Songs of Haiti – Col Gregory C Kane an American First Responder
One week after the earthquake, almost to the hour, an elderly woman was pulled from the rubble singing. Rescue workers hugged each other and wept together. British charity Christian Aid and Mexican Firefighters worked to free her from the rubble of the Roman Catholic cathedral where they fed her water through a tube until she was liberated from that compressed space. Her rescue gave hope to hundreds of rescue workers steadfastly digging in the ruins in the Capital of Haiti. There have been other extraordinary stories of children and adults surviving several days under collapsed buildings.
The rescue efforts in Haiti are a unified operations relief and rescue mission. The unilateral response has imitated the UN’s culture of a coalition of international involvement to resolve emergencies. The people of Haiti will have full support from the United States, the emergency response was lead by US Agency for International Development Administrator, Rajiv Shah, who said the immediate objective is to save lives. US Southern Command coordinated with the US State Dept. and US Agency for International Development. The head of Southern Command US Air Force, General Douglas Fraser, announced the missions that were on the way as a massive global response force. The list of responders included Marines and Army numbering in the thousands, the always prepared Army Divisions such as the 82nd Airborne, Navy diverting ships from around the world, Air Force, Public Health Service, (hospital ship Comfort), Coast Guard boats and ships for shore transport, diving teams, Black Hawk helicopters, and aircraft battle ships as the US Military’s Operation Unified Response.
This humanitarian relief operation response is led by Colonel Gregory Kane of the US Army. Colonel Kane was assigned the daunting orders to coordinate the relief efforts at the airport and to manage the incoming soldiers, supplies and equipment. His Bio supports that he was chosen for this immense task.
His awards and decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the six Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Commendation Medal, five Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, two Armed Forces Expeditionary Medals, Humanitarian Service Medal, the UN and NATO Medals, four Overseas Ribbons, the Iraq Campaign Medal and the Korean Service Medal. He also has earned the Ranger Tab, the Air Assault Badge, the Expert Infantryman’s Badge, and the Master Parachutist’s Badge. Colonel Kane was commissioned a Lieutenant, United States Military Academy in 1984. He is a graduate of Airborne, Ranger, Jumpmaster, and Air Assault Schools; Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Combined Arms Staff Service School, Air Command and Staff College, and the U.S. Army War College. Colonel Kane’s previous assignments include: Rifle Platoon Leader, Support Platoon Leader, and Battalion S4 of 1st BN 17th INF Regiment at Camp Casey, Republic of Korea; Rifle Platoon Leader and Company XO in B Co and as an Assistant S3 for Training in HHC, 2nd BN, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Lewis, WA; Company Commander of C Company, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment at Camp Casey and Company Commander of the Joint Security Force Company, United Nations Command, Joint Security Area Panmunjom; Ranger Operations Officer in the US Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Chief of the Emergency Operations Center and G3 Current Operations Officer, 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia; BN XO, 3rd BN, 15th INF Regiment, Fort Stewart, GA; Deputy Commander, North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Southern Regional Command, Allied Forces Southern Europe in Naples, Italy; Battalion Commander 2nd Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, Fort Benning, Georgia; Senior Trainer, Light Infantry Task Force, Operations Group, National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California; TRADOC Capabilities Manager for Soldier Systems and has just recently returned from Iraq where he was the Chief of Staff of Other Coalition Forces-Iraq. He participated in Operation CABANAS in Honduras, Operation RESTORE DEMOCRACY in Haiti, Operation JOINT FORGE in the Balkans, and Operation IRAQI FREEDOM., Operation JOINT FORGE in the Balkans, and Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. His education includes a Bachelor of Arts from USMA at West Point, a Master of Science, Political Science from Auburn University, Montgomery; Master of Science, Strategic Studies from the US Army War College, Carlisle, PA
As you can see from the numerous medals received by Col. Gregory C. Kane, he is the man that gets the job done in an emergency situation.
Source by Earl F. Keaton
