d. TOPIC. SOF Support to HA/DR Operations (Typhoon Haiyan Relief)
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Observation.
Responsiveness and agility of U.S. SOF assets greatly enabled the success of
other actors (host nation government organizations, non-governmental
organizations, international organizations/United Nations, and U.S. Pacific
Command) during Typhoon Haiyan disaster relief operations in the Philippines.
Discussion.
Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P), based in the
Philippines, provided the first operational "eyes on" to capture the scope and
depth of devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in the Philippines.
Immediately after Super Typhoon Haiyan swept through the Philippines on 8-9
November, JSOTF-P mobilized response/assessment teams to support humanitarian assistance/disaster relief (HA/DR) operations. Early on 9 November 2013
and throughout the day, JSOTF-P utilized numerous air assets to conduct vital
aerial surveys of the hardest hit areas, focusing especially on airports and
surrounding roadways.
By 6 p.m. on 9 November, the first JSOTF-P response/assessment team –
consisting of one Air Force officer-in-charge (OIC), one Combat Controller (air
traffic controller), two Civil Affairs (CA) non-commissioned officers (NCOs), one
communications sergeant, and one medic – was successfully inserted into
Tacloban Airfield, located at the center of the destruction caused by the typhoon.
On 10 November, two similarly organized Special Operations Forces (SOF)
teams – including Combat Control Teams (CCTs) (air traffic controllers) from the
353rd Special Operations Group (SOG) out of Kadena Air Base, Japan – were
inserted into the airfields at Guiuan and Ormoc. The opening of these airfields
allowed for follow-on Special Operations Forces (SOF) teams to conduct
additional site surveys, assess the scope of damage in surrounding areas, and
determine priorities for inbound relief efforts. At these airfields, the air traffic
controllers conducted around-the-clock operations to manage inbound/outbound
air traffic, and they also helped organize and advise host nation personnel in the
management of airfield operations.
Over a 13-day period (9 to 22 November), JSOTF-P served in a supporting role
in this U.S. PACOM HA/DR operation – initially supporting the Third Marine
Expeditionary Brigade (III MEB), and later supporting Joint Task Force 505,
which took over lead from III MEB. Throughout this period, multiple SOF teams
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