U.S. Northern Command’s focus shifts to Hurricane Ike
September 9, 2008
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – U.S. Northern Command is coordinating Department of Defense support to FEMA, state and local response in anticipation of Hurricane Ike and preparing for its potential 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:
- USNORTHCOM, working with U.S. Transportation Command, is providing military, federal and contracted airlift to move general population passengers from McAllen Airport, McAllen, Texas and Harlingen Airport, Harlingen, Texas, scheduled to begin tomorrow, Wednesday, Sept 10, 2008.
- USNORTHCOM is providing aeromedical evacuation of medical patients from Harlingen Airport, Harlingen, Texas; Corpus Christi Airport, Corpus Christi, Texas; and Brownsville Airport, Brownsville, Texas. The operations are scheduled to begin tomorrow, Wednesday, Sept 10, 2008. Additionally, USNORTHCOM is providing Joint Patient Movement Teams to support medial evacuation of ambulatory and non-ambulatory patients from hospitals to assist in the aeromedical evacuation from these locations.
- USNORTHCOM is providing medium lift, rotary wing 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 in managing air operations during operation in response to Hurricane Ike in Texas.
ONGOING OPERATIONS:
- DoD has designated four military installations as FEMA National Logistics Staging Areas to support forward distribution of supplies and equipment to affected areas as required. The installations are Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.; Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, Ga., and Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss.
- Defense Coordinating Officers/Elements have been activated in support of the Federal Emergency Management Region X (Austin, Texas); and FEMA Region VI (Baton Rouge, La.) to provide assessment and coordination as required. DCOs and DCEs work very closely with federal, state, tribal 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 is the air component to U.S. Northern Command. First 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.
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.