ARLINGTON, Va. - After a devastating 9.0 magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami struck Japan, military support in response to relief efforts to the region have begun, and the National Guard is playing a supporting role.
From Kentucky, two Guardmembers have been asked to provide operational support to ongoing U.S. military relief efforts in Japan after last week's earthquake.
Air Force Col. Warren Hurst, commander, 123rd Contingency Response Group, is scheduled to deploy today to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, where he will assume the role of deputy director of mobility forces for Pacific Air Forces, according to Kentucky National Guard reports.
"I am pleased to be contributing to the relief efforts in whatever way I can," Hurst said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Japan."
Air Force Maj. Bruce Bancroft, who will assume the role as executive officer during the mission, will join Hurst.
"This is just another example of Kentucky Airmen and Soldiers serving in the critical enabling role to benefit those in less fortunate circumstances," said Air Force Maj. Gen. Edward Tonini, adjutant general.
"Col. Hurst served in a similar capacity during the earthquake response in Haiti. He's one of the U.S. Air Force's 'go-to' officers in these kinds of contingency operations."
More than 17,000 U.S. servicemembers are supporting relief efforts in Japan, said the Defense Department reported.
These personnel are delivering food, water and equipment, performing debris-removal operations and supplying high-pressure water pumps to cool the nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, damaged during the quake.
In Guam, members of the 94th Civil Support Team were deployed to the Guam Main Facility Post Office and Guam International Airport to screen parcels and cargo arriving from Japan, in order to identify any potential radiological contamination, National Guard officials reported.
Readings at the post office remained negative, and the mission there was closed.
Shortly after the March 11 quake, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam moved equipment, such as fighter planes, away from the coastline in anticipation of possible tsunami waves that could reach Hawaii.
The incident level at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant was raised today from level 4 to 5, prompting the U.S. government to implement a 50-mile mandatory evacuation zone for all U.S. personnel and citizens.
The State Department issued a travel warning through April 1 for all U.S. citizens, saying that travel to Japan at this time should be avoided.
They strongly request that all non-emergency official U.S. government personnel avoid travel to Japan and that U.S. citizens avoid tourism and other non-essential travel to Japan.