By: Katie Jones
kjones@cbs4qc.com
Eyes across the country, including here in the Quad Cities have been watching as Superstorm Sandy ravages cities and kills dozens. Now, the Rock Island Arsenal is helping with the disaster relief hundreds of miles away Top secret information kept us from going inside but the name, says it all.
"The COIC stands for command operation information center. All orders that we generate are developed in there, then pushed out to subordinate elements to make this mission happen." Col.. Benjamin Nutt said.
Colonel Benjamin Nutt from the Rock Island Arsenal's Army Sustainment Command said a mission like Superstorm Sandy is no easy task. But, the C-O-I-C keeps Army forces across the country connected. At least 30 people are in the command center at all times making sure brigades are fully staffed and supplied.
"We're dealing with a natural disaster where lots of power lines are down, roads are closed because trees are down and there's flooding. So, you need generators, pumps, and trucks that can handle that amount of water," said Col. Nutt.
Like a well oiled machine, the command center links in with troops out east to help re–build towns.
"Those are our eyes and ears. Without the ability to reach out and touch our brigades, we don't have a sense of awareness and consequently don't know what we need to provide to be able to support the forces that are responding to the disaster," said Col. Nutt.
