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Metro/State
October 17, 2006

NorthCom gets helping hand

Army North will assist in disaster response

THE GAZETTE

Colorado Springs-based Northern Command has a new partner in disaster response.

Army North, based at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, became fully operational Monday after operating on a limited basis for a year. It will be the workhorse in a crisis and in training troops for disasters.

Army North is linked to North-Com, which is charged with defending the homeland and coordinating defense support of civil authorities.

“This will mean quicker response to man-made or natural disasters,” said Army Maj. April Cunningham, NorthCom’s spokeswoman.

Army North, USARNORTH in military terms, is charged with:




- Execution of homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities missions;

- Providing training and readiness oversight of weapons of mass destruction for civil support teams;

- Conducting the Army portion of theater cooperation with Canada and Mexico;
- Coordinating activities of defense officers and their staffs assigned in Federal Emergency Management Agency regions; and

- Organizing task forces that can deploy to oversee Pentagon forces responding to homeland defense or civil support operations.

For example, when the nation’s wildland firefighting ground crews were tapped out this year, the National Interagency Fire Center turned to Army North, which deployed personnel to the center in Boise, Idaho, to help manage military ground support.

Although Army North’s operational status won’t mean additional personnel at Peterson Air Force Base where NorthCom is headquartered, Army North will be able to tap Army additional resources as required.

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