COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—The U.S. Northern Command added more staging areas for emergency supplies and equipment Saturday in preparation for Gustav, which hurtled toward the Gulf Coast.
The military bases designated as additional staging areas were Fort Rucker, Ala., and Fort Benning, Ga. The other bases are Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., Columbus Air Force Base, Miss., and Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss.
Northcom said it was working with other federal agencies to provide aircraft to move 16,000 members of the public and cargo from New Orleans to the Dallas-Fort Worth area and support the evacuation of up to 1,000 medical patients in Louisiana and up to 500 in Texas.
Six Nortchom officers have been assigned to coordinate with the Federal Emergency Management Agency on military assistance to civilian agencies.
Northcom oversees the military’s homeland defense and supports civilian authorities. It’s headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs.
