The Daily Caller reports that the United States military has deployed troops to Turkey in order to assist with recovery efforts following the recent earthquakes that devastated the region.
Specifics about the deployment have been provided by a press release published on the Incirlik Air Base webpage.
Background
On Monday, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck areas of Turkey and Syria, and multiple, significant aftershocks followed.
The latest reports indicate that the natural disaster has killed some 25,000 people, although this number is expected to rise substantially as rescue efforts continue.
In the aftermath of the earthquake, countries from around the world have vowed to provide assistance, including the United States. The U.S. has pledged $85 million in aid for earthquake relief efforts, money that will be used for basic necessities, such as food, water, and shelter.
In addition to this, the U.S. has deployed military troops to help with recovery efforts.
The deployment
The Incirlik Air Base reports:
Two Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams and a critical aid package in support of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) response operations arrived by aircraft at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, Feb. 8, to provide humanitarian assistance to Turkey following devastating earthquakes that occurred on Feb. 6.
The statement goes on to detail exactly what the U.S. sent.
The list includes, “161 USAR personnel, 12 military working dogs and approximately 170,000 lb (77,000 kg) of humanitarian purposed equipment.”
“We’re committed”
Col. Calvin Powell, the 39th Air Base Wing Commander, has released a statement on the matter.
Powell said:
We’re committed to assisting Turkey’s affected communities in every way possible as they grieve and begin to recover from the devastation caused by the recent earthquakes. The U.S. Air Force brought United States Agency for International Development’s Disaster Assistance Response Teams from the East and West coasts of the United States to Incirlik Air Base today to join the international effort to assist the people of Turkey.
“The Airmen of the 39th Air Base Wing stay ready to respond in support of our allies along NATO’s southern flank,” Powell concluded.
No deaths, no damage
Earlier in the week, the 39th Air Base put out a statement indicating that the base had managed to escape the earthquake’s devastation.
The Incirlik Air Base said:
While this is a developing situation, all U.S. government personnel assigned to the 39th Air Base Wing have been accounted for and we have no suspected or confirmed U.S. casualties at this time,. Additionally, no U.S. facilities on base have sustained major damage.
