FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas -- In response to the president's call for action, U.S. Army South's 470th Military Intelligence Brigade immediately deployed intelligence teams to assist in disaster relief and sustainment support to Joint Task Force Haiti and Operation Unified Response aiding earthquake victims in Haiti.
Though the 470th is currently in Iraq, Afghanistan and many countries in South and Central America, the brigade began rapidly building additional disaster-relief intelligence teams from forces not already deployed, sending them as part of 82nd Airborne Division's early-entry forces and the ARSOUTH effort, exercising Title X authority to command and control sustainment support for JTF Haiti and U.S. Southern Command.
While relief groups carrying medical supplies waited on the border shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti Jan. 15 for security, 470th Force Protection Detachment personnel were already on the island assisting with force protection operations for the U.S. Embassy and transiting U.S. forces in the area.
The following day, Jan. 16, Army Medical Department administrators, nurses and physician assistants, synchronized with Army garrison services, executing Soldier Readiness Processing that mobilized more than 50 brigade and more than 300 ARSOUTH Soldiers and civilians.
Counterintelligence teams of the brigade's 401st MI Company deployed to Fort Bragg, N.C., Jan. 17, to join the hundreds of paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division, who continued to flow into Haiti to conduct relief operations through the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
"This is what my Soldiers and civilians do - just another day in the 401st," said Capt. Michael Ballard, 401st MI Company commander.
"My Soldiers and civilians are motivated and excited to be involved in supporting such a humanitarian relief endeavor," said Capt. Jessica Watson, the brigade's Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment commander.
"Yet, they are frustrated that they cannot do more to fully support the mission and people forward in the disaster area."
"After seeing the suffering of the Haitian people the night of the quake, our leaders and Soldiers responded immediately with the brigade S3 [plans and operations] staff beginning crisis action planning for support to ARSOUTH," said Col. Jim Lee, 470th MI Brigade commander, explaining how the brigade was able to react and adjust quickly to the crisis.
"Further, this brigade prides itself in its Soldiers' and civilians' expeditionary mindset and capabilities as they continuously deploy intelligence in support of ARSOUTH's enduring theater engagement requirements.
"Our systems and processes are continually applied as we support operations throughout South and Central America and the CENTCOM AOR including Iraq and Afghanistan," Lee said.
The 470th MI Brigade maintains intelligence support teams prepared to deploy throughout the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility and deploys intelligence battalions and teams to southwest and southeast Asia in support of U.S. Central Command operations.
This mission required out-of-the-box thinking as intelligence personnel prepared different packing lists and modes of operating to serve as "enablers" to support humanitarian and security operations in a disaster zone, according to Lee.
But this time, intelligence is enabling humanitarian and relief operations succeed in contrast to primarily focusing on a human enemy, Lee said.
Social Sharing