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As the cleanup continues in the aftermath of hurricane Sandy, some 12,000 National Guard troops have been mobilized to active-duty status in more than a dozen states to provide rescue and relief.

The Pentagon brings its own unique skills and equipment to the nation鈥檚 natural-disaster response. Mobilizing quickly in the wake of calamity 鈥� both forecast and unexpected 鈥� is, after all, the US military鈥檚 specialty.聽

So, too, is quickly mobilizing supplies, including food, transport, and specialists like rescue swimmers and engineers. The Pentagon has long relied on these sorts of quick-reacting supply lines to win its wars, part of the military maxim that 鈥渁mateurs think about tactics, but professionals think about logistics.鈥�

Those capabilities have come in handy in the wake of the Category 1 hurricane. 鈥漌hat we provide to FEMA and the state governors at their request is just a myriad of support and response and rescue capabilities, so that they can pick and choose what they need, and they know they鈥檒l have it,鈥� says Lt. Col. Tom Crosson, a Pentagon spokesman. 鈥淲e can go anywhere in the country and get it quickly if they don鈥檛 have it.鈥�

That begins with the raw manpower of the National Guard. Even before Sandy made landfall this week, more than 61,000 National Guardsmen were standing by to lend a hand to civilian authorities. Now, those who have been activated are helping state police and local fire departments with rescues, debris removal, and evacuation of hospitals.

In West Virginia, which has been hit by severe snow, Guard troops were busy patrolling the highways for stranded motorists, said Pentagon Press Secretary George Little.

And wherever it goes, the military brings a suite of useful equipment with it.

Some 140 helicopters have been deployed for search-and-rescue missions, cargo carrying, and preparing shelters. Helicopters also help get state government officials up in the air to 鈥渟how them to coastlines, so they can make assessments of what鈥檚 needed there,鈥� Colonel Crosson says.

Meanwhile, cargo planes help emergency officials move pieces around the chessboard. On Thursday, the US military sent C-5 and C-17 planes to California to pick up 鈥渃ivilian power vehicles鈥� to bring to New York, adds Colonel Crosson. This included 鈥渂ucket trucks鈥� and pickups to help work on the downed lines and power grids in New York and New Jersey.

The military also has its own high water vehicles and Humvees to get into isolated areas.聽

For its part, the Army Corps of Engineers has 鈥渇anned out鈥� throughout affected areas to see what kind of expertise it can lend to affected states. 鈥淭he Corps has been very aggressive,鈥� said Mr. Little.

This expertise has included helping to restore power to the 鈥渟everal million households鈥� on the East Coast that remain without electricity, according to Little.

Another top priority has been assessing and starting to clean out flooded tunnels, homes, and electrical substations. 鈥淭he Army Corps of Engineers has a great deal of experience in what they call 鈥榰nwatering,鈥� which involves pumping water out of tunnels and other sites,鈥� he added.

To this end, nine small assistance teams are at tunnels throughout New York, 鈥渨orking with city officials and engineers to determine what鈥檚 needed to get that water out,鈥� Crosson says.

US Navy sailors are pitching in to track down 鈥渋ndustrial-size pumps鈥� for their Army Corps of Engineers brethren working in the tunnels of New York City, noted Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Navy鈥檚 Chief of Information, on his blog.

As of Wednesday, the Navy was continuing to move ships closer to the areas affected by the hurricane, though they have not yet been called upon to provide support, Admiral Kirby added. 鈥淭his will allow our forces to be best postured to minimize the amount of time it will take these forces to get on station if tasked.鈥�

In the meantime, the Pentagon has offered up generators, vehicles, and troops to assess damage and deliver supplies.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta 鈥渉as been very clear that whatever requests come in 鈥� in support of our disaster relief efforts,鈥� Little said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be very forward-leaning.鈥�