WASHINGTON (AP) - From Navy ships and Army helicopters to the USNS Comfort hospital ship, the Pentagon is mobilizing possibly an unprecedented rescue-and- relief mission for areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Largely coordinated by the U.S. Northern Command, all of the military services are participating in what many say is the largest domestic disaster relief effort in years. The military is mainly providing search and rescue, medical help and supplies in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Gulf Coast states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
Wednesday morning, four Navy ships loaded with supplies—ranging from food and water to soap and medical supplies—were preparing to leave Virginia, and expect to arrive in the Gulf by the weekend, according to the Navy.
In addition, the hospital ship USNS Comforf was leaving Baltimore en route to the Gulf region and eight swift water rescue teams from California were on the way to Lafayette, La., to help pull stranded residents from their flooded homes and neighborhoods.
The Army and Air Force were also providing search and rescue helicopters, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was organizing what will be one of their largest response efforts in recent memory.
