The U.S. Military Represents in Haiti

Saturday, January 16, 2010

As the death toll mounts in Haiti, I find I'm incredibly proud of my shippies whose units are assisting with relief efforts.

The Haitian Airport is dysfunctional due to damage and an inability to offload supplies from aircraft, so the USS CARL VINSON is currently anchored providing "floating airport" services to the island nation.

The hospitals have been damaged or destroyed, so the USNS COMFORT, a Naval Service hospital ship, is departing this morning from Baltimore to provide hospital services.

Security and supply distribution is in chaos, so members of the 82nd Airborne and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit have deployed to assist the United Nations peacekeeping force to provide security and assistance.

Haiti's infrastructure is in ruins, so the US Coast Guard has deployed cutters and helicopters to help evacuate the wounded and provide airlift support where feasible.

Well done, my brothers and sisters. Well done.

5 comments:

Dr. Phil (Physics) said...

Which has been translated by some pundits as "why does Obama hate the military so much?"

Geesh.

Last time I checked, the American Red Cross doesn't have a lot of security personnel, nor are Doctors Without Borders to field an emergency air traffic control tower.

Dr. Phil

Janiece said...

"The pundits are idiots."

Keith Wilson said...

I'm rather proud of my alma mater as well, the Canadian Navy has 2 ships en route, our Disaster relief team is on the ground - emergency water prep, engineering companies and a mobile hospital, plus a brigade group for security. It's amazing how such a small country has motivated the world. We truly don't know how lucky we all are, and we should give freely to those who aren't.

Janiece said...

Keith, thanks for bringing up our brothers and sisters-in-arms from the North. On the few occasions when I've worked with the Canadian Navy, they've always been consummate professionals and a pleasure to serve with.

The Mechanicky Gal said...

I would be SO behind out troops staying there and building the type of infrastructure that is needed in that poorest of poor nations.