U.S. Military helicopter teams up with Samaritan's Purse to deliver aid before Nepal monsoons

Photo By Cpl. Hernan Vidana | U.S. Service members from Joint Task Force 505 load relief supplies from Samaritan’s Purse International Relief Organization onto a U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, Nepal, May 16. JTF 505 along with other multinational forces and humanitarian relief organizations are currently in Nepal providing aid after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the country, April 25 and a 7.3 earthquake on May 12. At Nepal’s request the U.S. government ordered JTF 505 to provide unique capabilities to assist Nepal. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by MCIPAC Combat Camera Lance Cpl. Hernan Vidana/Released)  

KATHMANDU, NEPAL

05.17.2015

Story by Lance Cpl. Mandaline Hatch and Gunnery Sgt. Jeremy Vought

III Marine Expeditionary Force   

KATHMANDU, Nepal — Deployed U.S. Military members and a North Carolina faith-based organization provided earthquake disaster relief supplies to Nepalese villagers in Dolakha District, May 16 and 17.

Joint Task Force 505, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Samaritan’s Purse worked together to deliver donated supplies to Jiri village using Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey Tiltrotor aircraft during relief efforts in Nepal after two devastating earthquakes.

Jiri - known as the "Gateway to Mt. Everest" - is located in Northeast Nepal and sits at 6,250 feet. Already suffering from the first earthquake on April 25, the citizens of Jiri found themselves at the epicenter of a second earthquake on May 12. Sumaritan's Purse aid workers were on the ground when the second quake struck. Nepalese local officials reached out to the aid organization and asked them to help their 1,490 households.

“Because we were working here already and nobody else was, there weren’t a lot of people to take anything out there,” said Ken Isaacs, Samaritan's Purse vice president of programs and government relations.

Samaritan's Purse coordinated with the United Nations and USAID, who, as the lead U.S. relief agency in the country, verified the requirement with the Government of Nepal and then tasked JTF 505 with their unique military capabilities to deliver the needed supplies from Tribhuvan International Airport using MV-22B Ospreys from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262.

Over a two day period flying more than 10 sorties, the squadron delivered roughly 33,600 pounds of plastic sheeting and non-food items to the village so Samaritan's Purse could distribute to the people. They successfully transported hundreds of rolls of plastic sheets, measuring at 100 feet long and 20 feet wide each to the Nepalese people.

Isaacs said he thinks the most important thing needed right now in Nepal is the plastic sheeting due to monsoon season right around the corner.

“Rain is coming, people need to stay dry,” he said. “If they don’t stay dry, they’re going to get cold. If they get cold, they’re going to get sick, and if they’re sick, they won’t be able to rebuild.”

The rolls of plastic sheets will protect nearly a thousand households from the coming rains.

“We give a roll of plastic sheets to five households and they’ll cut it up into twenty foot pieces,” said Isaacs. “Then they’ll all have a tarp.”

To the Osprey crew, this mission was no different than the many other USAID missions they have flown here in Nepal.

"We get requests, and we execute," said Capt. Jason D. Noll, pilot with HMM-262. "It was good, and Samaritan's Purse is easy to work with. It makes you feel fine. It will provide them shelter because all their homes are destroyed out there."

USAID, a U.S. government agency under the State Department, is responsible for administering civilian foreign aid. They have deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team to the region and are assessing humanitarian needs in cooperation with the Government of Nepal.

JTF 505, embodied by the U.S. Military, are tasked by USAID in support of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions.

Samaritan’s Purse is a non-government organization, headquartered in Boone, North Carolina, who deployed a disaster response team in Nepal with the mission to provide emergency shelter, food, clean water, medical care, and to meet other urgent needs for victims.

"It made me feel very proud of the Marines and how hard they’re working, and also very proud of the United States for our involvement here,” said Isaacs.

• Date Taken: 05.17.2015
• Date Posted: 05.19.2015 04:45
• Story ID: 163738
• Location: KATHMANDU, NP