Posted on 03/13/2011 9:33:41 AM PDT by WestTexasWend
The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan has arrived in Japan. Fleet officials revealed on Saturday that more units belonging to the 7th Fleet are due to arrive over the weekend to provide assistance to areas that have been devastated by the tsunami that followed the magnitude-8.9 earthquake off the northeastern coast of Japan on Friday afternoon.
In an update on their Facebook page, the 7th Fleet shared that the crews of two SH-60 Seahawk helicopters, along with Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron 14, delivered 1,500 pounds of rice and bread to Shiroishi City in the Miyagi prefecture in Japan. The donations came from the residents of Ebina City.
The squadron is based at the Naval Air Facility Atsugi.
The USS Ronald Reagan, as well as its carrier strike group, including the cruiser Chancellorsville, destroyer Preble and combat support ship Bridge, arrived in the east coast of Honshu early Sunday Japan time. The aircraft carrier’s substantial flight deck will serve as a refueling point for Japan Self Defense Force and other helicopters. U.S. Pacific Fleet officials revealed that the USS Ronald Reagan will begin to assist later Sunday.
Fleet officials shared further that the destroyers McCampbell and Curtis Wilbur were near Miyagi. The destroyers will help Japanese authorities in searh-and-rescue operations at sea, as well as recovery missions.
The amphibious assault ship Essex, which is based in Japan, will cut a scheduled liberty stop in Malaysia to help with relief efforts in Japan. On board are Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit; it left Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, on Saturday, and is expected to arrive at the east coast of Honshu on March 17.
What is the George Washington doing? I can’t believe that we already have a carrier in Japan and we need to send another one to do the job? This is insane.
I hear that clean water is needed.How much water can these ships purify per day?
Tons upon tons.
From the USS Reagan Christening Day press kit:
“Distillation plants providing 400,000 gallons of fresh water from sea water daily, enough to supply 2,000 homes.”
http://www.sb.northropgrumman.com/Reagan/About_the_Christening/Media%20Link/reagan_press_kit.pdf
1500# of rice and bread? That amount seems extremely miniscule. Those people are going to need more than that.
Maybe I’m missing something here but if I’m not that amount from the U.S. is shameful
One carrier was already in the area but doesn’t have the needed supplies aboard for the people of Japan. Additional ships will be loaded with needed supplies, such as food.
By the end of the day that amount will be many times more.
Take in consideration that each person would consume a cup of rice daily (in rationed circumstances) and a 1/4 loaf of bread, you have lots of rations for a whole lot of folks.
And that will be increased as time goes on.
Per the article:
The donations came from the residents of Ebina City.
I am sure we are providing what we can but come on, the place is 5000 miles from the West Coast and I sure our bases are stocked for our soldiers. Can’t let them march on an empty stomach.
It’s only been three days and the priorities are:
You can survive around 3 weeks without food.
You can survive around 3 days without water.
You can survive around 3 minutes without air.
Further, they need shelter and medical care. Those also have toe be taken into consideration and the logistics for delivering all this is staggering.
Plus, they have to clean up toxic areas and keep disease down. They can’t prevent the diseases but they can manage it to some extent, especially water borne disease such as cholera and dysentery.
That’s just the basics besides collecting the dead, identifying them and properly disposing of them to keep disease from the dead from spreading.
So everyone has more than enough on their plates to support an Island nation.
Eventually, I’m hoping that someone will invent a “regional disaster response”, that can fit on about five 16 wheel flatbed trucks.
The first flatbed carries a small, portable nuclear reactor, and can be used as an “electricity nexus”, to reestablish an electrical grid outward from its location, diagnosing what parts of the grid need repair, then supplying electricity to larger and larger parts as they get back on line.
It is teamed with the second flatbed, which carries a high volume reverse osmosis system and storage bladders. It consumes a lot of electricity, so needs to be near both the first flatbed and a major non-potable water source that it can convert to drinking water.
The third flatbed carries a heating unit that can heat great quantities of potable water, and is with the first two flatbeds, getting electricity for heating from the reactor and potable water from the reverse osmosis machine. One level of heat for showers and washing; a second level of boiling water for cooking; and a third level that generates raw steam for cleaning.
The fourth flatbed carries compressed dehydrated food. And the fifth truck carries rolls of pre-cut plastic sheeting and support poles for tents.
Excellent concept...let’s hope the right person reads it :)
If I may...Breedlove Dehydrated Foods in Lubbock, TX, does an excellent job of producing nutritious dried foods and has an impeccable track record in providing aid to disaster zones. You can learn more, and donate if you wish, here:
http://breedlove.org/index_english.html
Japan is the world’s third largest economy (actually No.2 until recently displaced by China) and can, without outside assistance, supply all the humanitarian resources needed by the people ashore. But supporting all the air search and rescue efforts requires fully functional airbases within helicopter flying range. Due to the extent of the destruction, such airbasing locations in the disaster area are in short supply.
As mentioned in the article, the primary thing the USS Ronald Reagan, its CVBG and the USS Essex ATF will provide is an at-sea airfield in the immediate vicinity of the disaster area. Helicopters can base off of the two flat decks, and both have full refueling, medical, food service and billeting immediately available to support those operations. When the Essex arrives it will bring a composite helicopter squadron with CH-46 medium and CH-53E heavy helicopters. (Not to mention a 4,000 Marine MEU that could go ashore and support search and rescue efforts if the Japanese request the assistance.) Further, all this support is self sustaining; they require no assistance/support from the Japanese (other than direction) to execute assigned missions. Finally, Reagan and Essex have extensive air traffic and command and control facilities to supplement the efforts of the Japanese on the land side.
Wouldn’t be surprised if there are JMSDF liaison teams on board Reagan using the facilities right now.
Yep
Damn, that is a good looking ship. I even like the name. The one Obama doesn’t like to say.
It's the donation from the people of a small japanese town that wasn't hit.
That makes it worse.
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