The 36th Contingency Response Group in the Philippine Relief Effort

12/12/2013
12/12/2013:The Marines and the USAF worked together with support from the USN to establish an infrastructure to enable relief operations. It was an insert, support and withdraw effort in which the 36th Contingency Response Group (CRG) and the USMC played a key role in rapid insertion, and responsible withdrawal. As…

Fork Lifts in Operation Damayan

11/25/2013
11/25/2013: When first standing up a relief effort, getting supplies off of a plane requires a fork lift.  Bringing your fork lift with you is an important tool for the operation.  This point was highlighted when we interviewed Col. James from AFPAC.  In this slideshow, the USMC loading effort highlights…

Thousands of Haiyan Survivors Rescued from Tacloban by C-130 Airlifts

11/20/2013
11/20/2013: Survivors of Typhoon Haiyan prepare to board Australian and U.S. C-130 Super Hercules aircraft, Nov. 18, as part of Operation Damayan. The U.S. aircraft are assigned to 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, part of Joint Task Force-505, operating in support of the Government of the Philippines, in coordination with the…

Getting the Initial Job Done: Time is the Most Precious Commodity

11/19/2013
11/19/2013: When doing disaster relief, professionals will tell you that time is your most precious commodity. The Osprey-KC-130J pairing bought time for the current HA/DR mission.  By having the pairing, the USMC team was able to move in rapidly and prepare for the insertion of additional forces and aide teams.…

Multi-national relief aid in Tacloban during Operation Damayan

11/16/2013
11/16/2013: Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spearheaded the relief efforts in Tacloban and surrounding areas by having disaster teams on-hand even before the super typhoon hit.  Multi-national forces soon fell into supporting roles to the AFP, and one week later groups and military representatives from across…