At the direction of Secretary Panetta, the Department of Defense is
taking aggressive steps to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) and State authorities as Hurricane Sandy moves northward.
With the goal of helping to save lives and property during the
storm, the Secretary has agreed with the Governors of Maryland, New Hampshire,
New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island to appoint Dual Status
Commanders as the storm approaches.
Dual Status Commanders are authorized to command both Federal and
State National Guard forces. This special authority enables them to effectively
integrate the defense support operations and capabilities that Governors
request. The Secretary is prepared to quickly agree to similar requests from
other States.
At the federal level, the Department's disaster preparedness and
response efforts support the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA, and
rapidly meet the requests for assistance they provide.
United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) is placing aviation
assets such as light and medium lift helicopters and rescue teams on 24 hour
Prepare to Deploy Order status in response to Hurricane Sandy. USNORTHCOM is
also providing military installations for FEMA to use to conduct response
operations, and is providing specialized planners who will help expedite DoD's
response to requests for assistance.
The National Guard Bureau is in close coordination with Adjutants
General (TAGs) and their disaster response teams in every East Coast state.
These State National Guard organizations are coordinating with their respective
state emergency management agencies and FEMA regions.
