WASHINGTON –
U.S. military assistance is on the ground in Haiti to assist and support the tiny island nation with the impact felt from Hurricane Matthew this week, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook told reporters today.
Cook said as the team is stood up, the United States and Defense Department will coordinate needs for U.S. military assistance with interagency partners and the Haitian government, he added.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter is getting regular updates, Cook said. “He and the rest of DoD are tracking the hurricane … as it threatens the U.S. East Coast,” he added, noting that the U.S. Agency for international Development sent a request for assistance, and the secretary has given approval to U.S. Southern Command to spend up to $11 million in overseas humanitarian, disaster and civic aid funds for disaster relief.
The funding includes transportation in the Caribbean, airfield support assessment and airfield operation support, he said.
Northcom Coordinating With Agencies
“U.S. Northern Command is coordinating with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the military services, the State Department and East Coast states for DoD response efforts.
Northcom has identified four facilities as FEMA installation support bases to use as staging areas for trucks, trailers and other equipment and personnel at North Auxiliary Field, which is north of Charleston, South Carolina; Albany Marine Corps Logistics Base In Georgia; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, the press secretary said. Some 4,500 Guardsmen have been mobilized by their respective state governors in preparation for Hurricane Matthew, he added.
Editor's note: The original story can be viewed on the Department of Defense website.