DOD Remains an Active Partner in Sandy Response

DOD Remains an Active Partner in Sandy Response

From a Defense Department News Release

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2012 - The Defense Department continues to be an active partner in response to Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath by providing the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state governors with capable, trained and accessible forces and equipment when requested.

As of 5:30 p.m. Oct. 29, there were about 6,700 National Guard Forces on state active duty, or in the process of activating for duty in support of the governors of New York, Massachusetts, Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut and Maryland. These forces were helping local first responders and FEMA including providing assistance with evacuation shelters, route clearance, search and rescue and delivery of essential equipment and supplies.

More than 61,100 National Guard members are available to assist civilian authorities in support of relief efforts, including aircraft for search and rescue, reconnaissance and personnel or cargo-carrying missions.

In addition, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has authorized the following officers to serve as dual status commanders - those authorized to command both federal and state National Guard forces:
- New Jersey: Army Brig. Gen. James Grant, Army National Guard
- New Hampshire: Air Force Brig. Gen. Carolyn Protzmann, Air National Guard
- Massachusetts: Army Brig. Gen. Paul Smith, Army National Guard
- New York: Army Brig. Gen. Michael Swezy, Army National Guard
- Maryland: Air Force Brig. Gen. Timothy Gowen, Air National Guard
- Rhode Island: Air Force Brig. Gen. Mark Jannitto, Air National Guard

As part of DOD's response, U.S. Northern Command has identified active duty deputies to deploy in support of any designated dual status commanders and is working with officials from Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. These active duty deputies facilitate active duty force employment under DSC leadership should active duty assets be required.

DOD has activated Defense Coordinating Officers/Defense Coordinating Elements to support FEMA Regions I, II, and III. DCO/E from Regions VI, VII, and IX are providing additional surge support to Regions I, II, and III.
U.S. Northern Command has placed the following DSCA forces on 24-hour Prepare to Deploy Order status in response to anticipated FEMA requests to mitigate or respond to effects of Hurricane Sandy: light/medium lift helicopters; medium/heavy lift helicopters; para-rescue teams; Information Awareness & Assessment aircraft; Tactical Common Data Link; Rover video receiver systems; and fixed-wing aircraft.

U.S. Northern Command also is deploying Joint Regional Medical Planners to the impacted FEMA regions.

In other support activities:

- FEMA has requested the use of Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass., Joint Base McGuire/Dix/Lakehurst, N.J., and Dover Air Force Base, Del., as incident support bases for staging federal support equipment and supplies. Fort Devens, Mass., has been designated a federal team staging facility.

- Air Force North's National Security Emergency Preparedness directorate deployed emergency preparedness liaison officers to assist civil authorities in preparing for relief efforts.

- Air Force North officials deployed Joint Air Component Coordination Elements in response to Hurricane Sandy. The Air Force North JACCE teams deployed to Philadelphia, Boston, and Trenton, N.J., to support Hurricane Sandy relief preparation efforts. JACCE members are Air Force subject matter experts who serve to coordinate Air Force assets to assist wherever needed during times of crisis.

- U.S. Northern Command's Joint Personnel Recovery Center, in support of Air Force North's Joint Force Air Component commander, is prepositioning search and rescue forces for possible Hurricane Sandy activities. The JPRC is one of several resources the JFACC employs in its Defense Support of Civil Authorities role. The JPRC has the capability to conduct large-scale search and rescue operations during contingencies such as hurricanes or other natural or man-made disasters, making the JPRC a valuable asset to the DSCA mission.

- All DOD installations have been directed to offer support to local community requests for assistance, to include providing staging and bed-down for utility recovery teams assigned to restore power.

- The following installations relocated aircraft in advance of Hurricane Sandy:
Dover Air Force Base, Del.;
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.;
Stewart Air National Guard Base, N.Y.;
New Castle Air National Guard Base, Del.;
Joint Base Andrews, Md.;
Martin State Airport (Air National Guard), Md.; and 
Harrisburg International Airport (Air National Guard), Pa.