press releases
Chairman, U.S. Joint Chiefs Of Staff Visits Earthquake Affected Areas
03/21/2006Islamabad - As U.S. Military Disaster Relief operations come to a conclusion, General Peter Pace, Chairman, United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited the earthquake affected area of Pakistan, accompanied by Rear Admiral Michael LeFever, Commander, U.S. Disaster Assistance Center and Major General Farooq, Director, Federal Relief Commission.
The visit gave General Pace the opportunity to review the U.S. Disaster Assistance Center efforts and accomplishments.
During a helicopter flight the Chairman visited the last U.S. forces at the Muzaffarabad airport rapid refueling point. Approximately 40 soldiers and marines are currently manning the refueling station. Early next week this fueling facility will be turned over to the Pakistan military. To date the United States supplied over one million gallons of fuel to the relief and reconstruction airlift effort.
At a press conference held at the Islamabad Heliport, General Pace praised relief efforts, citing how both U.S. and Pakistani forces came together as one team, saving hundreds of thousands of lives, making the impossible, possible.
Since arriving in Pakistan 48 hours after the earthquake, U.S. forces flew over 5,000 relief sorties, delivered over 15,000 tons of relief supplies, treated over 30,000 patients, vaccinated over 20,000 Pakistanis, and cleared over 40,000 tons of debris.
According to General Pace the lasting legacy of Operation Lifeline lies in the friendships the relief operation created between U.S. forces and the Pakistan people.
U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Ryan C. Crocker also addressed the media outlining how the United States approached the relief effort.
Currently, fewer than 200 American service men and women are in Pakistan supporting earthquake relief efforts. On March 31st, all U.S. military forces will depart Pakistan, as U.S. CH-47 Chinooks will cease flight operations and be reassigned to other missions.