U.S. Southern Command Photo Gallery
Joint Task Force - Leeward Islands prepares for Hurricane Maria
U.S. Marine CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters belonging to Joint Task Force - Leeward Islands take off from Muñiz Air National Guard Base in Carolina, Puerto Rico, Sept. 18, 2017. The task force is moving their aircraft to Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, in preparation for Hurricane Maria, so they can continue their humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission once the storm passes. At the request of allied nations, JTF-LI deployed aircraft and service members to areas in the eastern Caribbean Sea affected by Hurricane Irma. The task force is a U.S. military unit composed of Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen, and represents U.S. Southern Command’s primary response to Hurricane Irma. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Melanie Kilcline)