Monday
Apr192010
Bulk Of U.S. Troops To Leave Haiti By June
Monday, April 19, 2010 at 12:14PM
The U.S. is slated to close down Joint Task Force-Haiti, the organizational body that has guided the U.S. response in Haiti, by early June, nearly four months after a massive earthquake devastated the Caribbean nation.
The decision comes amid a U.S. effort to lower its presence in the country. According to Lt. General Ken Keen, who commanded the task force until this Sunday, current troop levels are at 2,200, a significant decline from the 7,000 on-ground and 15,000 stationed in vessels off shore just two months prior.
The U.S. will return to normal relations with Haiti, Keen said, which will entail providing humanitarian resources and other forms of assistance, including 500 reserve soldiers and members of the National Guard to help facilitate the work of Non Governmental Organizations and other aid sources.
As for the remainder of time, the priority for the U.S. is “focused on how we mitigate the effects of the coming rain,” Keen told reporters Monday. This effort will include securing the well being of those in tent cities and other displaced individuals.
While Keen noted during a press conference Monday that there will be an official effort to document the lessons from the Task Force’s operations in Haiti, the three star Lt. General shared several of his personal insights on the U.S. mission. Keen said that he was pleased with the initial response time and their overall level of coordination, but explained that there needs to be ways to determine what resources are needed faster, anticipate challenges sooner and understand the capabilities brought to the table by all parties involved
The decision comes amid a U.S. effort to lower its presence in the country. According to Lt. General Ken Keen, who commanded the task force until this Sunday, current troop levels are at 2,200, a significant decline from the 7,000 on-ground and 15,000 stationed in vessels off shore just two months prior.
The U.S. will return to normal relations with Haiti, Keen said, which will entail providing humanitarian resources and other forms of assistance, including 500 reserve soldiers and members of the National Guard to help facilitate the work of Non Governmental Organizations and other aid sources.
As for the remainder of time, the priority for the U.S. is “focused on how we mitigate the effects of the coming rain,” Keen told reporters Monday. This effort will include securing the well being of those in tent cities and other displaced individuals.
While Keen noted during a press conference Monday that there will be an official effort to document the lessons from the Task Force’s operations in Haiti, the three star Lt. General shared several of his personal insights on the U.S. mission. Keen said that he was pleased with the initial response time and their overall level of coordination, but explained that there needs to be ways to determine what resources are needed faster, anticipate challenges sooner and understand the capabilities brought to the table by all parties involved
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