NEW CUMBERLAND, Pa. –
With the news that Hurricane Ida, a Category 4 hurricane, was set to hit Louisiana, the Defense Logistics Agency Distribution Expeditionary team jumped into action by offering support to U.S. Northern Command and the Federal Emergency Management Agency with disaster relief efforts.
The DDXX team received the deployment order and arrived in Louisiana Aug. 28 to help establish an Incident Support Base Federal Staging Area at Esler Field on Camp Beauregard, Louisiana. The team deployed 44 personnel in support of Hurricane Ida. This encompassed personnel from DLA Distribution Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, DLA Distribution San Joaquin, California, current operations, information technology, acquisition and military reservists.
The DDXX team supported FEMA’s relief efforts by processing relief supplies, which included meals, sheeting, tarps, water, cots, blankets, medical kits and other supplies requested by FEMA. They also managed traffic control for trailers, received and processed commodity trailers, staged trailers by commodity type, processed outbound trailers in FIFO method, in which then the material was sent to the state staging areas and then ultimately to the points of distribution for frontline support.
See video of a military convoy rolling out the gate at Esler Field on Camp Beauregard, Louisiana Sept. 10 to deliver supplies to a state staging area in Roseland, Louisiana.
Navy Lt. Jeremiah Helle, the supply officer for the DDXX team, was impressed by the team’s hard work.
“The team did a great job,” he said. “In the first two days of operation, the team processed 112 trailers of supplies. It is impressive that they were able to process that many trailers in a short amount of time.”
The DDXX team continued to help support FEMA until Sept. 20, where FEMA took full control of the operation.
In total, the DDXX team received and processed 792 commodity trailers, which contained over 12 million units of commodities, and shipped 715 commodity trailers, which contained over 11 million units of commodities. Before leaving, the DDXX team direct delivered 800,000 commercial meals to five local food banks.
Helle wanted to thank FEMA for their support.
“I want to give a shoutout to FEMA. The constant communication with our local FEMA representation was essential for our operational success. Through local FEMA resources, the team was able to track inbound shipments with estimated arrival times, as well as project outbound shipments. It was this communication that allowed us to constantly be proactive at our FSA.”
Helle also wanted to offer his condolences to the communities that were affected by Hurricane Ida.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and communities throughout the region who were affected by this hurricane. While tragic in nature, I am very pleased of the impact that DLA and FEMA have been able to make to the local area.”
The DDXX team continues to be on stand-by and ready to support for large-scale commodity procurement and delivery that are uniquely effective in disaster relief efforts.