Published: March 02, 2006
U.S. Forces Leaving Pakistan After Earthquake Aid Mission
By Vince Crawley, Washington File
Troops to depart by March 31; mission shifting from relief to reconstruction
With President Bush preparing to visit Pakistan, U.S. troops who have provided humanitarian aid in the aftermath of the October 2005 earthquake are planning to depart the country by March 31.
But U.S. officials promise they will continue assisting Pakistan for years to come.
"Even though the U.S. military presence will be ending, the U.S. support will never cease and will never dwindle," Rear Admiral Michael LeFever told Pakistani reporters in early February. LeFever has commanded the Disaster Assistance Center that has helped coordinate international emergency assistance after the October 8, 2005, earthquake, which killed more than 73,000 people.
President Bush left the United States on February 28 to make his first visit to India and Pakistan.
In addition to meeting with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, Bush is scheduled to participate in a meeting on U.S. earthquake relief and reconstruction efforts, National Security Advisor Steve Hadley told White House reporters February 24.
At the request of Pakistan's government, U.S. troops rushed to the disaster zone within 48 hours of the South Asia earthquake, which injured tens of thousands and left up to 3 million people homeless. At the peak of the emergency effort, 1,200 American troops and 25 American helicopters joined thousands of international assistance personnel. The United States delivered 13,500 tons of humanitarian aid, evacuated 18,600 earthquake survivors and treated nearly 35,000 medical patients.
However, the presence of U.S. and NATO personnel, as well other foreign militaries, has raised concerns among some political and religious groups within Pakistan. International troops have agreed to depart as quickly as feasible as emergency efforts evolve into long-term reconstruction missions. NATO announced its formal departure February 1, and the U.S. military has announced a March 31 departure date.
The United States has pledged $510 million to support long-term relief and reconstruction, and the U.S. military is transferring $6 million worth of medical equipment and construction vehicles to the Pakistani government. On February 16, the U.S. military transferred its historic 212th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) to the Pakistani military.
The U.S. Navy's Mobile Construction Battalion, known as "Seabees," transferred three bulldozers, 10 heavy dump trucks and seven 100-kilowatt power generators to Pakistan.
The last U.S. military assets to depart in late March will be 12 CH-47 Chinook cargo helicopters that have flown more than 4,000 relief missions, many to remote mountain sites inaccessible by road. The U.S. military is leaving behind two rapid aviation refueling systems that will allow Pakistani helicopters to conduct longer-range relief missions over the country's forbidding high-altitude terrain.
By March 31, the government of Pakistan, supported by the United Nations and nongovernmental organizations, is expected to be capable of continuing ongoing relief efforts.
In addition to relief efforts, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has a five-year, $1.5 billion commitment to Pakistan to support education, health, economic growth and governance programs throughout the country.
"The United States is committed to working with the government of Pakistan and its people to help them 'build back better,'" Lisa Chiles, USAID's mission director in Pakistan, told reporters during a February 4 news conference at Chaklala Air Base.
U.S. corporations also have pledged $108.9 million in cash and in-kind donations to help Pakistan recover from the earthquake, the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad said February 26.
For more information, see the U.S. Response to the Earthquake in South Asia.
Source: U.S. Department of State
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