U.S. Military On Puerto Rico: Emergency Supplies Are In Port. The Problem Is Distribution

“This is personal to me.” Col. Michael A. Valle, Director, Joint Air Component Coordination Element for 1st Air Force (Air Forces Northern), identifies areas of Puerto Rico in need of immediate relief while airborne in a WC-130 Hercules on September 29, 2017, flown by members of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard’s 156th Airlift Wing at Muniz Air National Guard Base, Carolina, Puerto Rico. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Nicholas Dutton/Released

Huffington Post: U.S. Military on Puerto Rico: "The Problem Is Distribution" And Here's Why

“It’s picture perfect devastation. The hurricane came through the middle of the island. 100% of the island is without power. As a Puerto Rican it troubles me to hear the misinformation about the crux of the issue.”

Speaking today exclusively and live from Puerto Rico, is Puerto Rican born and raised, Colonel Michael A. Valle (”Torch”), Commander, 101st Air and Space Operations Group, and Director of the Joint Air Component Coordination Element, 1st Air Force, responsible for Hurricane Maria relief efforts in the U.S. commonwealth with a population of more than 3 million. Since the ‘apocalyptic’ Cat 4 storm tore into the spine of Puerto Rico on September 20, Col. Valle has been both duty and blood bound to help.

Col. Valle is a firsthand witness of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) response supporting FEMA in Puerto Rico, and as a Puerto Rican himself with family members living in the devastation, his passion for the people is second to none. “It’s just not true,” Col. Valle says of the major disconnect today between the perception of a lack of response from Washington verses what is really going on on the ground. “I have family here. My parents’ home is here. My uncles, aunts, cousins, are all here. As a Puerto Rican, I can tell you that the problem has nothing to do with the U.S. military, FEMA, or the DoD.”

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WNU Editor:  Apparently most of the truck drivers who work in Puerto Rico have not shown up work .... and if social media is to believed .... (and I hope these reports are wrong) .... the union responsible for trucking on the island are saying that their truckers are not going to go to work until certain demands are met (see link here).