WASHINGTON (NNS) – Navy Emergency Preparedness Officers (NEPLO) stand ready to respond to national emergencies and events when requested. NEPLOs assigned to Naval District Washington (NDW) were recently called to action to provide Defense Support of Civilian Authorities (DSCA) with the current COVID-19 pandemic.
NDW NEPLOs, led by Commanding Officer Capt. Andrew Shank, are assisting various federal and state agencies since they bring a unique and specialized skill set to any emergent operation. Capt. Andrew Shank is currently mobilized to the National Response Coordination Center at Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters, while his other team members are assisting with the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region and U.S. Fleet Forces Command.
According to Shank, the NEPLOs are a contingent of about 100 officers and 30 enlisted personnel nationwide who respond on short notice to civilian or military operations centers during real-world disasters. They are assigned to each state, Navy regions, FEMA regions, and major headquarters like U.S. Northern Command, U.S. Army North and U.S. Fleet Forces Command. There are more than 60 NEPLOs or NEPLO assistants currently mobilized.
“Our job is to help with the coordination of DOD resources and make sure they’re getting to the right place at the right time,” said Shank. “For COVID-19, those resources are mainly medical personnel like doctors and nurses with a lot of different specialties.”
The NEPLO program, which consists of Navy Reservists, organizes support for response to large scale disasters and other domestic emergencies. They support the DOD and act as liaisons to civil and federal authorities.
As a civilian, Shank works for a government contractor dealing with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency. As a service member, he has been called into action during President Bush’s State Funeral, two State of the Union Addresses, Hurricane Dorian, and now the COVID-19 pandemic. Shank says the COVID-19 pandemic presents unique challenges.
“I think this pandemic is a new and different ballgame from anything we’ve encountered before. We’re seeing things that haven’t been seen since the plague or Spanish Flu. It’s really been a big learning experience in terms of how to operate in this environment. We’re learning a lot about how to respond to large scale events and will be able to apply those lessons in the future,” said Shank.
Military operations in the United States are limited by U.S. law, but when civil authorities are dealing with natural or manmade disasters, civil unrest, or special events and require assistance from the federal government, it is the NEPLOs that provide the critical DSCA link and Department of Defense resources.
“We’re prepared to stay as long as necessary to support as long as we’re needed,” said Shank.
| Date Taken: | 04.29.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 04.29.2020 09:06 |
| Story ID: | 368761 |
| Location: | WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
| Web Views: | 70 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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