SOUTHCOM deploys damage assessment team to Belize

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SOTO CANO AIR BASE, Honduras (AFPN) --  Approximately 25 Airmen and Soldiers, two CH-47 Chinook helicopters and a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from U.S. Southern Command's Joint Task Force-Bravo here deployed to Belize today to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Dean.

The assessment team will bring various people to evaluate the amount of assistance needed from U.S. forces including search and rescue, medical, engineering and communications troops.

"Joint Task Force-Bravo has the capability to provide everything from airlift assets to medical expertise to simple manpower to help move debris," said assessment team commander Army Maj. Michael Angell. "Our job is to take a look at the damage and evaluate what assets we have that Belize needs right now."

The assessment team departed within three hours of receiving orders to deploy from U.S. Southern Command.

"We've been monitoring the progress of Hurricane Dean for quite a while now," said Lt. Col. Howard Jones, Joint Task Force-Bravo deputy commander. "In natural disasters like this, each minute counts, so we created a plan in advance to enable us to respond quickly." 

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