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	Joint Task Force - Leeward Islands begins evacuation of U.S. citizens in Dominica
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        <h1 class="title">Joint Task Force - Leeward Islands begins evacuation of U.S. citizens in Dominica</h1>
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            <img src="https://media.defense.gov/2017/Sep/26/2001816911/1920/1080/0/170924-M-KN381-014.JPG"
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                 alt="U.S. citizens board a U.S. Marine CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter with Joint Task Force - Leeward Islands at Douglas-Charles Airport in Dominica, Sept. 24, 2017."
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            <div class="image-title">Joint Task Force - Leeward Islands begins evacuation of U.S. citizens in Dominica</div>
            <div class="image-caption">U.S. citizens board a U.S. Marine CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter with Joint Task Force - Leeward Islands at Douglas-Charles Airport in Dominica, Sept. 24, 2017. U.S. service members with JTF-LI set up an evacuation control center at the airport to evacuate U.S. citizens stranded on Dominica after Hurricane Maria. At the request of partner nations and both the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development, JTF-LI has deployed aircraft and service members to areas in the eastern Caribbean Sea affected by hurricanes Irma and Maria. The task force is a U.S. military unit composed of Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen, and represents U.S. Southern Command’s primary response to both disasters. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Ian Leones)</div>
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                 alt="U.S. Sailors with Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 22, supporting Joint Task Force - Leeward Islands , escort U.S. citizens to the evacuation control center  at Douglas-Charles Airport in Dominica, Sept. 24, 2017"
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            <div class="image-title">Joint Task Force - Leeward Islands begins evacuation of U.S. citizens in Dominica</div>
            <div class="image-caption">U.S. Sailors with Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 22, supporting Joint Task Force - Leeward Islands , escort U.S. citizens to the evacuation control center  at Douglas-Charles Airport in Dominica, Sept. 24, 2017. The control center was set up to assist in the voluntary evacuation of U.S. citizens stranded on Dominica after Hurricane Maria. At the request of partner nations and both the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development, JTF-LI has deployed aircraft and service members to areas in the eastern Caribbean Sea affected by hurricanes Irma and Maria. The task force is a U.S. military unit composed of Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen, and represents U.S. Southern Command’s primary response to both disasters. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Ian Leones)</div>
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            <img src="https://media.defense.gov/2017/Sep/25/2001816020/1920/1080/0/170924-N-NM806-0087.JPG"
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                 alt="A U.S. Navy MH-60S Sea Hawk prepares to land to evacuate victims from the island of Dominica following the landfall of Hurricane Maria."
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            <div class="image-title">Relief in Dominica</div>
            <div class="image-caption">An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 22 (HSC-22) attached to the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) prepares to land to evacuate victims from the island of Dominica following the landfall of Hurricane Maria. The Department of Defense is supporting United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the lead federal agency, in helping those affected by Hurricane Maria to minimize suffering and is one component of the overall whole-of-government response effort. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Taylor King (Released) 170924-N-NM806-0087</div>
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            <img src="https://media.defense.gov/2017/Sep/25/2001816010/1920/1080/0/170923-N-BD308-0377.JPG"
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                 alt="A U.S. Navy Sailor guides U.S. citizens out of an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter during relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Maria."
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            <div class="image-title">Navy evacuates U.S. citizens from Dominica following Hurricane Maria</div>
            <div class="image-caption">170923-N-BD308-0377 DOMINICA (Sept. 23, 2017) Naval Aircrewman (Helicopter) 2nd Class Logan Parkinson leads medical students from Ross Medical University to a waiting MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter for evacuation from the island of Dominica following the landfall of Hurricane Maria. The Department of Defense is supporting the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the lead federal agency, in helping those affected by Hurricane Maria to minimize suffering and is one component of the overall whole-of-government response effort.  (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Levingston Lewis/Released)</div>
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    <div><b>By Gunnery Sgt. Zachary Dyer, U.S. Southern Command</b> <span class="date">/ Published Sept. 26, 2017</span></div>
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    <p>U.S. service members with Joint Task Force - Leeward Islands began evacuating U.S. citizens stranded on the Caribbean island of Dominica Sept. 24, 2017, in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.</p>
<p>With the use of helicopters from the U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps, more than 100 U.S. citizens have been evacuated to the nearby islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, with more people being evacuated every day. In order to facilitate the evacuation process, U.S. Marines with the task force created an evacuation control center at the Douglas-Charles Airport in Dominica.</p>
<p>“The evacuation control center is where we send American citizens to get evacuated during a crisis situation involving a natural disaster,” said U.S. Marine Sgt. Austin Cody, the evacuation control center noncommissioned officer in charge with JTF - Leeward Islands. "It consists of several stations including a security station, a luggage check and medical station, and a registration station ran by the U.S. Department of State. From there we stage them so they can get onto aircraft."</p>
<p>The control center is designed to process 80 people per hour, but it can run into challenges.</p>
<p>“The biggest challenge is getting set up in your environment with what you have on hand,” Cody said. “Once you get that done and everybody has a feel for how the process works, it starts to flow smoothly.”</p>
<p>For the Marines, part of a contingent from Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force - Southern Command who form the majority of JTF - Leeward Islands personnel, manning the control center is a scenario they trained for during their pre-deployment training at Camp Lejeune, N.C., earlier this year. </p>
<p>“It's an awesome feeling to be able to execute something you've trained and trained and trained for,” Cody said. “It is exactly what you want to be able to do as a Marine.”</p>
<p>To fully accomplish this mission, the Marines are working hand in hand with members of the U.S. State Department.</p>
<p>"One of the main roles of the State Department is to help Americans who find themselves in emergencies and help look out for their immediate needs," said Robert E. Reeves, the deputy lead for the U.S. State Department team in Dominica. “We’re working here with the Marines to identify American citizens, locate them on the island, get them to the airport and, for those who would like to evacuate, get them on a military flight off the island.”</p>
<p>The partnership created between the JTF – Leeward Islands service members and the State Department helps get Americans off the island during this critical time after the storm.</p>
<p>“It is truly amazing watching the work the Marines are doing to help us get Americans off Dominica,” Reeves said. “They are a great group of people to work with.”</p>
<p>The biggest payoff for those assisting with the evacuation is seeing the impact of the help they are providing to those who were affected by the hurricane.</p>
<p>"I've never been so terrified in my life," said Loni Costello, a retired bank executive from San Francisco who moved to Dominica 18 years ago to teach scuba diving. “I was in my apartment during the storm and I hunkered down on my bed trying to stay away from the windows. Then my roof blew off and then I could hear all of the sheetrock falling down.”</p>
<p>Costello lost everything in the hurricane except for one suitcase, but is grateful for all the assistance provided by the government.</p>
<p>“The response by the military and State Department is amazing,” Costello said. “I am really thankful for all of the help you guys have provided.” </p><br />
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