Utilization of Special Forces medical assets during disaster relief: The Hurricane Andrew experience

Abstract

Special Forces units and their innate assets are presented as the ideal first-response unit to natural disasters due to their breadth of skill, speed of response, and ability to work independently in remote areas. 'Green Beret' soldiers are particularly suited to work under the most extreme hardships, with little or no supervision, and can demonstrate tremendous amounts of initiative and creativity in unique and changing situations. The compact, versatile, and adaptable detachments of which Special Forces Groups are composed can serve as vital resources in humanitarian and disaster relief operations as well as in combat.