{"id":289763,"date":"2018-12-05T06:00:28","date_gmt":"2018-12-04T20:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=289763"},"modified":"2018-12-05T06:00:28","modified_gmt":"2018-12-04T20:00:28","slug":"joint-task-group-saipan-begins-redeployment-of-forces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/joint-task-group-saipan-begins-redeployment-of-forces\/","title":{"rendered":"Joint Task Group-Saipan begins redeployment of forces"},"content":{"rendered":"
Saipan Mayor David Apatang thanks soldiers with the 9th Mission Support Command, U.S. Army Reserve, currently assigxned to Joint Task Group-Saipan, Task Force-West, last Nov. 29, for the work they did to support Super Typhoon Yutu recovery efforts. (Staff Sgt. James Kennedy Benjamin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Service members supporting recovery efforts caused by one of the worst storm systems to ever hit U.S. soil since the 1930s began redeploying back home, starting Nov. 28-29.<\/p>\n

A little more than one month after Super Typhoon Yutu devastated the CNMI, close to 100 soldiers with the 9th Mission Support Command, U.S. Army Reserve, and Air Force Airmen with the 36th Civil Engineer Squadron, Andersen Air Force Base, currently assigned to Joint Task Group-Saipan, Task Force-West, redeployed from Saipan back to their homes<\/p>\n

Saipan Mayor David Apatang, himself a retired Army soldier, shared his past storm experiences and expressed his gratitude to JTG-S members at a redeployment ceremony at the airport.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve went through a couple of storms way back, but this is the worst,\u201d said Apatang. \u201cWe are very, very happy that you guys came to assist our family here on Saipan. The people of Saipan really appreciate what you guys did.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the Yutu recovery operations, members of JTG-S worked with Saipan Mayor\u2019s Office staff and the Department of Public Works in clearing primary and secondary roads of debris. Those teams collected more than 12,000 cubic yards of debris caused by Yutu.<\/p>\n

Other members worked with the American Red Cross-NMI Chapter members and volunteers distributing relief supplies.<\/p>\n

One Red Cross member expressed appreciation for all the soldiers\u2019 hard work.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mission of the American Red Cross is to alleviate human suffering in the face of disasters,\u201d said Eli Russ, the deputy assistant director for the American Red Cross recovery efforts for Yutu. \u201cAnd I would like to think that the mission is well on its way here [on] Saipan, but I also want to add that mission would have been impossible if it were not for you folks.\u201d<\/p>\n

The combined effort of JTG-S personnel with ARC members led to providing emergency service supplies to 9,223 homes\u2014just a little over 121,000 individual emergency services supplies, according to a Red Cross official.<\/p>\n

According to Apatang, the public was amazed seeing the troops around the island.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou guys have been out there day and night\u2026we\u2019ve seen you around,\u201d Apatang said. \u201cAnd the public said, \u2018We have never seen so many soldiers here on island.\u2019 And they appreciate that. They love you guys, we love you.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Russ, JTG-S personnel and Red Cross members shared something unique this past Thanksgiving and the past few weeks supporting the recovery operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been away from our families,\u201d Russ said. \u201cIt is a shared sacrifice that they have with us, so as much as we have been able to help the people of Saipan and the rest of the Marianas, our families have been there right by our side.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the needs of the local government and at the direction of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Defense has begun the transition to minimize its footprint in the Northern Marianas, a sure sign that the people of the CNMI are well on their way to a full recovery.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know you spent Thanksgiving with us here, away from your family, and that is very hard to do,\u201d Apatang said. \u201cNow you are going home to join them for Christmas, so enjoy your holidays. Stay strong Marianas.\u201d<\/p>\n

After Super Typhoon Yutu hit the islands of Saipan and Tinian on Oct. 24, several federal agencies immediately began a coordinated disaster response effort, including FEMA, U.S. Department of Defense and local government, to help the people of these islands recover. DOD forces used in the initial typhoon response have begun redeploying at the direction of FEMA, based on the needs of the local government. (Staff Sgt. James Kennedy Benjamin,\u00a09th Mission Support Command)\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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