The navy has stood up a activity drive and tremendously expanded its involvement to greater than 400 service members because it continues to reply to the lethal and record-breaking wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui.
The Pentagon is now “executing six accepted mission assignments from FEMA” that embrace transferring individuals, cargo and provides to the island; housing first responders; and serving to with aerial firefighting, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh informed reporters at a press convention Tuesday.
Moreover, Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin “has designated Army Nationwide Guard Brig. Gen. Stephen Logan because the dual-status commander of the Joint Activity Pressure 50 [that] will synchronize all DoD help to operations,” Singh added.
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The expanded navy function comes because the scenario on the island solely continues to develop extra dire. President Joe Biden mentioned in a social media publish Tuesday that the wildfire demise toll had grown to 99 individuals since final Tuesday — “the deadliest wildfire in a century,” he wrote.
The city of Lahaina was diminished to an ashen, barren panorama after wildfires swept down from the close by mountains to the seaside location on Aug. 8. Because the wildfires reached the city, stories emerged of individuals leaping into the ocean to be able to keep away from the flames in what was as soon as a well-liked vacationer vacation spot.
Singh mentioned that the Hawaii Nationwide Guard has activated round 258 Army Nationwide Guard and Air Nationwide Guard personnel for state lively obligation — up from 134 final week.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has additionally deployed about 30 individuals — a mixture of active-duty troopers and civilians — who’re managing particles removing and offering short-term energy for the Federal Emergency Administration Company, or FEMA.
In the meantime, Singh mentioned the Coast Guard, which has deployed about 140 service members, has shifted the main target of its response to “minimizing maritime environmental impacts whereas remaining prepared to reply to any new stories of people within the water.”
On Monday, the service introduced that it had deployed air pollution response groups and tools to numerous locations across the island, together with a 100-foot growth positioned on the mouth of Lahaina Harbor “to comprise potential hazardous contaminants and supplies.”
Final week, a Coast Guard 45-foot response boat medium crew rescued 14 survivors from the waters off the island.
Singh famous that active-duty service members from a number of branches have been concerned within the response efforts from the start of the catastrophe, however the Pentagon has been hampered from saying precisely what number of as a result of the figures are continuously altering.
“They are going to ebb and stream as FEMA continues to request service and help,” Singh mentioned.
The Marine Corps mentioned it had already began to play a job in supporting the duty drive when a Marine KC-130J plane, based mostly out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, transported management from Oahu to Maui this morning.
Chuck Little, a spokesman for Marine Forces Pacific, informed Navy.com in an emailed assertion that the Marines are postured to help emergency reduction efforts with lots of the platforms and items they’ve in Hawaii.
Little mentioned the Marine Corps has MV-22 Ospreys and KC-130J Tremendous Hercules plane prepared to assist with extra materials and folks, and it may use MQ-9 Reaper drones for aerial survey.
“Moreover, the third Marine Littoral Regiment is offered to supply manpower, engineering and water purification help,” Little added.
— Konstantin Toropin could be reached at konstantin.toropin@navy.com. Comply with him on Twitter @ktoropin.
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