Extraordinary US military central to Haitian relief efforts

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.

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.

It is a multinational relief effort, Sir John. However only the US military possesses the capability of installing rapid communications for a non-operable airport in a matter of 28 minutes after arrival. The port and alternative docking... plus replacement of cargo cranes for unloading... are also being addressed simultaneously. However, as I said, you open the main and fastest route by air to get the aid flowing while working on the rest. The challenges are different, and can not be completed within the same timeframe. They are not, however, being ignored.

All the volunteers and workers from all over the world may show up in Haiti - ready to work. But without the US military, they couldn’t get supplies and heavy equipment into the country in a timely fashion. And as long as we have a superior military, we will remain the only ones capable of doing so with maximum results.

By the weekend there should be 3500 US troops in Haiti with various tasks. They are there not only for security (for Haitians, plus the relief workers of all nations, including our own), but also to assist in debris clearing, basic reconstruction, etal. I may be wrong, but I do not foresee this being some unwitting or long term “occupation”.

I fully comprehend the diversion of resources complaint. Having this discussion with an AFPAK friend parallel to this, as a matter of fact. However I do have to ask the same question here What strategic foreign policy wisdom is there to ignore our backyard - 750 miles from the Florida Keys - by refusing to pledge allegiance and aid for our NA hemisphere neighbors for budgetary reasons? Especially a nation where approx 45,000 American citizens (or estimated 5% of total population) were in residence?

And one might consider the broader repercussions. Considering that most theatres of war require military, intelligence and diplomatic cooperation internationally, what happens to future relations if we choose to turn a blind eye to humanitarian aid for natural disasters this close to home?

And have you considered the very real possibility that if we do not provide aid to our North American neighbors, some other undesirable source (ala Indonesia and the jihad movements with money) fills that void instead?

The Obama administration’s failure to emphasize, from the moment this crisis struck, getting a sea-based facility established to offload containers and establish large refugee camps will prove absolutely catastrophic to the Haitian people.

Mark my words.

I am not blaming the US military in the least, to the contrary I am lauding them for their magnificent effort.

However, for Obama go off politicking for some hack pol and dump the Haitian problem in the lap of some two-star admiral somewhere is an abdication of duty.

I don’t care if they have to get sub tenders, floating drydocks, a salvage vessels or whatever they can find in there that can offload supplies, the need to open up the sea-based delivery of supplies is paramount. They needed to start the effort days ago, and go round the clock to get it done.

I very much hope I am wrong, but it is looking to me like Obama’s failure on this score will become horribly and tragically apparent over the next few weeks in the lives of literally millions of people.

I was estatic when I heard our military would be in the disaster area so early. I was really pissed when I heard that logistics at the airport would be handled by some other Haitian organization, and that overall distribution logistics was going to be through some U.N. group. The U.N. has how many thousands of people in place? And they obviously had no plans in place to begin with. And many of those that live and work in Haiti are concerned about their own homes and families.

I fear that bringing our well supplied troops into a situation that is disorganized and with no sense of control will only bring more chaos. The example of the chaos of one truck showing up in an area with no plan or control in place but multiplied by a thousand.

I guess it would be harsh (and obviously not in the cards with Obama), but if it were up to me, it would be “Our military will aid and assist you, but it will be done our way. We will be in command, keep you in the loop and require your resources and local knowledge. But it will be us running the show.”

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