WASHINGTON, D.C. -- United States Senator Daniel K. Inouye announced that the Senate Committee on Armed Services recently authorized $5,000,000 for the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance, a partnership of the U.S. Pacific Command, Tripler Army Medical Center and the University of Hawaii. This initiative is included in the Fiscal Year 1998 Department of Defense (DOD) Authorization Bill.

The Center's mission is to provide education, training and research in civil-military operations, particularly operations that require international disaster management, humanitarian assistance and interagency coordination, and to make available high-quality disaster management and humanitarian assistance training to aid in disaster response.

Senator Inouye stated, "I am very pleased with the action taken by the Armed Services Committee to more than double the Center's budget and to expand its mission to include consequence management of terrorism and nuclear, biologic and chemical events. Training, education and research initiatives are critical in these areas. I look forward to continuing my work with the Center's three partners to aid the DOD in its readiness requirements and humanitarian missions, and to develop another world class area of expertise for the University of Hawaii."

The Center will be authorized to accept defense and federal civilian agency funds, as well as funds from other sources. Also, the University of Hawaii is authorized to exercise managerial responsibilities, including the administration and allocation of funds. This measure will now go to the full Senate for consideration. It will then face a joint House-Senate conference and final Senate vote before its transmittal to the White House.