Posted on 01/15/2010 2:26:32 PM PST by Starman417
In a single instant of Mother Nature's fury, the island nation of Haiti was transported into the worst nightmare of 3rd world conditions. Considering that Haiti wasn't a booming economic scene to begin, it's amazing to see that there is always a lower depth in a crevice in which to sink.
As we've been watching the heart wretching visuals of people in dire need, there has been no delay in a world community willing to step up to the plate with assistance. But even a multinational rescue effect of willing workers and supplies cannot overcome the logistics of an area suffering from almost total inaccessiblity.
Without fanfare, and expecting none, my heart swells with pride as I watch our US military pave the path for relief efforts to flow. For without their central organization - allowing for the distribution of supplies from water, food and medicine to heavy moving equipment - all is for naught.
Within 24 hours, plans of action were underway. The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson steamed towards Haiti, slated to arrive on Thursday, to facilitate airlift support. Forsakening it's usual cache of fighter jets, the supercarrier was laden with 19 helicopters to dispatch supplies to more remote regions, inaccessible by potentially damaged roads. The carrier is also outfitted with water-purification equipment that can produce 1.8 million litres of drinking water a day, as well as hospital beds.
Other Defense Department ships and Coast Guard vessels – from small ships to destroyers to cutters - were underway with some limited humanitarian supplies to start, and helicopters.
Since information was preliminary, conditions on the ground were as yet unclear. So SOUTHCOM first dispatched a 30 man team of U.S. military engineers, operational planners, a command-and-control group and communication specialists. Ferried by two Puerto Rican Air National Guard C-130 Hercules aircraft, the team assessed the location that would be at the heart of relief efforts - the airport - was a major problem. With shallow waters and a damaged port, rapid repair and use of the airport was integral for aid to arrive. The air control tower was inoperable, and communications between ground and air impossible to coordinate.
Chaos reigned at Haiti's Port-au-Prince airport, delaying planeloads of desperately needed supplies.
The situation forced delays for arriving aircraft Thursday. At one point, Nelson said, there were 44 planes parked at the airport, but only two fuel trucks to refuel the planes and two tow carts for moving the planes.One very large plane was on the tarmac in need of more fuel and it took more than six hours to get that plane out of the way.
~~~The Federal Aviation Administration imposed a "ground stop" for most of Thursday for aid aircraft heading to Haiti, because the crowding preventing new planes from arriving until existing planes departed.
The agency later canceled the stop, opening the gates for U.S. planes bound for Haiti with relief workers and supplies. But the FAA cautioned that some planes were kept flying in holding patterns off Haiti "in excess of three hours," before they were cleared to land. The FAA said holding delays could continue for the next several days.
An airport that normally handled 25 flights daily in an undamaged state now had to rapidly be transformed into a facility that could handle twice that load at minimum. That task fell to some of the first US military responders on the ground - the 1st Special Operations Wing out of Hurlburt Field in Florida.
Read more at floppingaces.net ...
Amen, it brings tears to my eyes when I watch our military. They are so awesome. They are like "Knights in Shinning Armor" Yet they are so humble. I can't begin to say how proud I am of them and America at this time of need for the Haitian people.
WE.
ROCK.
HOOOOAH! (stole it, Army, but that sums it up!)
Colonel, USAFR
- Traveler
They have to get a port facility with a working crane going asap.
The affected population is in the millions, the airport is not going to be sufficient to supply this population.
The whole ball of wax in this crisis will be finding a way quickly to get a facility to dock and offload containers.
What? It wasn’t long haired, trust fund communitarian NGO’s with new, leather seated Toyota Landcruisers, Apple Laptops and their hip French videographer girlfriends?
I agree with you about our military. I’m proud of them and humbled by them.
I wonder how long it will be before that snot in the White House apologizes for our country again.
“What? It wasn’t long haired, trust fund communitarian NGO’s with new, leather seated Toyota Landcruisers, Apple Laptops and their hip French videographer girlfriends?”
Not the UN, either.
They could already be at sea, along with a hospital ship from Norfolk. If memory serves, Port Au Prince is about 72 hours steaming time from Morehead City. The Corps has some small experience with crossing beaches, with heavy cargos, without requiring long runways, or port facilities...
Not that any communists will know or care when the riots break out. Isn't it nice to know that it will be the fault of the US Military when everything goes to s--t?
Ever notice that everything is extraordinary with this guy? If everything is extraordinary, nothing is. Just like if everyone was special, nobody would be.
- Traveler
I was just listening to the local news on the radio and the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Airlift Wing (C-130H) has been alerted that they will likely be called up to ferry disaster supplies in to Haiti.
Lot of the lefty comments about and around the web say Haiti is the way it is because a handful of Marines used to march around Haiti in the 1930’s.
So ( lefty ‘logic’ here ) we must be finishing the place off now.
Now I know where the lefties got the ‘Bush fault’ idea. It was a variation of the blame the Marines fault.
I hate lefties. They’re dirty, stupid and they suck. Always.
Perhaps, Jim from C-Town, you’d like to point out how many times I have used “extraordinary” as a superlative on the subject content in my FA posts? Since I have my archive at fingertips, I’m curious to see just how seriously your follow my particular posts.
Or is it you are simply blowing smoke out the rear orifice for temporary effect? In which case, I’d suggest you sit down quickly and block the oxygen feed before it flares up into something quite serious.. as in pants on fire.
To those of you who noticed, my thanks for acknowledging this was a post designed to honor the talents and accomplishments of our military... sans any statement on the politics of repercussions of Haitian aid. No matter what one believes is the repercussions, it’s hard for me not to note the ... dare I use the word... “extraordinary” performance of the US military.
Sorry for the confusion.
“Confusion” and miscommunication noted, Jim from C-town.... And appreciate the clarification. Was truly confused, and quite happy this is not a slight towards our military accomplishments.
Gotta what that headline only syndrome. Can bite you in the butt, ya know.
You are correct, Sir John. The port does need addressing, and if you read the complete post, you will find out it also is in the works.... along with some shallow water vessels by Maersk nearby.
There are also other airports that could increase the air traffic supply, also being address. Then you also have to remember, Gitmo isn’t far... Jamaica is near by. The southern Florida airbases are also in range. Haiti is only 750 miles from the Florida keys.
All are being addressed, however not everything can be handled at once, and instantly. However you open the “main road” to get it going, then open the feeder roads to increase the supply flow.
I know without doubt our men and women in uniform are performing and will perform magnificently in this crisis.
But Obama needs to pull his head out of his butt and start focusing on getting the resources to the critical points.
The only way to avoid what is unfolding as a catastrophe is to get a working port facility operational from which to supply a massive refugee camp or camps to which the people can be brought. The airlifted supplies are a temporary band-aid at best.
This needs to be a multi-country effort and with civilian and well as military resources brought to the situation and Obama, as the president of the US, is the one person in a position to best effectively manage this.
Our forces can easily provide security in refugee camps, and ensure the safety of doctors and aid workers.
But providing security throughout the greater Port au Prince area is a challenging task even when there has been no earthquake and when the entire population has not been brought to the point of desperation, and will soon become a practically hopeless endeavor.
The Obama administration seems to be dumping the problem on the US military and the UN. I know the military will do the best they can, but this is truly amateur hour in the White House.
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