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Navy Assessment Team Arrives in Chile

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS100309-01
Release Date: 3/9/2010 12:21:00 PM

From U.S. 4th Fleet Public Affairs

MAYPORT, Fla. (NNS) -- A U.S. Navy assessment team assembled arrived in Santiago, Chile March 8. The Chilean Navy flew the team to Concepcion, Chile to provide technical expertise following the 8.8 magnitude earthquake and tsunami.

The team headed by Capt. Joe Newbury from Capt. Joe Newbury from Navy Expeditionary Combat Command was sent following a request for assistance by the Chilean government. The team is composed of 12 Sailors and civilians from various commands, including Navy Sea Systems Command, Naval Facilities Engineering Command and NECC.

This team of experts will assist the Chilean Navy with a damage assessment of Naval Base Talcahuano near Concepcion, Chile to determine what capabilities will be needed in order to repair the base and shipyard.

Several individuals on the team had experience from Hurricane Katrina and the earthquake in Haiti, and are familiar with disaster relief operations and infrastructure repair. Some of the team members are scheduled to conduct bay and aerial surveys with the Chilean Navy and additional surveys and assessments as required.

The team members have backgrounds in diving and salvage, medical, engineering, communications, and surveying. The team will report directly to the U.S. Military Group at the U.S. Embassy in Chile. U.S. Southern Command is leading the efforts for any DoD support requested.

Commander U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (NAVSO) is the naval component command for U.S. Southern Command and is responsible for all Naval personnel and assets in the area of focus. NAVSO conducts a variety of missions in support of the Maritime Strategy, including Theater Security Cooperation, relationship building, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, community relations, and counter-illicit trafficking operations.