Emerald Express 06-1 Brief

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Emerald Express 06-1 Brief Military Support in
Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief
(HA/DR)
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• Conducted 14-15 February 2006 at Quantico, VA
• Purpose was to review recent operational
  experience in humanitarian assistance and
  disaster relief (HA/DR) efforts to derive
  insights and enhance military proficiency in
  supporting these types of operations.

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Participants DOD Joint Forces
Command Department of State US Agency for
International Development Department of Homeland
Security, New Orleans US Coast Guard National
Defense University Uniformed Services University
of the Health Sciences State, Local
governments First Responders Non-governmental
Organizations Red Cross
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• Areas of Interest
• DODs Relationship with federal, state, local,
  and tribal governments and organizations
• The role of the US Marine Corps in domestic
  operations, including the capabilities and
  training of the MARFORSOUTH Staff in HA/DR
• The next steps in implementing the various
  lessons learned by the forces participating in
  HA/DR operations.

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• Operation Unified Assistance
• Indonesian tsunami relief effort
• 26 December 2004
• Earthquake 9.0 Richter scale struck off the west
  coast of Northern Sumatra in the Indian Ocean.
• 289,000 killed
• 1.1 Million displaced
• Thousands of homes
• infrastructure destroyed.

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• Operation Unified Assistance (contd)
• Over 126,000 US military personnel joined in the
  international relief effort.
• In addition 33 foreign governments, USAID Office
  of Foreign Disaster, UN World Food program, World
  Health Organization, Office for the Coordination
  of Humanitarian Affairs, Joint Logistics Center
  and over 150 NGOs participated.

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• Operation Unified Assistance (contd)
• JTF 536 was established and deployed to Utapao,
  Thailand. Commanded by CG III MEF LtGen
  Blackman.
• Mission was to provide assistance to the
  governments of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and
  other affected nations to mitigate the effects of
  the recent earthquake and tsunami in the Indian
  ocean.

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• International HA/DR Operations
• Key Take Aways
• Cultural knowledge is critical to effectively
  interacting with host nations (HNs) and
  Multinational (MN) partners
• HN should, in fact and perception, be leading
  HA/DR operation.
• US Governments goal should be improved HN relief
  capabilities NOT long-term relief by assisting
  nations.

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• International HA/DR Operations
• Key Take Aways (contd)
• MN interaction and effectiveness is critical
• Make maximum use of accessible web-based
  communications and unclassified information
• Military forces function in a supporting role to
  Ambassador/Country Team
• Military NGO relationships should stress
  complimentary, not competing roles and
  capabilities
• An effective public affairs plan is essential to
  success.

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• Joint Task Force Katrina
• Hurricane Katrina Relief effort
• 29 August 2005
• Category 4 hurricane with wind speeds of 145 mph
  made landfall 60 miles southwest of New Orleans,
  LA.
• Approximately 984 killed
• 1.3 Million residents
• 1.2 Million evacuated
• 120,000 remained behind
• 280,000 dwellings damaged
• 319,677 dwellings destroyed

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• Joint Task Force Katrina (contd)
• Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida
• 265 killed
• 737,940 displaced
• 1 million evacuated
• 33, 253 dwellings destroyed
• 29, 218 damaged
• Hurricane Katrina surpassed the Okeechobee
  hurricane of 1928 as the deadliest storm in US
  history and the deadliest in a century.

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• Joint Task Force Katrina (contd)
• USNORTHCOM established JTF Katrina based in Camp
  Shelby, Mississippi
• Marine Forces (MARFOR) Katrina was commanded by
  MGen ODell of the 4th Marine Division.
• Forces comprised of elements of the 11th and 24th
  MEU and the MAG 42.
• Worked in coordination with National Guard Forces
  to conduct HA/DR in order to assist local
  authorities with recovery and stabilization
  efforts to save lives and mitigate human
  suffering.

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• Joint Task Force Katrina (contd)
• Aviation element carried over 5,000 passengers,
  rescued 446, evacuated over 1400 and carried over
  one million pounds of cargo in 745 sorties.
• Ground forces evacuated over 150, transported
  close to two million pounds of cargo, delivered
  1000 gallons of fuel and recovered 23 remains.

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• Domestic HA/DR Operations
• Key Take Aways
• Need to maximize the level and scope of military
  support in Defense Support to Civil Authority
  (DSCA) situations within existing constraints
  e.g., Titles 10, 14, 32, etc.
• Military forces are always in support per Posse
  Comitatus.
• Military brings major capabilities to domestic
  HA/DR operations e.g., security, logistics,
  communications
• Essential that military train to an all hazards
  scope of incidents e.g., chemical, biological,
  etc. as well as natural disasters.

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• Domestic HA/DR Operations
• Key Take Aways (contd)
• Military training should emphasize
  interoperability at local, state, and federal
  levels.
• Effective, accessible web-based communications
  are critical to success.
• Sea-based operations proved highly effective, as
  did MAGTF organization and capabilities.
• An effective public affairs plan is critical to
  success.

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• Additional Key Take Aways
• C2 Coordinate and Communicate for HA/DR
  operations.
• Early, frequent, and accurate assessments by
  trained personnel are essential to success.
• Distribution is the greatest logistics problem in
  HA/DR operations.
• An effective public affairs plan is critical to
  success.

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Questions?
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• Back up slides

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