In a teleconference from Islamabad with journalists at the Pentagon, Washington, Rear Admiral LeFever also gave an update regarding US support to Pakistan following the October earthquake.
He said that over 69 US airlifts have come in Pakistan and USA has already delivered over 532 tons of humanitarian assistance and 53 tons of medical supplies in addition to 31 pieces of engineering equipment by sealift, by boat or vessel, North Star and the USS Pearl Harbor.
He said that USS Pearl Harbor has come with humanitarian assistance provided by some of the countries in the Gulf GCC states while USS Cleveland and USS Tarawa are reaching Karachi Seaport with more humanitarian goods in a couple of days to be transported up into the affected areas.
He said that the US helicopters have flown to date now over 596 sorties, and they have delivered over 1,990,000 tons of supplies and carried about 2,600 passengers, many of them doctors, medical and people to do evaluation on the ground; and on the return flight, after they have offloaded their cargo and supplies, they have brought back over 2,576 injured people for medical care in Islamabad.
Admiral LeFever said that the USA has flown in here the MASH 212 from EUCOM and the US medical teams would be able to conduct surgical capabilities at the hospital and continue to grow to be a fully staffed hospital with a few days. "We are flowing in another hospital l from Okinawa, from the third MEF that will be putting the hospital up into an area of Balakot region, Chinhari, which was the most devastated town in the area.
He said that the construction battalion from Okinawa has joined the relief teams and it would be moving south of he epicenter at the city of Muzaffarabad with 31 engineering pieces and generators and conduct road clearing work and other projects on Thursday.
He said that the US engineering units including company size Seabees are working in support of government of Pakistan in clearing roads, clearing the rubble to open up the lines, as much needed supplies need to go by ground transportation as well to the affected areas, and then may be at least forward operating bases be able to reach into the areas that are cut off by the roads that have been destroyed by the earthquake. Over 1.000 US armed forces on the ground would be supporting the efforts of Pakistan," he added.