‘VFA key to quick US response after Yolanda’

From the Manila Bulletin (Nov 8): ‘VFA key to quick US response after Yolanda’

An Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) official said that the quick response by United States armed forces following the onslaught of super typhoon Yolanda November last year was made possible by the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

Maj. Emmanuel Garcia, commander, 7th Civil Relations Group (7th CRG), Civil Relations Service (CRS-AFP), said the US military personnel were the first responders from the international community.

“Their (US) presence was really a big boost, especially in isolated areas in Eastern Leyte and Samar province,” he stressed.

Garcia emphasized that without the VFA and without the joint exercises with the US and other countries, the response time would have been slower and coordination between and among foreign military responders would have been difficult.

“Because of VFA with the US and other defense cooperation agreements with other countries such as Japan, Australia, South Korea, India, China, UK, Indonesia and Malaysia, international Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) efforts poured in rather easily without much bureaucratic procedures to uplift the plight of our countrymen devastated by the super typhoon Yolanda,” said Garcia.

Within 36 hours after the storm, US forces arrived in the country to deliver lifesaving emergency assistance to millions of people whose lives were devastated by the typhoon.

The first wave of American troops came in the form of 90 US Marines and sailors from 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (3rd MEB). Led by Brig. Gen. Paul Kennedy, the Marines brought two KC-130J Hercules aircraft from Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, Japan on November 10, 2013.  The following day eight MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft joined relief efforts.

http://www.mb.com.ph/vfa-key-to-quick-us-response-after-yolanda/