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Navy Mission Assurance Analysts Support Hurricane Gustav Relief Efforts

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080903-13
Release Date: 9/3/2008 3:43:00 PM

By Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division Corporate Communications

DAHLGREN, Va. (NNS) -- Analysts and engineers from Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren Laboratory deployed Sept. 1, to support U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) operations in response to Hurricane Gustav by providing predictive infrastructure analysis support.

When Gustav hit the Louisiana coast, two NSWC Dahlgren infrastructure analysts deployed to Colorado Springs and joined the operations team at USNORTHCOM headquarters to initiate impact analysis.

"We began Hurricane Gustav predictive analysis on Aug. 28, providing updates as required over the weekend," said Kathrina Urann, Defense Critical Infrastructure Program (DCIP) Project Manager. "Mission Assurance Division personnel have identified DoD bases, assets and supporting infrastructure potentially affected by Hurricane Gustav. We also provided NORTHCOM with infrastructure analysis for base support installations tasked with prepositioning supplies for Hurricane Gustav relief and information on identified infrastructure outage areas."

This analysis is critical to helping USNORTHCOM ensure that DoD assets are able to support Hurricane Gustav relief efforts as requested and is incorporated into briefings and status reports throughout USNORTHCOM, the Joint Staff National Military Command Center (NMCC) and the Office of the Assistance Secretary of Defense (OASD) for Homeland Defense and America's Security Affairs (HD&ASA).

"Around-the-clock on-call support will continue through Sept. 4, 2008," said Kathrina Urann. "Military responders are now relying on two NSWC geospatial systems – TRITON and the Homeland Defense–Mission Assurance Portal (HD-MAP) – to monitor Hurricane relief efforts and identify DoD assets affected by Hurricane Gustav. In addition, Mission Assurance Division personnel are beginning infrastructure analysis in advance of Tropical Storm Hanna."

The responders are also using the geospatial systems in their efforts to identify commercial infrastructure assets potentially affected by the hurricane.

TRITON is an external unclassified common operational picture that provides DoD personnel access to USNORTHCOM and mission assurance analysis and data. The HD-MAP is OASD HD&ASA's classified geospatial portal providing access to Defense Critical Infrastructure Program data and analysis.

The Navy's Mission Assurance Division has also established communications with the Department of Homeland Security's National Infrastructure Coordination Center to share products and information in support of Hurricane Gustav disaster response and relief efforts.

For more news from Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, visit www.news.navy.mil/local/nswcdahlgren/.