Story highlights Buchanan is expected to arrive in Puerto Rico Thursday

Sen. Marco Rubio called on Thursday for the Department of Defense to take over short term relief and recovery efforts

Washington (CNN) The Pentagon has appointed Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan to lead all military hurricane efforts in Puerto Rico, according to multiple US Defense officials.

A three-star star general and the Commander of US Army North (5th Army), Buchanan is expected to arrive in Puerto Rico Thursday as the military will focus on trying to improve distribution networks of relief supplies.

He has served four tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.

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Retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré -- who commanded the military response to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans -- told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Thursday that he thinks Buchanan the right person for the job but said he should have been sent there long ago.

Puerto Rico's devastated infrastructure and a shortage of truck drivers is making it difficult to move aid where it is needed most -- evident by the more than 9,500 containers of relief supplies currently stranded on Puerto Rico's main port of San Juan.

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