CFE, 8th TSC discuss future DMHA collaborations
04.16.2014
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii—The Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CFE) hosted Maj. Gen. Stephen Lyons, commander of the 8th Theater Sustainment Command (TSC), Apr. 16 to discuss future collaborations in foreign and domestic disaster preparedness and relief.
Based out of Fort Shafter, 8th TSC has recently been assigned disaster coordinating authority for domestic disaster response in the Asia-Pacific region, including the U.S. territories under the Compact of Free Association, in addition to sponsoring U.S. Army Pacific’s Humanitarian Assistance Survey Teams (HAST). Soldiers from the unit have deployed worldwide in support of other disaster relief efforts such as Typhoon Haiyan, which devastated the Philippines last winter.
"This is a new mission for us," said Lyons. "We look forward to training opportunities and increasing our humanitarian response capability."
As the theater coordinating authority for disaster management and humanitarian assistance, and repository for resources on lessons learned and civil-military cooperation, CFE has the opportunity to provide support. To assist the 8th TSC, the Center will be conducting a baseline assessment of the Republic of the Marshall Islands this summer and during the visit offered to assist in HAST training and certification.
"As part of the 8th TSC's new mission in DMHA, we look forward to the possibility of future opportunities to work together to achieve similar goals in support of the HA/DR mission," says CFE Director Pamela Milligan.
In 1994, Congress created the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance to address a worldwide need for increased civil-military cooperation in complex humanitarian emergencies. CFE fulfills the need for integrated education, training, applied research and interagency cooperation, and coordination among both civilian and military agencies and organizations to enhance civil-military response capability.
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (Apr. 16, 2014) Dr. Pamela Milligan, director of the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CFE), and Maj. Gen. Stephen Lyons, commander of 8th Theater Sustainment Command, discuss possible CFE contributions of disaster response lessons learned at the Center’s headquarters on Ford Island, Hawaii Apr. 16, 2014. To ensure relationships and procedures are in place before a disaster, the Center for Excellence is mandated to ensure high quality disaster management and humanitarian assistance capability is available for international disaster response. The 8th TSC is responsible for domestic disaster preparedness and response for U.S. territories in the Pacific. (Photo by Karen Michel/CFE-DMHA).