The Pentagon referred questions Friday morning concerning the deployment to U.S. European Command, which is headquartered in Germany. Officers there didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.

Greater than 22,000 individuals have died on account of the catastrophe, which leveled constructing in southern Turkey and northern Syria, leaving hundreds extra injured and homeless. The United Nations has dispatched assist groups to the area, however these efforts have been hampered by infrastructure harm and fallout from the battle in Syria that has fractured the nation.

It was not clear how the U.S. army additionally may help in Syria, the place the USA maintains a restricted counterterrorism mission within the northeastern nook of the nation. In a press release Wednesday, the highest U.S. officer overseeing American army exercise within the area, Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, stated that his headquarters has established a workforce to “surge assist” to individuals affected in each international locations.

Whereas Turkey and Syria border one another, European Command oversees missions in Turkey and Central Command leads missions in Syria. Turkey, a NATO ally, additionally has a a lot nearer relationship with Washington.

It was not instantly clear which American army items is perhaps known as upon to help on the bottom. Two U.S. officers stated that one possibility typically deployed for humanitarian crises, a Marine Corps expeditionary unit, or MEU, is unavailable in the intervening time as a result of senior commanders on the Pentagon left a spot between their typical rotations via the area. These items deploy with about 2,200 Marines on board three Navy ships, however none has been in Europe for months, because the U.S. army faces a scarcity of vessels deemed able to deploy, officers stated.

“If there was a MEU there, it might be responding,” one official stated. “They’re not there, and that’s an issue.”

One risk is the Military’s one hundred and first Airborne Division, U.S. officers stated. These troopers are unfold out throughout a number of areas in Europe, together with in Romania.

The Air Drive already has begun flying provides and U.S. assist employees to the area, together with city search-and-rescue groups, the service disclosed in images launched on Wednesday.