Canadian Forces offer Katrina aid to United States

By Holly Bridges

Chief of the Defence Staff, General Rick Hillier, (left) and Lieutenant-General Marc Dumais, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, address reporters in Ottawa yesterday. Photo Credit: Holly Bridges

OTTAWA – The Canadian Forces (CF) are ready to “roll, sail or fly” aid to Katrina-ravaged New Orleans should the United States request our assistance, the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), General Rick Hillier said at a news conference in Ottawa Thursday afternoon. “Our thoughts and our prayers are with you. ,” he said.

Gen Hillier said although the United States military is large and fully capable of responding to a disaster such as the one left behind by Katrina, Canada will deploy Canadian Forces personnel and equipment if asked.

“Whether it’s a niche capability or augmenting an existing capability, (our American allies) have only to ask and we in the CF would have it rolling, or sailing or flying to stand side by side with them to bring relief or respite to those who need it, for however long it would take within our capability to sustain it. That’s what being friends and allies is all about.”

Over the past 24 hours, the CDS has briefed several American and Canadian authorities including, Prime Minister Paul Martin, the Minister of National Defence, Bill Graham, the American Ambassador to Canada, as well as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dick Myers, and the Commander of U.S. Northern Command, Admiral Tim Keating, about the type of support the CF has standing by.

“The CF has a number of assets which could be deployed should the United States ask for our assistance“, said Gen Hillier. “Anything from several CC-130 Hercules to assist in transporting anything into and out of the area, helicopters to assist in the transport of anything inside the area, electrical generators that would be put into place to generate electricity, water purification systems of which we have many to produce potable, drinkable water, small boats to travel around the coastal area, a fleet diving unit that could work underwater, a communications package that could facilitate communication, and many other things.”

Gen Hillier made it clear that it would be a privilege for CF personnel to deliver relief in such a dire circumstance, as we have done in the past.

“As I tell our members all the time, very few people have the opportunity to do something in their lives to positively to affect the lives of people, and I say the same thing today – helping our friends and neighbours would be a privilege and today we are on standby to do that.”