Posted on 01/13/2010 11:28:13 AM PST by GATOR NAVY
NORFOLK
Thousands of Hampton Roads sailors received orders this morning to prepare to deploy to Haiti as part of a massive U.S. effort to deliver humanitarian assistance in the wake of Tuesdays devastating earthquake.
At least four Norfolk-based ships are getting ready to leave for the impoverished country, said Ted Brown, a spokesman with Norfolks Fleet Forces Command. The amphibious assault ship Bataan, the guided missile cruiser Normandy and the dock landing ships Fort McHenry and Carter Hall will likely leave port by Friday, the Navy said.
Expeditionary forces based at the Little Creek campus of the Joint Expeditionary Base also are preparing to deploy, Brown said.
Additional Navy ships that will deliver humanitarian assistance include the frigate Underwood, based in Mayport, Fla., and the hospital ship Comfort, homeported in Baltimore.
The San Diego-based aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, which left Norfolk on Tuesday after finishing its midlife overhaul, has been redirected to load equipment and supplies to assist in the recovery, Brown said.
Several U.S. Coast Guard ships also have been deployed to the area, including the Portsmouth-based cutter Forward, which arrived in Haiti early this morning, said Senior Chief Petty Officer Steve Carleton. The Coast Guards first order of business will be to assess whether main ports near Port-au-Prince are clear to receive ships carrying aid, Carleton said.
Bottom line: The military needs to take charge (assume command of the effort.)
Very enlightening, to say the least.
WASP is an LHD, not technically a carrier.
Our commitment to Haiti is only going to increase. We will probably end up sending over 20,000 troops there just to provide security, as the Haitian government does not exist anymore.
Anything else is a recipe for another disaster on top of the natural one.
Unfortunately, I doubt that practicality will be a major consideration.
bump
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