U.S. military relief operations in Haiti

01.17.2010

Courtesy Story

U.S. Southern Command       

OPERATION UNIFIED RESPONSE

As of Jan. 17, U.S. Southern Command has established Joint Task Force-Haiti to oversee U.S. military relief efforts in Haiti and has appointed U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Ken Keen to command the task force.

The task force mission has been designated Operation Unified Response.

U.S. military personnel supporting: Approximately 5,000 U.S. military personnel are currently supporting task force operations within Haiti and from U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessels off shore.

Approximately 7,500 additional U.S. military personnel are scheduled to arrive by Monday.

Immediate mission focus of Operation Unified Response: Current U.S. military efforts are focused on working with the U.N. Stabilization Mission in Haiti, the international community and local responders to provide search and rescue, distribute aid and assess damage to key infrastructure. To help alleviate the immediate need for water, U.S. military assets are giving the highest priority to the shipment of donated water to Haiti. Two reverse osmosis water purification units are in Haiti to make water and four additional units are scheduled to arrive Jan. 18 aboard the U.S. Navy amphibious ship USS Bataan.

Overall, there are 30 helicopters providing relief to the people of Haiti now.

As of today, U.S. military aircraft and helicopters have airlifted 130,000 humanitarian daily rations and 70,000 bottles of water into Port au Prince. U.S. military aircraft are scheduled to support the delivery of an additional 600,000 daily rations are scheduled to arrive in the coming days.

U.S. Air Force support: U.S. Air Force aircraft have flown more than 150 missions in support of Operation Unified Relief, including 29 missions into Haiti. In addition, the U.S. Air Force continues to provide aerial reconnaissance support to the operation. U.S. Air Force air traffic control and airfield management personnel continue to manage air operations at the international airport at Port au Prince with approval from the Haiti government. The airport has received more than 600 short tons of supplies, many of those delivered by Air Force aircraft. The airfield is open for 24-hour operations, has a 100-aircraft-per-day capability and is supporting all air traffic contributing to the international relief effort.

U.S. Navy support: The U.S. Navy's aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, destroyer USS Higgins frigate USS Underwood and cruiser USS Normandy are presently supporting the operation off the Haitian coast. USS Carl Vinson delivered more than 30 pallets of relief supplies for distribution to affected areas Jan 15. Nineteen helicopters embarked on the carrier are also flying airlift missions in support of relief efforts.

The USNS Big Horn, a fleet oiler, and USNS Grasp, a salvage ship, are due to arrive today.

The amphibious ships USS Bataan, USS Carter Hall, USS Fort McHenry, as well as the cruiser USS Bunker Hill are scheduled to arrive in Haitian waters by Jan. 18.

The hospital ship USNS Comfort departed Baltimore, Md., Jan. 16 with approximately 600 medical personnel and is projected to arrive in Haitian waters Jan. 20. Comfort's capabilities include fully-equipped operating rooms, a 1,000-bed hospital facility, digital radiological services, a medical laboratory, a pharmacy, an optometry lab, a CAT-scan and two oxygen producing plants. Each ship is equipped with a helicopter deck capable of landing large military helicopters.

The USNS Henson, an oceanographic survey ship, is also scheduled to arrive Jan. 20.

The USNS 1ST LT Jack Lummus, a container and roll-on/roll-off ship capable of offloading cargo without a port, will depart Jacksonville, Fla., Jan. 18 and will arrive at Port au Prince Jan. 21.

U.S. Marine Corps support: A Marine Expeditionary Unit, embarked aboard the amphibious ship USS Bataan, comprised of more than 2,200 Marines, is scheduled to arrive in Haiti, Jan. 18, with heavy lift and earth-moving equipment, a dozen helicopters and additional medical support capabilities.

U.S. Coast Guard support: The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Forward arrived in Haiti shortly after the earthquake as the first U.S. asset on scene followed closely by three additional cutters and multiple aircraft crew, including seven C-130 fixed-wing aircraft crews, three MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crews, two MH-65 Dolphin crews and an HU-25 falcon jet crew.

Coast Guard personnel rescued injured U.S. citizens, evacuated American Embassy personnel and provided critical air-traffic control support and port assessments. Coast Guard personnel continue to play significant roles supporting the U.S. government's assistance effort to Haiti.

U.S. military role: Operation Unified Response is part of a larger U.S. response to a request from the government of Haiti for humanitarian aid. U.S. Southern Command is working closely with the Dept. of State, U.S. Agency for International Development and the international community to aggressively provide life-sustaining services to the people of Haiti.

All military efforts are in support of the U.S. Agency for International Development, which is orchestrating U.S. government contributions to the relief mission.

• Date Taken: 01.17.2010
• Date Posted: 01.17.2010 11:02
• Story ID: 44017