FEBRUARY 28, 2023 – At the request of the government of Turkey, United States Marines, sailors, soldiers and airmen worked around the clock to deliver an emergency field hospital from the continental United States to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, Feb. 22, as part of the United States’ continuing commitment to assist survivors of the catastrophic earthquake.
U.S. Naval Forces Europe, in coordination with U.S. Transportation Command, U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command, facilitated the delivery of the Defense Department-provided field hospital, with assistance from staffs in Kelly Field in San Antonio and Langley Air Force Base, Virginia.
“We are responding to the request for support from the Turkish government to provide a critical medical capability while the Turkish government rebuilds,” Brig. Gen. Andrew Priddy, commanding general, Task Force 61/2, said. “I am proud of the professionalism with which the team has responded to assist our Turkish allies and friends who are suffering from the earthquake’s devastation.”
U.S. service members, assigned to U.S. 6th Fleet’s Task Force 61/2, are working at the request of the Turkish Ministry of Health through the U.S. Agency for International Development to ensure the hospital is established and operational in the province of Hatay, one of Turkey’s most severely impacted areas.
The field hospital is equipped with an emergency room, two operating rooms and an intensive care unit along with critically needed medical supplies, 100 beds and equipment to ensure the functionality of the hospital.
The Marines of TF 61/2 and airmen from 39th Air Base Wing will set the hospital up over the course of a week, beginning Feb. 25 and will turn the facility over to the Turkish Ministry of Health once complete. Once turned over, the hospital will provide Turkish medical professionals expanded capability to continue providing critical and urgent health care to the citizens of Turkey impacted by the devastating earthquakes.
TF 61/2, under operational control of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and U.S. 6th Fleet, is responding to the deadly 7.8 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes that devastated Turkey on Feb. 6. Hours after the earthquake, U.S. Marines and sailors established a forward crisis response operations center at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, in close coordination with U.S. interagency partners and Turkish officials.
For more than 80 years, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-U.S. Naval Forces Africa has forged strategic relationships with allies and partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability.
Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command areas of responsibility. U.S. 6th Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations.
By MacKenzie Margroum
U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa