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28 December 2004

U.S. Military Assistance to Tsunami Victims Already Under Way

Assessment teams in place; supplies, ships, forces, planes headed to area

By Rebecca Ford Mitchell
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- Two American ships, their support vessels, approximately 15,000 U.S. military forces, and relief supplies are steaming toward the area of the world devastated by the December 26 Asian tsunamis to provide humanitarian assistance.

The ships should arrive in a couple of days, Marine Major Guillermo Canedo said December 28.  Canedo is a spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) in Hawaii, which is coordinating the military’s assistance effort.

Already deployed to the region, he said, are nine U.S. Navy P-3 surveillance aircraft from the Kadena U.S. air base in Okinawa, Japan, to assist in search-and-rescue operations.

Loaded with bottled water, food, blankets, tents and other relief supplies, six U.S. Air Force C-130 cargo aircraft from Yokota, Japan, will arrive at the Utaphao Royal Thai air base in Thailand December 29.   “Altogether, there are about 20 U.S. military aircraft bringing in supplies and providing search and rescue aid,” Canedo said.

The military has also sent five separate disaster relief assessment teams to the area. “They will work with the affected nations, the host governments, the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. country teams and a plethora of nongovernmental humanitarian assistance agencies to identify how the U.S. military can be of best use to the overall effort,” he explained.

PACOM is establishing at Utaphao the command-and-control center for Joint Task Force 536, which will coordinate the military’s efforts.  The government of Thailand offered the base as a regional support center and, according to the Pentagon, the United States will use it for emergency and medical personnel providing assistance throughout the region, as well as for a staging area for U.S. military and rescue aircraft, forensic experts and other relief assistance.

Lieutenant General Robert R. Blackman Jr., commanding general of the III Marine Expeditionary Force based in Okinawa will lead the joint task force.

“This is an ad hoc planning process,” said Canedo.  “The U.S. military recognizes the urgency of the situation and the need for an immediate response, so we are doing everything in parallel.  We are sending forces forward, establishing a control center, and conducting assessments all at the same time so we can deliver what is needed when and where it is needed.”

“We have to determine what the requirements are.  We don’t want to be delivering tents to an area that really needs food.  This is why centrally managed assessment and coordination is so important,” he added.

The Pentagon said that PACOM reported the ships will be on station and ready to provide needed support, as will additional aircraft, once needs throughout the region are identified.

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)