Janet Napolitano of Homeland Security authorized the temporary activation of 900 U.S. Coast Guard reservists. They will join over 500 Coast Guard members currently serving in earthquake relief roles in Haiti.
The activations are for up to 180 days.

Over 100 of the newly activated reserves will arrive within 96 hours of activation and will bolster port security operations at Port-au-Prince. Additional reserves will also arrive in several days to support other operations.
President Obama signed an order on Jan.16th authorizing the activation of reserve military personnel to recovery operations and support relief in Haiti. Five Coast Guard cutters and various aircraft have been dispatched to Haiti to assist with the earthquake recovery and relief efforts.