Puerto Rico Guard Aids With Venezuela Earthquake Response

CAROLINA, Puerto Rico - The Puerto Rico Air National Guard, 156th Contingency Response Group is helping with humanitarian assistance operations led by U.S. Southern Command in Venezuela after recent earthquakes in that country.

"Our Airmen are prepared to carry out their mission, and the successful execution of all the training we conduct takes on real meaning when we are called upon to support operations like this one. The 156th Wing possesses capabilities that deliver significant impact," said Col. Evaristo Orengo, commander, 156th Wing.

The Contingency Response Group, or CRG, is a specialized rapid-response unit trained to assess, open and operate airfields in remote or austere environments or in areas with severely degraded infrastructure, establishing air operations where virtually no capabilities exist. This facilitates the delivery of supplies, medical equipment and additional personnel to affected areas.

Muñiz Air National Guard Base is recognized as a vital logistics platform in the Caribbean that has served as a key staging, cargo transshipment and aviation hub for moving personnel, equipment and humanitarian aid into the region.

Last week, Brig. Gen. Carlos J. Rivera Román, the adjutant general of the Puerto Rico National Guard, and Command Sgt. Maj. Juvencio Méndez, the Puerto Rico command senior enlisted leader, met with Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón, to brief her on the potential deployment of National Guard Soldiers and Airmen in support of humanitarian assistance efforts.

"Yesterday, the PRNG, in direct support of SOUTHCOM, mobilized an initial group of Airmen from the PRANG CRG to Venezuela. Furthermore, we have approximately 20 additional service members on federal orders, ready to respond if needed. They remain at Muñiz ANG Base, and their potential deployment will depend on emerging operational needs," Román said.

Alongside its domestic mission execution in Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico National Guard maintains readiness and availability to support federal missions designated by the Department of War, demonstrating the flexibility and capability that characterize the Guard's dual missions.