Photo By Cpl. Alan Addison | Marines and sailors with Combat Logistics Battalion 22, 22nd Marine Expeditionary...... read more read more
Subscribe
PETIT GOAVE, Haiti - After almost two weeks of providing much needed aid to earthquake victims throughout the south and western regions in Haiti, Marines and sailors of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit have not slowed their pace. Instead, they have stayed true to their word and continue to provide aid until their mission is complete.
Marines and sailors of Combat Logistics Battalion 22, 22nd MEU, delivered cases of water and food to a local non-government organization distribution site in Petit Goave, Haiti, Jan. 31, 2010.
"Our mission today was a basic humanitarian aid drop off of food and water at a [non-government organization] site," said Staff Sgt. James Haynes, a motor transport chief with CLB-22. "We dropped eight pallets of [rations] and eight pallets of water to a part of the town that can't make it to some of our other drops."
Distributing food and water to the locals is just one aspect of what the CLB does. When they first arrived in Petit Goave they were using other methods to distribute water to the local populace.
"We had our water trucks dispensing water as well as our engineers gathering water using [Tactical Water Purification System], Haynes said. "They would find a well, purify the water and load it into our water trucks. After that, we would go out to the sites with food and would fill the locals' jugs or whatever they could put water in."
The first time CLB distributed their own purified water they delivered 1,800 gallons of water at one site.
Although this mission brought an abundance of water and food to the local populace, it wasn't the first of its kind. Since they established a secured area in the village about two weeks ago, CLB-22 delivered truckloads of supplies to Haitians on a daily basis.
Food and water aren't the only supplies the CLB has distributed. They also provide other basic needs throughout the village.
"We're actually getting supplies from other ships, which contain clothes, soup and baby diapers. Whatever people can give up we're taking it and distributing it," Haynes explained.
Another form of aid CLB-22 provides is helping the Haitian people clear the roads of debris and offering maintenance to the locals' vehicles.
"We're recovering wrecked vehicles on the roads, moving boulders and trying to help any vehicles that are broken down on the side of the road," said Cpl. Kenneth Sheldon, motor transport mechanic and driver for CLB-22.
While the people of Haiti still have a long way to go to regain much of what they lost in the disastrous earthquake, the Marines and sailors of the CLB can see their hard work leaving a positive impression on the people of the small village.
"Everyone there seemed to be really excited," said Sheldon. "It's nice to see all of the kids waving and smiling, knowing that their going to get help."
Day after day, Marines and sailors of CLB-22 exit their compound with loads of supplies and return a just few hours later with empty trucks. Though their hard work has built a solid foundation in starting the process of rebuilding Haiti, there is still work needed to help the Haitian people regain the life they once knew.
| Date Taken: | 01.02.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 02.02.2010 21:51 |
| Story ID: | 44822 |
| Location: | PETIT GOAVE, HT |
| Web Views: | 280 |
| Downloads: | 251 |
This work, 22nd MEU delivers cases of water and food to a local non-government organization, by Cpl Alan Addison, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
