NORTHCOM COORDINATING DOD SUPPORT IN RESPONSE TO ISAAC

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Northern Command Assists With Hurricane Isaac Efforts
From a U.S. Northern Command News Release

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo., Aug. 29, 2012 - U.S. Northern Command is coordinating Defense Department support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state and local response activities in response to Hurricane Isaac.

Northcom has deployed four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from Fort Campbell, Ky., and two SH-60 Seahawk helicopters from Norfolk Naval Air Station, Va., to assist in search and rescue efforts. A search and rescue planner has also been activated and deployed to the Baton Rouge Emergency Operations Center in Louisiana. Four emergency liaison officers deployed to the National Response Coordination Center in Washington, D.C., in support of FEMA, and Fort Polk, La., has been designated as a federal team staging area.

The command has activated its Region 6 defense coordinating officer and defense coordinating element to Baton Rouge to validate, plan and coordinate potential DOD support of FEMA's hurricane response operations and to facilitate DOD's support of potential life-saving and response operations.

Northcom also has deployed portions of its Region 1 defense coordinating officer and defense coordinating element to Clanton, Ala., and Region t DCO and DCE to Pearl, Miss., to backfill the Region 4 defense coordinating officer and defense coordinating element members who are deployed to Florida's emergency operations center in Tallahassee. Additionally, the command has designated Meridian Air Station, Miss., as an incident support base and Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., was designated as a federal support area.

"U.S. Northern Command is immensely proud of our partners who are working closely with state and local authorities on responding to Hurricane Isaac," said Army Lt. Col. Philip J. Smith, Northcom public affairs officer. "The active-duty military stands ready to support and we continue to lean forward and prepare to respond, if required, to this big, unpredictable storm."