WEBVTT 00:00.659 --> 00:01.846 - All right, good afternoon, guys. 00:01.846 --> 00:04.529 Thank you for being here, and joining us today 00:04.529 --> 00:07.196 are Major General Derek Rydholm, 00:07.277 --> 00:09.009 deputy chief of Air Force Reserve, 00:09.009 --> 00:11.427 and Brigadier General Diana Holland, 00:11.427 --> 00:13.417 commanding of US Army Corps of Engineers, 00:13.417 --> 00:14.789 South Atlantic Division. 00:14.789 --> 00:15.845 They're going to talk to you today 00:15.845 --> 00:18.079 about hurricane relief efforts and what 00:18.079 --> 00:21.173 their services have done in support of it. 00:21.173 --> 00:22.013 General Rydholm? 00:22.013 --> 00:23.263 - Thanks, Mark. 00:23.511 --> 00:25.418 Hey, first off, I appreciate having the opportunity 00:25.418 --> 00:27.634 to stand here and hopefully be able to answer the questions 00:27.634 --> 00:29.150 that you would have about what we're doing 00:29.150 --> 00:32.650 in support of the hurricanes and any other 00:33.144 --> 00:35.393 kind of natural disasters we've had. 00:35.393 --> 00:38.810 And I'm standing in on behalf of my boss, 00:38.834 --> 00:40.378 Lieutenant General Maryanne Miller, 00:40.378 --> 00:41.382 that couldn't make it here today. 00:41.382 --> 00:43.888 But we're here to represent the more than 69,000 00:43.888 --> 00:46.053 Reserve citizen airmen that are currently serving 00:46.053 --> 00:47.677 in the United States Air Force Reserve. 00:47.677 --> 00:49.613 Over the last couple of weeks, 00:49.613 --> 00:52.100 we've seen numerous natural disasters. 00:52.100 --> 00:54.542 And I would tell you that I have firsthand knowledge, 00:54.542 --> 00:56.236 and that I have a house in Key Largo, Florida, 00:56.236 --> 00:57.467 and for Hurricane Irma, 00:57.467 --> 00:59.405 I was actually in Miami when it struck. 00:59.405 --> 01:00.757 I had evacuated out of the Keys. 01:00.757 --> 01:04.924 But it's humbling to see the amount of luck that I had, 01:07.089 --> 01:09.009 and the minimal damage that I had. 01:09.009 --> 01:10.877 But I, our hearts go out to everybody 01:10.877 --> 01:14.460 that's been impacted this, by the multitude 01:14.695 --> 01:18.809 of different events that we've had and large swathes of, 01:18.809 --> 01:21.637 in the States, the partners in Mexico, the Caribbean, 01:21.637 --> 01:25.182 the islands, just a lot of stuff, and additionally, 01:25.182 --> 01:27.104 even reaching out to the West Coast, 01:27.104 --> 01:29.141 to the California wildfires and other things. 01:29.141 --> 01:32.308 We've had, we have three special units 01:32.308 --> 01:34.490 in the reserve command that do 01:34.490 --> 01:37.400 the hurricane hunting mission, the aerial spray mission, 01:37.400 --> 01:39.927 which has been active during these events, 01:39.927 --> 01:42.331 and the wildfire missions, as well. 01:42.331 --> 01:43.660 So we're quite proud of what they've done 01:43.660 --> 01:47.619 in support of the efforts, and we anticipate here, 01:47.619 --> 01:49.984 with all the four Atlantic hurricanes we've seen, 01:49.984 --> 01:53.142 and just the instability we've seen lately, 01:53.142 --> 01:55.823 that we're prepared to do as much as we can 01:55.823 --> 01:59.153 and continue to work that and to support 01:59.153 --> 02:02.172 everyone that's been affected by this. 02:02.172 --> 02:04.117 So, well before Harvey made landfall, 02:04.117 --> 02:08.284 until the season is over and wildfire season's over, 02:09.089 --> 02:12.617 we'll be there, and we'll be through volunteerism 02:12.617 --> 02:14.379 and other forces here to support, 02:14.379 --> 02:16.863 as a supporting agency of the Department of Defense, 02:16.863 --> 02:19.201 to all the rest of our partner agencies 02:19.201 --> 02:21.868 in this time of, difficult time. 02:22.715 --> 02:24.640 So, over to General Holland. 02:24.640 --> 02:25.473 - Thank you, sir. 02:25.473 --> 02:27.260 Well, good afternoon, and I, too, 02:27.260 --> 02:28.487 thank you for being here today. 02:28.487 --> 02:30.791 As was already mentioned, I'm Diana Holland, 02:30.791 --> 02:33.401 and I represent the US Army Corps of Engineers. 02:33.401 --> 02:36.402 Over the past few weeks, the Corps of Engineers 02:36.402 --> 02:39.018 has been heavily engaged in supporting our states 02:39.018 --> 02:41.859 and territories following three hurricanes, 02:41.859 --> 02:43.776 Harvey, Irma and Maria. 02:44.181 --> 02:46.595 And so, like the General here, I'd like to express 02:46.595 --> 02:49.991 our thoughts and prayers for those affected by these storms. 02:49.991 --> 02:52.884 We recognize that there are people who've lost a home, 02:52.884 --> 02:55.283 their belongings, potentially their livelihood. 02:55.283 --> 02:58.381 And it's for that reason that people of our organization, 02:58.381 --> 02:59.942 the organization I represent, 02:59.942 --> 03:03.761 feel so passionate about doing everything possible to help. 03:03.761 --> 03:06.645 So just a little bit about who we are. 03:06.645 --> 03:08.640 I command one of nine divisions 03:08.640 --> 03:10.925 of the US Army Corps of Engineers, 03:10.925 --> 03:12.433 the South Atlantic Division. 03:12.433 --> 03:15.331 The area of responsibility of our division 03:15.331 --> 03:17.669 includes the southeastern United States, 03:17.669 --> 03:19.632 as well as the Caribbean islands. 03:19.632 --> 03:22.546 So, as you can imagine, the entire impact 03:22.546 --> 03:25.612 of Irma and Maria was felt in our region. 03:25.612 --> 03:28.831 And so our division is the lead for the Corps of Engineers 03:28.831 --> 03:32.446 in the hurricane response following Irma and Maria. 03:32.446 --> 03:36.084 The areas in our region affected include Georgia, 03:36.084 --> 03:38.548 Florida, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, 03:38.548 --> 03:42.640 and, just to briefly describe the complexity of this, 03:42.640 --> 03:45.374 two storms, which each brought unique impacts 03:45.374 --> 03:48.735 requiring specific resources and expertise, 03:48.735 --> 03:50.501 two states, two territories, 03:50.501 --> 03:54.011 four governors, two FEMA regions and so on. 03:54.011 --> 03:55.771 It has been truly remarkable to watch 03:55.771 --> 03:59.658 the broad US government response, and I'm happy to report 03:59.658 --> 04:01.548 that we're working very closely together 04:01.548 --> 04:04.505 in support of those governors' priorities. 04:04.505 --> 04:06.481 So, as I mentioned each state 04:06.481 --> 04:08.549 and territory has its own requirements. 04:08.549 --> 04:11.843 But there are some things that remain consistent. 04:11.843 --> 04:14.247 We share the desire to reunite families, 04:14.247 --> 04:16.688 get survivors out of shelters and hotels 04:16.688 --> 04:20.855 and get back to their homes and restore some normalcy. 04:21.306 --> 04:22.782 So, our role in this is, 04:22.782 --> 04:25.214 as we like to say, FEMA's engineers. 04:25.214 --> 04:28.396 They give us our missions, and our missions are 04:28.396 --> 04:29.963 what you might expect engineers to do. 04:29.963 --> 04:31.763 Debris removal, and when I talk 04:31.763 --> 04:34.197 about debris removal I mean high volume, 04:34.197 --> 04:36.806 in the hundreds of thousands of cubic yards. 04:36.806 --> 04:37.982 Infrastructure assessments, 04:37.982 --> 04:42.149 temporary emergency power restoration, temporary roofing. 04:42.390 --> 04:45.466 Some of you may be familiar with Blue Roof. 04:45.466 --> 04:47.660 And I can talk more about that later, 04:47.660 --> 04:50.191 but that's one of the primary things we do 04:50.191 --> 04:53.980 when residences are damaged in temporary housing. 04:53.980 --> 04:55.042 And then, in collaboration with 04:55.042 --> 04:57.542 the United States Coast Guard and NOAA, 04:57.542 --> 05:00.079 we work really hard with the Port Authorities 05:00.079 --> 05:01.717 to help them open the ports. 05:01.717 --> 05:04.817 So, our approach to this support to FEMA 05:04.817 --> 05:07.734 is right people, right place early. 05:07.962 --> 05:09.716 And here's what I mean by that. 05:09.716 --> 05:12.739 Early on before Irma we pre-positioned 05:12.739 --> 05:14.050 our soldiers and civilians, 05:14.050 --> 05:17.089 selected because they have certain specific skillsets, 05:17.089 --> 05:20.547 on the island so that as soon as Hurricane Irma passed 05:20.547 --> 05:22.199 they could quickly assess the damage 05:22.199 --> 05:24.723 and begin to plan for the required support. 05:24.723 --> 05:27.073 We anticipated that ports of entry 05:27.073 --> 05:29.522 would be closed, and they were. 05:29.522 --> 05:31.896 Had we not been on those islands in advance 05:31.896 --> 05:34.844 along with the other agencies we would not have been timely. 05:34.844 --> 05:36.444 We would have been subject to 05:36.444 --> 05:38.086 the same delays that others faced, 05:38.086 --> 05:41.072 because the airports and the ports were closed. 05:41.072 --> 05:42.676 Same approach for Florida. 05:42.676 --> 05:44.584 Although in the case of Florida we don't face 05:44.584 --> 05:47.541 the same logistics challenges as we do on the island, 05:47.541 --> 05:49.545 because the ability to transport people 05:49.545 --> 05:52.679 and supplies by ground is a key advantage. 05:52.679 --> 05:55.203 Then similarly as Maria approached 05:55.203 --> 05:58.132 we had the right people in place so that after the storm 05:58.132 --> 06:00.962 they could quickly restart our efforts. 06:00.962 --> 06:03.712 Right people, right place, early. 06:03.778 --> 06:05.149 Last week I had the privilege 06:05.149 --> 06:08.191 to visit Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, 06:08.191 --> 06:11.086 and unfortunately as you've seen in all of the images, 06:11.086 --> 06:13.074 a lot of damage across the board, 06:13.074 --> 06:15.931 and that was before Maria struck the territories. 06:15.931 --> 06:18.841 Our teams which sheltered there during the hurricanes 06:18.841 --> 06:21.403 were able to begin their assessments of the damage 06:21.403 --> 06:23.485 yesterday morning following the storm. 06:23.485 --> 06:25.116 And the assessments continue. 06:25.116 --> 06:26.897 The airports are damaged and closed, 06:26.897 --> 06:29.387 although I've just learned that the airport 06:29.387 --> 06:33.220 in Puerto Rico has opened to military traffic. 06:33.507 --> 06:35.257 The ports are closed. 06:35.453 --> 06:37.107 Of course a lot of power outages, 06:37.107 --> 06:39.498 roads blocked by debris, water damage, 06:39.498 --> 06:43.360 the things you would expect following a major hurricane. 06:43.360 --> 06:46.009 These assessments will continue over the next several days, 06:46.009 --> 06:49.657 but all of us that support FEMA's response are acting. 06:49.657 --> 06:51.942 And so, here's what some of those actions are. 06:51.942 --> 06:54.043 We're looking at our ports on Puerto Rico 06:54.043 --> 06:56.587 and the Virgin Islands, and are working with NOAA 06:56.587 --> 06:58.137 and the Coast Guard to survey the channel 06:58.137 --> 07:00.896 so that we can confirm that they are safe to open. 07:00.896 --> 07:03.783 We will assist FEMA in the islands and emergency repairs 07:03.783 --> 07:07.010 at the airports in San Juan and Virgin Islands. 07:07.010 --> 07:10.287 Power, so with power other things are manageable. 07:10.287 --> 07:13.222 So, it's really one of our first priorities. 07:13.222 --> 07:16.096 We're helping to assess power on both Puerto Rico 07:16.096 --> 07:17.970 and the Virgin Islands, particularly in the hospitals, 07:17.970 --> 07:20.667 health clinics and waste water treatment plants. 07:20.667 --> 07:24.834 We've restarted the Blue Roof program in the Virgin Islands. 07:25.057 --> 07:28.285 So, Blue Roof refers to FEMA's 10-millimeter 07:28.285 --> 07:31.262 blue sheeting that can be installed over a damaged roof, 07:31.262 --> 07:33.928 providing protection from additional rain 07:33.928 --> 07:37.100 and allowing people to leave shelters and return home. 07:37.100 --> 07:39.740 In fact we think tomorrow that the first Blue Roof 07:39.740 --> 07:42.559 in the Virgin Islands will happen, 07:42.559 --> 07:46.193 and that will be a huge milestone and a real morale boost 07:46.193 --> 07:48.345 for the people of the Virgin Islands. 07:48.345 --> 07:51.141 And as we look to the weeks and months ahead, 07:51.141 --> 07:53.654 we will continuously right-size the response teams 07:53.654 --> 07:56.005 to ensure we have the right capabilities in place, 07:56.005 --> 07:58.288 that we're balanced across all of these regions, 07:58.288 --> 08:00.295 with the right leaders at the right time 08:00.295 --> 08:02.220 as the recovery continues. 08:02.220 --> 08:05.547 So, in closing, you know, we're just halfway, 08:05.547 --> 08:07.686 just over halfway through the hurricane season. 08:07.686 --> 08:10.427 And that, that's important for us to remember, 08:10.427 --> 08:12.816 1 November is kind of the mark on the wall 08:12.816 --> 08:14.811 where we see the end of that season. 08:14.811 --> 08:16.833 So though we focus our attention 08:16.833 --> 08:18.953 on the response to Irma and Maria, 08:18.953 --> 08:21.619 we also must remain prepared and flexible 08:21.619 --> 08:23.866 in the event we have another storm. 08:23.866 --> 08:26.584 I'd like to talk briefly about our people. 08:26.584 --> 08:29.834 So our essential soldiers and civilians 08:30.024 --> 08:32.543 of the Corps of Engineers, who were on Puerto Rico 08:32.543 --> 08:34.449 and the Virgin Islands following Irma, 08:34.449 --> 08:36.844 chose to remain in place despite warnings 08:36.844 --> 08:38.934 that Maria could be a major hurricane, 08:38.934 --> 08:42.387 and despite being offered the opportunity to evacuate. 08:42.387 --> 08:45.319 They wanted to be in position to help as soon as possible. 08:45.319 --> 08:46.632 And they wanted to show the people 08:46.632 --> 08:49.640 of those two territories that we're in this together. 08:49.640 --> 08:51.364 It has really been an inspiration 08:51.364 --> 08:53.697 to be a part of this effort. 08:53.898 --> 08:56.693 So one point of nuance, many of the hundreds 08:56.693 --> 08:59.207 of the Corps of Engineers who are part of this response 08:59.207 --> 09:02.678 aren't actually assigned to the division I command. 09:02.678 --> 09:05.006 They come from across the United States, 09:05.006 --> 09:07.545 including Hawaii, Alaska, Seattle, Tulsa, 09:07.545 --> 09:11.712 Sacramento, Buffalo, New York, and many other places. 09:11.813 --> 09:13.863 Without exception, when I've asked our team, 09:13.863 --> 09:16.752 how do they feel about the mission, serving in Georgia, 09:16.752 --> 09:19.325 Florida, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands, 09:19.325 --> 09:22.826 they say, I can't imagine being anywhere else. 09:22.826 --> 09:24.752 I want to help, I want to make this right 09:24.752 --> 09:26.643 for people who have lost so much. 09:26.643 --> 09:29.272 So, in closing, there's a long road ahead. 09:29.272 --> 09:32.343 But as a representative of the Army Corps of Engineers, 09:32.343 --> 09:34.024 I can say we're committed to this, 09:34.024 --> 09:35.968 no matter how long it's required. 09:35.968 --> 09:37.901 Thank you for your attention and your patience, 09:37.901 --> 09:40.340 and I guess we're happy to answer your questions. 09:40.340 --> 09:41.423 - Absolutely. 09:41.594 --> 09:42.427 (host mumbling) 09:42.427 --> 09:43.260 - Sure. 09:43.260 --> 09:45.530 You sort of mentioned this in your remarks. 09:45.530 --> 09:47.511 But, other than the electrical grid, 09:47.511 --> 09:50.641 could you talk about how widespread the devastation is 09:50.641 --> 09:52.803 in regards to schools and hospitals? 09:52.803 --> 09:54.670 And how long do you think it's going to take you 09:54.670 --> 09:58.166 to complete your assessment on the damage? 09:58.166 --> 10:00.145 - I think it is going to be many days 10:00.145 --> 10:03.478 before we have a good picture on all of, 10:04.930 --> 10:06.555 on the whole scope of this. 10:06.555 --> 10:09.649 The first thing we start with is the essential services, 10:09.649 --> 10:12.905 so, like I said, the hospitals, the clinics, 10:12.905 --> 10:16.396 some of the government buildings, because they need that 10:16.396 --> 10:19.134 in order to continue to manage the response. 10:19.134 --> 10:22.209 So I can't say exactly how long it's going to take, 10:22.209 --> 10:25.753 but it's going to be weeks before we know the full scope. 10:25.753 --> 10:28.380 And that doesn't mean that we don't start for a few weeks. 10:28.380 --> 10:31.506 But the major assessment and the overall, 10:31.506 --> 10:35.673 complete restoration on Puerto Rico will take some time. 10:36.072 --> 10:37.104 - What about the schools and hospitals? 10:37.104 --> 10:39.962 Sort of where do, where does the other infrastructure, 10:39.962 --> 10:44.129 other than the electrical grid, sort of stand right now? 10:44.210 --> 10:46.782 - So I don't know, right now, beyond power. 10:46.782 --> 10:49.553 I mean, we do know that the power outage is extensive, 10:49.553 --> 10:52.410 between 95 and 100%, right now. 10:52.410 --> 10:56.577 So it will be, it will, you know, and without power, 10:58.045 --> 11:00.097 then you potentially have issues with water. 11:00.097 --> 11:04.264 But all of that is still being assessed right now. 11:04.963 --> 11:06.213 - [Host] Lucas. 11:06.534 --> 11:09.760 - [Lucas] You mentioned, ma'am, an airport in Puerto Rico 11:09.760 --> 11:12.898 is now open to military traffic, which airport was that? 11:12.898 --> 11:15.398 - San Juan, the major airport. 11:15.470 --> 11:18.295 - Can either of you outline the military assistance 11:18.295 --> 11:20.962 to the Virgin Islands right now? 11:21.577 --> 11:23.484 - I can speak to some degree to that. 11:23.484 --> 11:26.004 We have had air mobility aircraft 11:26.004 --> 11:28.604 that have gone down to the Air National Guard. 11:28.604 --> 11:29.951 We've taken special tactics teams, 11:29.951 --> 11:31.430 and members of those teams are 11:31.430 --> 11:33.680 the types of people that would open airports. 11:33.680 --> 11:35.280 That's some of the stuff that they can do. 11:35.280 --> 11:37.815 We've also provided humanitarian aid through 11:37.815 --> 11:41.962 mobility aircraft, with MREs and water and other things. 11:41.962 --> 11:44.349 And that's ongoing through Air Mobility Command 11:44.349 --> 11:46.849 and US Transportation Command. 11:46.895 --> 11:50.412 - And finally, how does their response to these hurricanes 11:50.412 --> 11:54.245 differ from the response to Hurricane Katrina? 11:54.600 --> 11:56.836 (speaking off mic) 11:56.836 --> 11:58.719 - Yeah, I really don't have the background 11:58.719 --> 12:00.802 to make that comparison. 12:01.947 --> 12:04.051 I know we do have lessons learned, 12:04.051 --> 12:05.888 the Corps of Engineers does have lessons learned. 12:05.888 --> 12:09.793 I don't know that off the top of my head though. 12:09.793 --> 12:12.779 - Just with the string of recent storms, 12:12.779 --> 12:15.584 was there any concern that the military 12:15.584 --> 12:17.333 is being stretched too thin by these disasters, 12:17.333 --> 12:21.500 and what, if anything, are you doing to prevent that? 12:21.599 --> 12:23.673 - So, I can only speak for the Corps of Engineers, 12:23.673 --> 12:25.300 I can't speak for the whole military. 12:25.300 --> 12:28.800 But I know that we do have a lot going on, 12:29.999 --> 12:32.412 but we're always mindful that we have to balance 12:32.412 --> 12:34.895 the different tasks and make sure 12:34.895 --> 12:38.645 that we are ready to respond to the next one. 12:40.163 --> 12:42.778 So I think the Corps of Engineers is postured to do so, 12:42.778 --> 12:44.723 but I can't speak for all of DoD. 12:44.723 --> 12:47.246 - So I'll speak for a lot of the aspects of DoD. 12:47.246 --> 12:50.499 If you look, this is a, really, a joint engagement. 12:50.499 --> 12:53.090 You've got assets from the Navy, the Marine Corps, 12:53.090 --> 12:55.271 the Army, the Air Force, all working together here, 12:55.271 --> 12:56.816 and the National Guard to a large degree. 12:56.816 --> 13:00.777 Our people, specifically talking to our Reserve airmen, 13:00.777 --> 13:03.027 our people love to do this, 13:03.268 --> 13:05.394 because the human emotion side of this, 13:05.394 --> 13:06.689 when you're able to deliver water 13:06.689 --> 13:08.688 to people that have been without power 13:08.688 --> 13:10.574 in some of the hottest times of the year, 13:10.574 --> 13:13.712 and humid times of the year, with insects and other things, 13:13.712 --> 13:16.603 and having experienced that myself in 1992, 13:16.603 --> 13:17.717 with Hurricane Andrew, 13:17.717 --> 13:19.601 to see a Red Cross food truck come up 13:19.601 --> 13:21.614 and deliver a hot meal after being out 13:21.614 --> 13:24.517 trying to go through debris, it is wonderful. 13:24.517 --> 13:25.957 So the people that we've talked to, 13:25.957 --> 13:27.481 and the people that we've sent down there 13:27.481 --> 13:29.322 are very happy to do the mission. 13:29.322 --> 13:32.236 This is a type of mission, those are the types of things 13:32.236 --> 13:35.152 that our air mobility, our large aircraft are very good at. 13:35.152 --> 13:37.609 We have responded in all natural disasters 13:37.609 --> 13:40.603 through the islands, in Haiti and other places in the past. 13:40.603 --> 13:44.109 I think we're fine because our air crew members, 13:44.109 --> 13:46.654 and our crew members of our mobility aircraft 13:46.654 --> 13:48.791 get great training on these missions, 13:48.791 --> 13:52.166 and these are the types of things that we're good at. 13:52.166 --> 13:54.873 And we've got people that are lining up to continue 13:54.873 --> 13:58.228 to support, and I think we're doing just fine there. 13:58.228 --> 14:00.112 - You said you had to be mindful to make sure 14:00.112 --> 14:04.279 that you're balancing, could you give some examples? 14:05.740 --> 14:08.407 - Well, for example, as Florida, 14:08.909 --> 14:12.260 as we complete the temporary power mission in Florida, 14:12.260 --> 14:15.225 we're always measuring how many people 14:15.225 --> 14:17.960 do you need in Florida, because we want to be, 14:17.960 --> 14:19.384 whether they go somewhere else, 14:19.384 --> 14:22.535 or they redeploy and be ready for a future storm, 14:22.535 --> 14:25.464 we're just always mindful of the troop 14:25.464 --> 14:27.035 to task and making sure that we have 14:27.035 --> 14:30.034 the right number that's actually required. 14:30.034 --> 14:33.617 I don't know if that answers your question. 14:36.195 --> 14:37.990 - Just on the temporary power in Puerto Rico, 14:37.990 --> 14:41.753 you talked about that effort, and, obviously, the scale, 14:41.753 --> 14:44.526 95 to 100% of the island being without power, 14:44.526 --> 14:47.208 is temporary power, primarily, is it generators? 14:47.208 --> 14:49.677 And is there a capacity issue? 14:49.677 --> 14:51.388 I mean, with such a large island, 14:51.388 --> 14:53.466 trying to just temporary power, 14:53.466 --> 14:55.396 in terms of fuel, and the number of generators, 14:55.396 --> 14:57.445 are you requisitioning them from elsewhere? 14:57.445 --> 15:01.278 I mean, that scale, how are you tackling that? 15:02.234 --> 15:05.943 - FEMA flies in generators, supplies us with the generators, 15:05.943 --> 15:08.387 well, they don't necessarily fly them in. 15:08.387 --> 15:11.323 They have distribution centers already pre-positioned there. 15:11.323 --> 15:15.073 They will bring in more as more are required. 15:15.657 --> 15:18.231 - Do you have an estimation on how many will be required? 15:18.231 --> 15:21.314 - I do not know how many generators. 15:21.992 --> 15:24.280 - One of the things we're hearing from Puerto Rico 15:24.280 --> 15:27.016 is residents there don't have comms, 15:27.016 --> 15:28.908 and so they're not able to communicate 15:28.908 --> 15:30.148 whether they're safe or not, 15:30.148 --> 15:31.964 and there's been a lot of frustration from people here 15:31.964 --> 15:34.094 trying to find out about their loved ones. 15:34.094 --> 15:36.053 Can you give us any assessment in terms of what, 15:36.053 --> 15:38.231 if anything, is being done to restore communications, 15:38.231 --> 15:41.809 and when Puerto Ricans can expect to have the ability 15:41.809 --> 15:44.235 to communicate to their loved ones? 15:44.235 --> 15:45.532 - I can't give you a timeframe, 15:45.532 --> 15:48.540 but what I can tell you is that we are able to fly 15:48.540 --> 15:51.776 mobile comms support in, and that is ongoing. 15:51.776 --> 15:54.350 And we've heard the same things that you're saying, 15:54.350 --> 15:56.456 and the frustrations associated with that. 15:56.456 --> 15:59.355 But that's the, the types of efforts that we have. 15:59.355 --> 16:02.482 I can't talk to you about scope and how soon, 16:02.482 --> 16:05.022 but I can tell you that we're doing that. 16:05.022 --> 16:07.620 - Is that mobile comm support for the military? 16:07.620 --> 16:09.051 Or is it for citizens as well? 16:09.051 --> 16:11.057 - I think it's more for the citizens. 16:11.057 --> 16:14.557 But realize that we also, along with that, 16:16.080 --> 16:19.333 are able to bring other first responders, if you will. 16:19.333 --> 16:21.739 So we're able to fly, on our mobility aircraft, 16:21.739 --> 16:24.322 firefighters, search and rescue 16:24.585 --> 16:27.335 and other civil support, as well. 16:28.079 --> 16:29.607 - But can you give me a sense, is it days? 16:29.607 --> 16:33.348 Is it weeks before, can you help the public to get a sense 16:33.348 --> 16:35.447 of when they might be able to reach their loved ones? 16:35.447 --> 16:36.996 - I wish that I could-- - Yeah. 16:36.996 --> 16:40.380 - But, as General Holland said, until, think about it. 16:40.380 --> 16:44.547 Until, probably, today, there was no real understanding 16:44.626 --> 16:48.074 at all of the level, the gravity of the situation. 16:48.074 --> 16:51.491 So until someone can take a look at that, 16:51.665 --> 16:54.945 just having done Irma in Miami and looking at the volume 16:54.945 --> 16:58.199 of power that was out in the state of Florida 16:58.199 --> 17:02.366 for a relatively light event, at least in the Miami area, 17:02.679 --> 17:04.557 I think it's going to take a while. 17:04.557 --> 17:06.694 But until they have a chance to take a look at that, 17:06.694 --> 17:10.046 I wouldn't want to speculate with a timeframe. 17:10.046 --> 17:10.879 - [Host] Yes, sir. 17:10.879 --> 17:13.201 - I'd like to go back to the question 17:13.201 --> 17:14.481 about being stretched too thin. 17:14.481 --> 17:15.702 You said you were doing fine, 17:15.702 --> 17:18.210 but as you assess the devastation, 17:18.210 --> 17:21.012 which is likely to be widespread devastation, 17:21.012 --> 17:23.018 do you anticipate that there's going to be 17:23.018 --> 17:25.044 a need for additional military resources? 17:25.044 --> 17:28.961 Or are you expecting to make requests for more? 17:29.617 --> 17:31.561 Can you talk about what that might be? 17:31.561 --> 17:35.728 - Well, as a, I don't know that I can answer to that purely. 17:36.385 --> 17:40.552 But as the military, through US NORTHCOM and others, 17:40.873 --> 17:42.093 is the Department of Defense is in support 17:42.093 --> 17:45.491 of other agencies, like USAID and others. 17:45.491 --> 17:48.308 And until we get that request for support, 17:48.308 --> 17:51.352 it's difficult for us to say what assets we have available. 17:51.352 --> 17:54.570 Do I personally believe that this is going to be 17:54.570 --> 17:57.820 a long road to recovery, in many cases, 17:57.887 --> 18:00.496 I absolutely do, because I've watched this over the years, 18:00.496 --> 18:01.967 for various other events. 18:01.967 --> 18:05.010 But I would tell you very firmly that 18:05.010 --> 18:08.160 the entirety of the Department of Defense 18:08.160 --> 18:10.993 takes this very seriously, and we, 18:11.750 --> 18:13.553 these are our homes and our neighbors 18:13.553 --> 18:14.866 and our friends, as well. 18:14.866 --> 18:18.866 And we have evacuated some of our own personnel, 18:19.673 --> 18:22.189 in preparation for these storms, 18:22.189 --> 18:25.123 and now have gone back in support of the storms 18:25.123 --> 18:27.966 with those same assets and those same personnel. 18:27.966 --> 18:30.816 So we will be there for the long run. 18:30.816 --> 18:32.206 - [Host] Courtney? 18:32.206 --> 18:33.355 - [Courtney] Two quick ones, General. 18:33.355 --> 18:35.301 What is a mobile comms support? 18:35.301 --> 18:38.253 Are those like mobile cell phone towers, 18:38.253 --> 18:40.353 small sectors, or something, or what is that? 18:40.353 --> 18:41.901 - Well, I'm not a comms person, 18:41.901 --> 18:44.215 so it would be unfair for me, probably, 18:44.215 --> 18:46.092 to go into the nitty-gritty of that. 18:46.092 --> 18:49.463 But it suffices to say, if you look at what 18:49.463 --> 18:52.231 the Department of Defense has done through history, 18:52.231 --> 18:53.758 in light of some of our wars, 18:53.758 --> 18:55.611 we have opened austere airfields, 18:55.611 --> 18:58.618 and we have specific units that have the talents 18:58.618 --> 19:01.368 and capabilities to open runways, 19:01.411 --> 19:05.317 open airfields and provide the infrastructure support there. 19:05.317 --> 19:08.027 So I would hesitate to go any deeper into that, 19:08.027 --> 19:09.793 because it's not my background. 19:09.793 --> 19:12.793 But we're pretty good at this stuff, 19:13.108 --> 19:15.318 so I think we'll be there doing the best we can. 19:15.318 --> 19:16.151 - Okay. 19:16.151 --> 19:17.249 And then just one more, I know it's early, 19:17.249 --> 19:19.098 but have you seen any signs, 19:19.098 --> 19:21.014 and I guess particularly in Puerto Rico, 19:21.014 --> 19:23.766 of any security problems yet that, 19:23.766 --> 19:27.183 of any issues on the ground with looting, 19:28.871 --> 19:29.853 or anything like that? 19:29.853 --> 19:32.478 - I'm not aware of any, I have not heard that. 19:32.478 --> 19:34.188 - I'm unaware, as well. 19:34.188 --> 19:35.021 - [Host] Corey. 19:35.021 --> 19:37.570 - [Corey] Ma'am, going back to Hurricane Harvey, 19:37.570 --> 19:40.752 are there still Corps of Engineers assets 19:40.752 --> 19:43.585 responding in that, to that storm? 19:44.042 --> 19:44.875 - Yes. 19:44.875 --> 19:48.252 - Can you tell us what they are doing at this point? 19:48.252 --> 19:50.919 - You know, I probably couldn't. 19:51.490 --> 19:54.777 Another division oversees that particular storm. 19:54.777 --> 19:58.944 I do know that they are steadily redeploying personnel 19:58.976 --> 20:03.143 out of Texas, either to come to Florida, or Virgin Islands, 20:03.739 --> 20:05.631 or Puerto Rico, because the requirements, 20:05.631 --> 20:07.899 once the state and other agencies 20:07.899 --> 20:10.232 take on some of these tasks, 20:11.425 --> 20:14.625 the Corps of Engineers' expertise isn't necessarily required 20:14.625 --> 20:18.792 quite as much as they are in the early stages, so-- 20:19.513 --> 20:22.486 - Can you give an idea of the numbers you guys have 20:22.486 --> 20:25.902 in Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and in Florida? 20:25.902 --> 20:29.591 - Yeah, so total right now across all of the islands, 20:29.591 --> 20:33.508 the Corps of Engineers employees are 127, okay? 20:34.669 --> 20:38.086 So, a lot of how we leverage the response 20:39.350 --> 20:41.844 is through contracts, whether local contracts, 20:41.844 --> 20:45.355 or contracts coming from the continental United States. 20:45.355 --> 20:49.522 So that's why that number, 127, I think to a lot of folks, 20:50.947 --> 20:52.124 that doesn't seem like a lot. 20:52.124 --> 20:54.731 But it's the right expertise that knows how to leverage 20:54.731 --> 20:58.898 the acquisition contracting tools to hire local businesses 21:01.684 --> 21:05.136 to do some of this relief, if they're able to. 21:05.136 --> 21:08.119 - And then, it sounds like some of these folks 21:08.119 --> 21:11.774 have essentially responded to three hurricanes in a row. 21:11.774 --> 21:15.555 How taxing is that on them, you know, personally? 21:15.555 --> 21:18.625 Is that, is there any precedent for that? 21:18.625 --> 21:19.875 I mean, is it-- 21:20.103 --> 21:22.270 - I know we've had years of four hurricanes 21:22.270 --> 21:24.878 in our particular region in one season. 21:24.878 --> 21:28.128 So I don't think this is unprecedented. 21:29.178 --> 21:30.567 - The folks that I have talked to 21:30.567 --> 21:32.253 that have gone from storm to storm, 21:32.253 --> 21:35.458 first of all, you couldn't tell them no. 21:35.458 --> 21:38.013 They're not going to be told no. 21:38.013 --> 21:41.671 We make sure, though, that they do have an opportunity 21:41.671 --> 21:44.588 to go home, to refit, to rest, and, 21:45.794 --> 21:48.415 before they get on the airplane to go to the next storm. 21:48.415 --> 21:52.582 But they're very driven by the purpose of helping, 21:52.725 --> 21:56.308 so it's not a bad problem to have, I guess. 21:57.021 --> 22:01.188 - Our 403rd Wing, hurricane-hunting weather birds, 22:01.653 --> 22:03.403 this is what they do. 22:04.074 --> 22:08.241 So although it has been a significantly higher storm season, 22:08.839 --> 22:11.343 it is not uncommon for them to fly out 22:11.343 --> 22:13.717 of one hurricane, and into the other. 22:13.717 --> 22:16.760 They at times do it from forward staged locations. 22:16.760 --> 22:19.808 They will continue throughout the hurricane season, 22:19.808 --> 22:22.353 and they're going to provide tremendous information 22:22.353 --> 22:25.770 to help the national assets to understand 22:26.228 --> 22:29.228 the potential for any future storms. 22:31.014 --> 22:32.364 - Can you just walk us through 22:32.364 --> 22:33.781 what'll happen next in Puerto Rico, 22:33.781 --> 22:36.019 now the airport's open for military aircraft? 22:36.019 --> 22:40.186 What's, what does that look like in the next hours, days? 22:42.592 --> 22:45.092 - I'm not sure exactly of what 22:45.792 --> 22:48.036 FEMA will direct specifically. 22:48.036 --> 22:51.786 But I do know for us, our next move is to get 22:52.016 --> 22:54.979 another headquarters from the Army Corps of Engineers. 22:54.979 --> 22:59.062 A colonel who works in our organization will lead 22:59.309 --> 23:02.308 additional leaders and staffing to go into Puerto Rico 23:02.308 --> 23:05.114 and organize the Corps of Engineers' response. 23:05.114 --> 23:06.210 So that's our next step. 23:06.210 --> 23:08.137 We think that's going to happen Monday, 23:08.137 --> 23:10.331 Sunday or Monday time frame. 23:10.331 --> 23:13.823 And then by then, we'll have the missions, 23:13.823 --> 23:16.830 more assessment, and we'll have additional understanding 23:16.830 --> 23:18.603 of what the missions are going to be. 23:18.603 --> 23:20.127 And then they'll start implementing 23:20.127 --> 23:22.841 the different contracts to start, 23:22.841 --> 23:26.424 whether it's Blue Roof, or removing debris. 23:26.706 --> 23:28.798 It's, we're a little bit dependent. 23:28.798 --> 23:31.352 Well, we're very dependent on the governor's priorities, 23:31.352 --> 23:33.765 and so as he sees the magnitude of this, 23:33.765 --> 23:37.501 and he develops his priorities, that's then how that works. 23:37.501 --> 23:39.834 He then relays that to FEMA, 23:40.745 --> 23:44.312 and if FEMA decides the Corps is the avenue to go to, 23:44.312 --> 23:48.479 to employ our skills, then we'll receive those orders. 23:49.142 --> 23:50.390 - [Woman] But it won't be until Sunday or Monday 23:50.390 --> 23:52.459 for the comms equipment, or-- 23:52.459 --> 23:54.876 - It's all based on requests. 23:55.071 --> 23:58.207 And as a supporting agency, we would see that. 23:58.207 --> 24:00.205 My expectation would be, because I think 24:00.205 --> 24:01.712 they've already been doing this in the islands, 24:01.712 --> 24:03.582 that the Puerto Rico International Guard will be 24:03.582 --> 24:07.239 heavily engaged in support of any activities required, 24:07.239 --> 24:09.848 to include if there were issues with, 24:09.848 --> 24:11.691 whomever asked a question about looting 24:11.691 --> 24:13.413 and other things, they provide security. 24:13.413 --> 24:17.190 But I would also expect that based on those requests, 24:17.190 --> 24:19.386 we would have mobility aircraft, which is one of the reasons 24:19.386 --> 24:21.710 that it's good to get the military airfield open first. 24:21.710 --> 24:25.161 We will be bringing in the needed supplies and support 24:25.161 --> 24:28.691 based on other agency requests to the department. 24:28.691 --> 24:29.984 - Will it be today or tomorrow? 24:29.984 --> 24:31.187 - I can't tell you. 24:31.187 --> 24:33.900 All I would tell you is, is through USNORTHCOM, 24:33.900 --> 24:37.015 that they are likely getting requests right now, 24:37.015 --> 24:38.672 and my expectation would be, 24:38.672 --> 24:41.240 because we respond very rapidly, 24:41.240 --> 24:43.751 that if there has been a request 24:43.751 --> 24:45.997 for Department of Defense support there, 24:45.997 --> 24:47.848 it is probably already happening. 24:47.848 --> 24:50.265 And we just don't realize it. 24:52.798 --> 24:53.937 - [Host] Okay, guys. 24:53.937 --> 24:56.346 If that's it, we're sitting at about the 30 minute, 24:56.346 --> 24:57.318 you have one more question? 24:57.318 --> 24:58.703 Please, go ahead. 24:58.703 --> 25:00.777 - Sir, you had mentioned that some of your personnel 25:00.777 --> 25:03.547 are in these affected areas, and you said that you, 25:03.547 --> 25:05.525 personally, live in the area. 25:05.525 --> 25:07.368 I was just wondering if I could ask you a personal question. 25:07.368 --> 25:09.753 - Sure. - How did Key Largo fare, 25:09.753 --> 25:10.758 and how did your own-- 25:10.758 --> 25:11.872 - Key Largo did okay. 25:11.872 --> 25:13.591 And it was interesting because 25:13.591 --> 25:16.924 as a person who has watched this before, 25:17.801 --> 25:20.200 I moved to Key Largo because of Hurricane Andrew. 25:20.200 --> 25:23.617 So I understood, but the people that live 25:24.071 --> 25:27.250 in the Florida Keys have not been struck by a storm 25:27.250 --> 25:31.245 of any magnitude for the majority of the last two centuries. 25:31.245 --> 25:35.412 So, Key Largo, from my perspective, did pretty good. 25:36.145 --> 25:38.394 But based on the fact of where the eye hit, 25:38.394 --> 25:39.975 and how quick the winds dissipate, 25:39.975 --> 25:41.801 you don't have to start going very far south 25:41.801 --> 25:43.631 to where you see major devastation. 25:43.631 --> 25:47.001 Now, because I was in Miami, and we were unable 25:47.001 --> 25:49.529 to get people back into the Florida Keys, 25:49.529 --> 25:52.185 at the last moment, we chose to go out of there 25:52.185 --> 25:53.770 based on the turn of the eye. 25:53.770 --> 25:55.860 And where we felt that it was going to impact. 25:55.860 --> 25:58.610 So we went, actually, into Miami. 25:58.952 --> 26:00.641 Did not go back down to the Keys, 26:00.641 --> 26:04.403 but I've been keeping contact through Internet, 26:04.403 --> 26:07.986 Facebook, online phone videos and pictures, 26:10.201 --> 26:12.792 so I have a pretty good idea of my own stuff, 26:12.792 --> 26:14.877 and I have seen posted things of friends 26:14.877 --> 26:18.637 who have had significantly more damage than I experienced, 26:18.637 --> 26:20.835 only five to six miles south of my house. 26:20.835 --> 26:23.014 So my concern would be, as you start to look 26:23.014 --> 26:27.181 at about Islamorada, Marathon, south towards Key West, 26:27.205 --> 26:29.851 I think we're going to see significant problems, 26:29.851 --> 26:32.298 and it's going to be a very long road to recovery 26:32.298 --> 26:36.465 in a place that is virtually 100% dependent on tourism. 26:38.636 --> 26:40.213 - Just really quick. - Yeah, sure. 26:40.213 --> 26:43.235 - Just can you put in context how bad the Virgin Islands 26:43.235 --> 26:46.569 were hit compared to other surrounding areas, 26:46.569 --> 26:48.724 or maybe compare the damage 26:48.724 --> 26:51.807 to Puerto Rico to the Virgin Islands? 26:52.305 --> 26:55.052 - Without having an assessment of Puerto Rico yet, 26:55.052 --> 26:57.219 I really couldn't do that. 26:57.373 --> 26:58.527 - Just the Virgin Islands then, 26:58.527 --> 27:00.271 can you just put into context the damage, 27:00.271 --> 27:03.183 describe the damage in the Virgin Islands? 27:03.183 --> 27:05.266 - 90% power outages. 27:05.814 --> 27:07.964 One of the challenges we have, 27:07.964 --> 27:09.689 the Virgin Islands has is that they have 27:09.689 --> 27:11.742 a lot of above ground power lines. 27:11.742 --> 27:15.742 And so, that's going to take a long time to fix. 27:17.219 --> 27:20.919 When I was over there, driving on the different roads 27:20.919 --> 27:24.233 and surveying the damage, a lot of downed power lines 27:24.233 --> 27:26.400 and poles across the road. 27:26.600 --> 27:30.767 A lot of debris, a lot of homes in different stages of, 27:34.638 --> 27:38.046 most affected in some way, some very seriously. 27:38.046 --> 27:39.713 It's very extensive. 27:40.268 --> 27:42.935 But I would also note, you know, 27:43.697 --> 27:46.067 they were really energized to get after this, 27:46.067 --> 27:47.619 and to start making progress. 27:47.619 --> 27:51.119 So just within a couple, from the two days 27:51.381 --> 27:55.064 before I got there, our commander on the ground had, 27:55.064 --> 27:57.674 driving by gas stations, for example, 27:57.674 --> 28:00.180 and there were long lines to get fuel. 28:00.180 --> 28:03.003 By the time I was there, just 48 hours later, 28:03.003 --> 28:05.038 there weren't fuel lines anymore. 28:05.038 --> 28:08.621 We were able to go around the entire island 28:10.234 --> 28:13.020 with our vehicle, which was an incredible improvement 28:13.020 --> 28:15.353 compared to 48 hours before, 28:15.849 --> 28:18.256 then I made a second visit two days later 28:18.256 --> 28:20.149 and it was already better. 28:20.149 --> 28:21.652 There was a couple of restaurants open. 28:21.652 --> 28:23.405 There were grocery stores open. 28:23.405 --> 28:27.488 So they're really trying to make the improvements 28:31.019 --> 28:34.295 while the rest of us are supporting them. 28:34.295 --> 28:38.462 So, this was, Maria was definitely an unfortunate setback. 28:39.910 --> 28:40.975 - Would you say that every home 28:40.975 --> 28:44.036 in the Virgin Islands to some degree was damaged? 28:44.036 --> 28:45.033 - I would not say every home 28:45.033 --> 28:47.594 in the Virgin Islands was damaged, 28:47.594 --> 28:50.110 but I would say probably most families 28:50.110 --> 28:52.860 affected in one way or the other. 28:55.262 --> 28:57.345 - Okay, all right, guys. 28:57.619 --> 29:00.032 General Rydholm, General Holland, 29:00.032 --> 29:01.881 thank you very much for coming. 29:01.881 --> 29:03.609 Appreciate your time today. 29:03.609 --> 29:04.442 Thank you very much.