24th Marine Expeditionary Unit Public Affairs

Courtesy Story

PORT AU PRINCE and CARREFOUR, HAITI — Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit have increased their role to support current earthquake relief efforts in Haiti after putting approximately 500 of their troops ashore using Marine aircraft and Navy landing craft over the past two days.

In Port au Prince, Combat Logistics Battalion 24 has worked around the clock since yesterday evening to erect an interim medical aid facility to transition patients and family members currently on USNS Comfort back to Haiti. The facility is planned to hold 100 patients and a family member, and is made up of large, multi-purpose tents.

Also in Port au Prince, a company from the 24th MEU's Battalion Landing Team has been assisting a logistics support area where aid supplies are starting to be stored and organized to be distributed throughout Haiti.

In Carrefour, the Marines have sent in elements of the BLT's Alpha, Weapons and Headquarters Companies to establish distribution sites as part of the World Food Program's big food push intended on distributing food throughout areas of Haiti hardest hit by the 7.0 quake, Jan. 12. They are responsible for food distribution sites 1 and 16, and are coordinating with NGO's and U.N. forces, to ensure food is distributed safely and efficiently.

Supporting all these efforts has been the tireless work of the MEU's air squadron, which has been flying CH-53E Super Stallion and UH-1 Huey helicopters along with the Corps' newest aircraft, the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft in support of a number of operations each day since their arrival. The Marines have used these assets to deliver aid supplies, conduct aerial reconnaissance, for movement of personnel, and for medical evacuations.

The 24th MEU arrived off the coast of Haiti on Jan. 23 and was initially given the mission of conducting assessments with small teams of Marines and Navy medical personnel throughout northern and southern Haiti. They also have conducted multiple medical care visits with their Navy counterparts to provide aid in places that had limited capabilities to treat patients in need.

The 24th MEU is made up of the following units: Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162 (based out of New River Air Station N.C.), Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment (based out of Camp Lejeune, N.C.), and Combat Logistics Battalion 24 (based out of Camp Lejeune, N.C.) . They are currently deployed aboard the naval vessels USS Nassau, USS Mesa Verde and USS Ashland, which make up the Nassau Amphibious Ready Group.

There is not a definitive timeline for how long the 24th MEU and Nassau Amphibious Ready Group will be assisting in Haiti. The 24th MEU and NASARG are currently deployed as part of a regularly scheduled 7-month deployment, which was diverted from their initial crossing of the Atlantic to assist in Haiti.

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