California’s state fire marshal, Kate Dargan, stated publicly last week that she had “never seen a combined state and federal response like we saw this go-round,” in which US Northern Command played a key role. Sgt. 1st Class Gail Braymen reports that Dargan said NORTHCOM officials “never gave a bureaucratic answer;” instead they “never said no,” figuring out how to provide whatever the state requested. She went on to say, that NORTHCOM and California are “sophisticated responders, and we can partner in a way that will set models for the rest of the country.”
F-35As from the Vermont Air National Guard have deployed to Puerto Rico in recent days, continuing a major buildup of U.S. Air Force assets in Latin America aimed at combating drug trafficking and pressuring the regime of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
