A Philippine airman, center, and U.S. Marines assigned to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 unload hundreds of family food packs in Virac, Philippines, Nov. 15, 2025. (Luis Agostini/U.S. Marine Corps)
More than 450 U.S. service members are assisting the Philippines with disaster relief after two powerful storms killed hundreds and forced millions to move this month, according to a military task force operating in the country.
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command on Thursday announced the joint relief mission with Philippine forces in response to Typhoon Kalmaegi, which struck Nov. 4, and Typhoon Fung-Wong, which arrived five days later.
Kalmaegi devastated Cebu, parts of the Visayas and the southern island of Mindanao, causing massive flooding that killed 232 people. Fung-Wong battered much of Luzon and portions of the Visayas, with at least 26 dead, the Philippines’ National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council announced Monday.
Almost 1.5 million people had been evacuated with more than a million displaced on Nov. 12, the council reported.
The country experiences more tropical cyclones than any other nation, with about 20 typhoons entering the region each year and eight or nine making landfall, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.
Over 450 U.S. troops deployed to Clark Air Base north of Manila as part of the relief effort, Marine 1st Lt. Greyson Anthos, spokesman for Task Force — Philippines, said by email Friday.
Anthos said the U.S. troops at Clark are flying MV-22 Osprey tiltrotors, KC-130J Super Hercules airlifters and HH-60W Pave Hawk helicopters and have brought additional logistical equipment. Initial relief operations included delivering 10,000 family food packs to the island province of Catanduanes in eastern Philippines, he said.
“The U.S. military will continue to work shoulder to shoulder with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to provide aid and assistance to the people of the Philippines,” Anthos said.
The task force did not identify specific units, but the 374th Airlift Wing at Yokota Air Base in Tokyo posted photos Saturday showing its personnel departing for the Philippines. The mission is the first for the wing’s Logistics Quick Reaction Force, according to the post.
Task Force — Philippines was announced on Oct. 31 by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro on the sidelines of a meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations defense ministers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The task force is also intended to help deter aggression in the South China Sea.
The U.S. government is providing $1.5 million in emergency assistance on top of $1 million already delivered for typhoon victims, the U.S. Embassy in Manila said Saturday. The aid includes support for logistics, emergency shelter, water, sanitation and evacuation center management.
U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson announced the additional funding during a visit to Clark with Teodoro on Saturday, the state-run Philippine News Agency reported. The pair observed staging, loading and rapid-response operations and praised personnel working on relief efforts.
“Your dedication, teamwork, and compassion embody the very best of what partnership represents,” Carlson said.
