Amentum’s Role in Venezuelan Earthquake Relief

A Strategic Location and Decades of Expertise Enables Rapid Humanitarian Response

When twin earthquakes hit Venezuela’s Caribbean coast last month, Amentum’s Forward Operating Location Base Operating Support (FOLBOS) team in Curaçao sprang into action, playing a central role in the relief efforts. The disaster left nearly 3,000 people dead, thousands injured, and critical infrastructure in ruins, demanding immediate and large-scale aid.

“Our usual mission supports U.S. Air Force and Southern Command counter narcotics operations,” explained Jesse Hammond, Amentum’s FOLBOS program manager. “Shifting to a major humanitarian operation required an immediate pivot, and our team delivered.”

As the nearest large-scale operational airfield to the disaster zone, our Curaçao team became the hub for aid distribution, search-and-rescue efforts, and recovery missions. With northern Venezuela’s infrastructure, including its main airport, devastated by the tremors, Amentum stepped in to provide mission-critical logistics, civil engineering, and fuel support to keep relief efforts operational.

“In just days, we scaled up to accommodate nine aircraft and over 200 deployed personnel—far exceeding our standard operations,” Hammond added. “It looked seamless, but it required extraordinary coordination and effort from our team of experienced professionals.”

This is not Amentum’s first-time supporting disaster relief. Nearly a decade ago, the FOLBOS team responded to Hurricane Irma’s devastation in St. Maarten and played a key role in evacuation and recovery missions. Yet Hammond described the Venezuelan earthquake response as unprecedented in scope and complexity.

“This mission has lasted weeks, unlike Hurricane Irma, which we wrapped up in just a few days. The no-notice nature of these disasters means we need to act instantly, and that’s what we did,” Hammond said. “Our ability to quickly pivot reflects the commitment and experience of our team. But there is much more work to be done.”

Amentum’s FOLBOS crew is a blend of U.S. and local nationals, many of whom have decades of experience. “I’ve been on this program for 19 years, and we have people here for over 24 years,” Hammond shared. “That kind of continuity is rare. While military teams rotate annually, we stay. That institutional knowledge makes all the difference.”