Posted on 12/28/2004 4:59:02 PM PST by Strategerist
THE US military said today it had diverted an aircraft carrier, other ships, at least 20 aircraft and thousands of sailors and marines to Asian countries struck by devastating tsunami waves.
The men and material were dispatched by US Pacific Command with many of the aircraft heading for Thailand and Sri Lanka, two of the worst hit countries.
Logistical problems hampered a massive humanitarian relief operation along Asia's devastated shores as the death toll from a huge earthquake and deadly tidal waves surged past 55,000.
“We have diverted the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier and its five ships. They left Hong Kong yesterday and they are en route to the Golf of Thailand,” said Major Guillermo Canedo, a Pacific Command spokesman in Hawaii.
“We are dispatching assessment teams to several of the nations that were affected. They will be working with the local government, the US embassies and the NGOs to determine how the US military can best assist,” Canedo said.
He said the command had dispatched six Hercules C-130 cargo aircraft loaded with food and water. The planes were loaded in Okinawa, Japan, and are headed to Utaphao in Thailand.
Nine P3 aircraft have also been assigned to fly to Utaphao to help in the relief effort.
Five KC-135 stratotanker aircraft, also filled with aid cargoes, are en route to Thailand and Sri Lanka, he said.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell said earlier that 12 C-130 transport planes with relief supplies were heading for the stricken Asian nations.
Aside from the USS Abraham Lincoln and its five ships, the USS Bonhomme Richard with six ships is steaming to the Bay of Bengal. Canedo said it would take about six to seven days for that navy group to arrive.
The USS Bonhomme Richard is carrying a “significant number of helicopters that can be used for search and rescue,” he said.
“The sailors and marines aboard these ships, roughly 15,000,” he said.
The quake Sunday, the biggest in 40 years, rocked the seabed off Indonesia's Sumatra island, sending huge waves across the Indian Ocean.
Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and India were among the countries worst hit by the natural disaster.
Those stingy Americans!
Once again the unwelcome "Uncle Sam" to the rescue!
GO TROOPS!!!
Gosh, how stingy can those cowboy Yankee imperialists get? </sarcasm>
good point, I also fear something like that happening.
Is the BH the carrier that has been converted for use as a SF platform..first used as a jumping off base against the Taliban?
USS Kitty Hawk was the one used as a "Special Forces" Carrier.
What? You really expect the SMs* to send help?
wait...
*SM© = Sweet Muslims
Utapao is in Pattaya Why not fly to Phuket or Krabi?
Yes, and in the meantime Norway was busy looking around to see if it had any aircraft carriers to divert to the disaster scenes.
Ahhh, "The Great Satan" strikes again.
Phuket's airfield is INOP-at least according to the NOTAM
I sure don't. How much was that check the Saudi prince gave to Giuliani? Ten million? Glad he ripped it up in his face.
They couldn't find any flatttops---but did find a fishing trwaler or two.
They expect them to get to Thai by August...
;-P
Paging Mr. Stingy....
Hell, they probably blame us for it.
Sure is pretty stingy of us to send aid that can't be diverted to a Swiss bank account. /sarcasm
Hope none of the Islamic "Freedom Fighters" get any bright ideas down in the south of Thailand.
Exactly what I was thinking. I hope they instruct our boys to watch their back first and give assistance second.
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