Southern Command Sends Helicopters and Supplies to Panama After 7.7 Earthquake

The U.S. military is sending personnel, helicopters and relief supplies to Panama after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the south of the country on Friday, Task & Purpose reports.

Key points

• Who is going: U.S. Southern Command said the effort starts with forces already in Latin America, including staff from Joint Security Cooperation Group-Panama and rotary-wing aircraft from Joint Task Force-Bravo in Honduras. It gave no troop count.
• First supplies: The initial shipment included 2,000 pounds of food and thousands of cases of water.
• The mission: According to the command, the troops will give mobility support to U.S. government staff who are helping Panamanian authorities assess damage, find the injured and deliver aid.
• Damage: At least 27 people were hurt and no deaths were reported. Panama's National Civil Protection Service counted 400 damaged buildings in nine provinces, including health facilities and bridges, and dozens of aftershocks followed.
• A pattern: The outlet says this is the third time in under six months that U.S. forces have responded to a major Latin American earthquake, after Venezuela in June and Colombia in August.

Quick take

Gen. Francis Donovan, who heads Southern Command, said in the announcement that U.S. forces were "already on the ground providing immediate relief." Task & Purpose points to long military ties between the two countries, including the Army's jungle warfare school, located at Aeronaval Base Cristóbal Colón, and the August PANAMAX exercise, which included forces from 19 nations.

Read the full story at Task & Purpose.