Pentagon Dispatches 700 Personnel to ‘Speed Relief to Maui’

The Pentagon has sent nearly 700 Department of Defense personnel in a concerted effort with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to “speed relief to Maui.”

About 140 Coast Guardsmen will also join the effort.

DOD personnel are conducting six missions at FEMA’s request, including inter-island air and sea transportation to move cargo, personal, supplies, and equipment, the Pentagon said Thursday.

Hawaii National Guard Commander Stephen Logan is the commander of Combined Joint Task Force 50 (CJTF-50), which will also help fire suppression by dumping water on hot spots from two CH-47 Chinooks.

“Of note, these Army National Guard air crews have already dropped more than 189,000 gallons of water in support of firefighting efforts,” Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder said Thursday. 

The personnel will also help with establishing support facilities, including a federal staging area, and fuel distribution operations.

The Coast Guard will be ready to “respond to any new reports of people in the water,” Ryder said.

“I’m immensely proud of every individual contributing to these efforts,” Logan said in a call with reporters on Friday. “We will continue to support and aid local, state, and federal authorities and partners, ensuring that we offer the best possible support in the days and weeks ahead.”