Washington D.C. – House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) released the following statement on the U.S. military’s disaster relief efforts:

“I would like to recognize the U.S. military for the excellent work they do responding to humanitarian crises and disasters whenever they are called upon, both in the United States and overseas.

“With the devastating impact of Hurricane Matthew, our men and women in uniform were among the first to engage, providing essential enabling support that included lifesaving airlifts and the delivery of more than 186,841 pounds of humanitarian supplies for Haiti in the aftermath of the storm. The U.S. military also provided the logistics and forward-thinking necessary to support FEMA and impacted states by prepositioning resources along our eastern coast. The National Guard, activated by several governors, continues to perform crucial relief functions in communities affected by Matthew in the United States. These efforts are a vivid example of how the U.S. military is the best of the best, and the first to respond to such events globally.

“In these instances, the U.S. armed forces act in a crucial support role that showcases the way defense, humanitarian, and development efforts should function hand-in-hand to complement each other. Long-term relief efforts will continue through other agencies—and our servicemembers should be proud of what they have done and continue to do to respond.”

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