The following is the Oct. 16 update on Joint Task Force-Matthew support to relief efforts in Haiti:
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As of Oct. 16, Joint Task Force-Matthew helicopters have delivered more than 507,000 pounds (230 metric tons) of relief commodities (aid and supplies) to areas devastated by Hurricane Matthew.
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Navy Rear Adm. Cedric Pringle has transferred command of Joint Task Force-Matthew support to USAID-led relief operations to Navy Rear Adm. Roy Kitchener, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 2, deployed aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7).
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The nine helicopters and task force personnel who first arrived on the ground in Haiti will begin to redeploy today and return to their home stations. Some tasks previously performed by the task force are either completed or will be assumed by civilian disaster assistance experts and agencies in Haiti.
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Iwo Jima -- with 11 embarked aircraft -- continues military support to USAID-led relief operations. The ship is operating in Haitian waters between Port-au-Prince and areas affected by Hurricane Matthew in southwestern Haiti. Iwo Jima is one of the largest amphibious ships in the world and provides greater capabilities and flexibility to the task force.