ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA. In support of recovery operations following the May 2015 earthquake in Nepal, Justin Pummell, Institute for Water Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), traveled to Kathmandu as part of a USACE team assisting with the coordination of relief activities. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed over 8,000 people and paralyzed the country, requiring considerable assistance from a number of nations.
Mr. Pummell had departed Nepal on the day prior to the 24 April earthquake having completed a workshop as part of the Nepal Geographic Information System Integration Project. This particular effort, partially funded through the U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), involved a workshop on data sharing in support of national level disaster preparedness. As a consequence, Mr. Pummell’s familiarity with the Nepalese individuals and organizations involved with disaster response made him an invaluable component of the USACE response team.
In recognition of Justin’s efforts, Brigadier General Jeff Milhorn, Commander of the USACE Pacific Ocean Division, presented Mr. Pummell with a “Commanders Award for Civilian Service” on 29 June, 2015. The citation highlighted Mr. Pummell’s expert and invaluable service as a member of a Joint Humanitarian Assistance Survey Team, Joint Task Force 505, which supported Operation Sahayogi Haat from 29 April through 23 May 2015.
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