Landpower and Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief

Abstract

This chapter discusses the strategic value of landpower in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HA/DR) operations. When disasters occur that are significant enough to derail/delay political agendas, the US government depends on landpower's unique capabilities to support the lead federal agency, the US Agency for International Development. The authors use three disaster relief operations case studies (the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Liberia, and the 2013 Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines) to illuminate the Army's core roles in HA/DR success. Lastly, the chapter discusses the secondary benefits of successful HA/DR operations like enhancing interoperability among joint, interagency, and multinational partners, assuring partners and allies, and reinforcing the strategic narrative of US power.