromedical personnel were onboard the aircraft to assist U.S. personnel with any patients or medical issues.
“I am proud of our men and women in uniform for answering this call and know that we have the mechanisms in place to respond to these types of requests quickly and effectively,” said Vice-Admiral Dean McFadden, Commander of Canada Command and former commander of the Canadian Task Group that deployed to the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005 to assist with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
U.S. Northern Command is coordinating department of defense’s support to FEMA, state and local response efforts in preparation for Hurricane Gustav’s landfall in the Southern United States.
The Civil Assistance Plan is a bilateral Canada-United States plan that facilitates military-to-military cooperation in support of a civil emergency in either country, once agreement for assistance is reached between the two governments. Signed on 14 Feb 2008, the CAP formalized the longstanding tradition of military-to-military cooperation that has long existed between our two countries.
The Canadian Forces have proven experienced in disaster relief operations and have provided humanitarian assistance to the United States on several occasions, including the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and the U.S. Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
USNORTHCOM is closely monitoring Hurricane Gustav’s progress and continues to respond to requests for DoD support in preparation for landfall.
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.