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Navy Reservist Assists FEMA in Oil Spill Cleanup

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS100510-16
5/10/2010

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW/AW) Elizabeth Merriam, Commander, Navy Reserve Force Public Affairs

ROBERTS, La. (NNS) -- Seven Navy emergency preparedness liaison officers (NEPLOs) are currently assisting in the cleanup efforts off the Louisiana coast, following the oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico April 20.

Capt. Chris Ryan and six other NEPLOs are putting their training to work as they assist in the cleanup effort known as Mississippi Canyon 252.

"The NEPLO job is unique in that you work with military personnel from every service branch and civilians from different agencies while performing military duty in support of the Defense Support of Civil Authorities," said Ryan.

"A NEPLO's duties include supporting a broad spectrum of events such as hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, oil spills, presidential inaugurations, political conventions, floods, bridge collapses, the Olympics and acts of domestic terrorism," continued Ryan.

The NEPLO program was started in 1970 when all services assigned Reserve officers to State Area Commands (STARC) and to Federal Emergency Management Agency regions, which are activated when a disaster is beyond the limits of a single state's capacity to respond.

For the oil spill, Ryan's duties consist primarily of coordinating asset requests and capabilities with Army, Air Force and Coast Guard counterparts and with civilians from various agencies, maintaining situational awareness and communicating as a liaison with key military and civilian personnel.

"Ultimately we're all working in concert to fulfill seven defined objectives," said Ryan. "Ensure the safety of citizens and response personnel; control the source of spill; contain and recover spilled material; maximize protection of environmentally sensitive areas; keep stakeholders and the public informed of the response; minimize economic and environmental impact; and optimize critical resources from all agencies across all response areas."

NEPLOs have been continually assessing the situation in the Gulf of Mexico and are working to find a solution to minimize the spill's impact.

"All service branches bring unique capabilities to this challenge," said Ryan. "All of the services are participating in responding and supporting the resolution of this issue. The next step will depend upon requirements and oil spill mitigation efforts."

In his civilian capacity, Ryan is a pilot for American Airlines, a company that he says fully supports his Navy Reserve duties.