Marine Brig. Gen. Robert Brodie visits the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer on March 13, 2025. (Omar Dominquez/U.S. Navy)
The American military has launched a disaster-relief operation in the Philippines alongside local forces in response to back-to-back typhoons, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command announced Thursday.
“At the request of the government of the Philippines, the U.S. military is working shoulder-to-shoulder with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to provide foreign disaster relief to communities affected by consecutive Typhoons Kalmaegi (Tino) and Fung-Wong (Uwan), which caused extensive damage and tragic loss of life,” the command said in a news release.
Over the weekend, Super Typhoon Fung-Wong pounded most of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon and parts of the Visayas islands, displacing thousands and killing 27, the state-run Philippine News Agency reported Thursday.
Before that deadly storm, Typhoon Kalmaegi pummeled Cebu and several portions of the Visayas and the southern island of Mindanao, causing massive flooding that killed 232, the agency reported.
The U.S. military has sent a variety of assets and personnel to the Philippines to support the relief operation, INDOPACOM said, without specifying how many troops and what equipment has traveled to the islands.
The American personnel are working with Philippine troops, disaster management and civil defense staff and the U.S. State Department, the release said.
“I have been thoroughly impressed by the preparedness and forward-leaning measures taken by the Philippine government during this situation, and we will support the lead of our Philippine counterparts as we carry out this relief mission together as a fully-aligned team,” U.S. Marine Brig. Gen. Robert Brodie, commander of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, said in the release.
The U.S. Navy and State Department did not immediately respond to questions emailed Thursday about the relief operations.
This is the second time U.S. forces have responded to a disaster in the Philippines this year. In July, Marines and airmen flew supplies to northern Philippines communities affected by typhoons, tropical storms and monsoon rains.
Supporting America’s allies and their people in a time of need is non-negotiable, Brodie said in Thursday’s release.
“Together, we are overcoming distance, weather, and logistical challenges to save lives,” he said.
The U.S. military has been coordinating mission planning with the Philippine government and military since Nov. 5, the release said.
