Shouldering
the Load Together in the
Mount
Mayon Volcano
Disaster
- continued -
Meanwhile, $150,000 in U.S. Department of Defense Humanitarian Assistance funds were sent to the Joint US Military Advisory Group (JUSMAG) Philippines for use by Exercise BALIKATAN forces. The U.S. assistance mission was given to the Special Operations contingent, commanded by U.S. Navy Captain Robert Harward, at 5 a.m. on 3 March. It was to procure tents and other critical supplies, transport them to the proposed refugee campsite, and assist local Philippine soldiers in establishing a tent city.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines, which has had considerable experience in responding to national disasters, had already established its own Task Force Mayon. This task force was composed of soldiers from the 202 Brigade, 2nd Division, augmented by Philippine Air Force personnel and Philippine Navy SeaBees.
 |
|
U.S. Army Special Forces personnel from Exercise BALIKATAN 2000 provide medical care for a Filipino volcano victim as he is airlifted on a U.S. Air Force MC-130H to Manila. |
Immediately, Armed Forces of the Philippines logistics personnel assisted U.S. military personnel from JUSMAG Philippines in procuring tents from vendors and manufacturers in the Manila area. They gladly worked all day, all night, and most of the next day to gather tents together and transport them to Villamore Air Base in Manila. During the afternoon of 4 March, AFP and U.S. soldiers worked together at Villamore Air Base to load 55 large tents, 20,000 dust masks, bottled water, and other supplies onto pallets for air transport. Late that afternoon, two U.S. Air Force MC-130 Special Operations aircraft picked up the tents and transported them to a staging area at Clark Air Base.
Early on 5 March, the two MC-130s departed for Legazpi Airfield with their load of tents and two teams of U.S. Special Forces soldiers. The tents were offloaded at Legazpi Airfield and transported to the new campsite. There the U.S. soldiers were met by a contingent of Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines personnel who were prepared to work with them. By noon, all personnel had been familiarized with the procedures to erect the tents. They then broke into small groups and began to build the tent city. During the afternoon, both Philippine Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado and National Disaster Coordinating Committee Director, Mr. Manny DeGuzman, visited and thanked the U.S. and Philippine personnel for their efforts.
