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15th MEU completes HA operations, hands task to Essex, Fort McHenry

Marine Corps News

Story Identification #: 200511910487
Story by Lance Cpl. Scott L. Eberle

MEULABOH, Indonesia (Jan. 19, 2005) -- The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) finished up the last of its humanitarian aid missions in Indonesia yesterday with sending one last Landing Craft Air Cushioned ashore loaded with 60 pallets of humanitarian aid supplies before handing the job over to a Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force aboard the USS Essex and USS Fort McHenry comprised of Marines and Sailors from Okinawa, Japan.


The 15th MEU (SOC) was in the Western Pacific when the Dec. 26 tsunami tragically claimed more than 160,000 lives, and was soon after called upon to deliver humanitarian aid to the Indonesian island of Sumatra, one of the hardest hit areas in the region.


On Jan. 4, the 15th MEU (SOC) arrived in the waters off of Indonesia and began the first of many missions ashore to provide relief for the victims. For the first couple days, helicopters from the USS Bonhomme Richard made trips to Medan where they picked up supplies from a warehouse and flew them back to the ship. Once all the supplies were loaded, the 15th MEU (SOC) transported them to the western side of Sumatra to distribute to some of devastated cities.


On Jan. 6, the first day of aid distribution, helicopters flew in more than two tons of much needed food and drinking water. Many roads and bridges on the island had been washed out or destroyed by the seawater that surged miles inland.


With limited ground transportation available and a lack of landing spaces for helicopters, pilots and crews were restricted at times to hovering close to the ground and pushing crates of supplies out the back of their helos in some of the remote areas.


From Jan. 6-18, Marine Corps and Navy pilots joined efforts and flew 275 flights to shore, delivering 375 pallets of humanitarian aid supplies. Pallets included everything from fresh water and humanitarian rations, to bags of rice and boxes of medical supplies.


“We really had to show our flexibilities for this operation,” said Marine Capt. Jamey R. Stover, the transportation support detachment commander and humanitarian assistance disaster relief commander. “We had to run numerous Helicopter Support Teams [from MEU Service Support Group 15] to outlying areas of the country and their work there was key to the success of the mission.”


The main task of HSTs is connecting external loads to helicopters for them to be transported by air to another location, including hundreds of pallets of humanitarian aid supplies that were flown in by the 15th MEU.


Each morning for the last two weeks, the sun slowly rose over the horizon to greet the Marines and Sailors making their way ashore to help distribute supplies and provide medical assistance to the many victims. The USS Bonhomme Richard was also host to a number of civilian media personnel and escorted them along for documentation on a number of missions.


The 15th MEU (SOC) provided aid in numerous cities including Meulaboh, Blang Pidie, and Calang. Before any of the missions could be conducted, coordination had to be made with Indonesian officials and military leadership. The host nation sensitivities required U.S forces to go ashore unarmed and rely on Indonesian military for force protection.


The first LCAC went ashore on Jan. 10, loaded with 33 pallets of supplies to be distributed. As it departed the ship, more Marines and Sailors made their way towards land in helicopters to provide a landing spot for the LCAC and establish communication between the landing site, LCAC, and ship.


Day after day as more and more crates of supplies were brought ashore either by helo or LCAC, working parties of Marines and Sailors were there waiting to help unload and further distribute them to the victims. French Emergency Service Workers and Local Indonesian Soldiers were also present to assist U.S. forces with the distribution.


Navy Corpsmen and Dental technicians were also flown ashore daily to lend a hand at local hospitals and refugee camps. “Many of the medical cases coming in are psychological,” according to Dental Technician 3rd Class Romell Richardson. “We had one child come in who has hardly had any sleep since the tsunami. He saw his entire family get swept away in the wave and has been having nightmares about it ever since.”


While driving through towns or flying low to deliver supplies or aid the Marines and Sailors were often greeted with friendly waves and smiles from local residents. “It’s almost unreal as we drive down the street and numerous civilians are waving to us yelling “Semper Fi” and giving us the thumbs up. Some of the native medical personnel have even opened the doors of their homes to us offering to cook us dinner,” said Richardson.
After just one week of Operation Unified Assistance, the 15th MEU (SOC) had pushed more than 200 tons of humanitarian aid supplies ashore.


As challenges arose, the 15th MEU (SOC) was able to flex their capabilities and put the last six months of training to work. “The HSTs had to rig things that they had never rigged before including Red Cross trailers and one helicopter that crashed,” according to Stover. The Marines were tasked with moving a Red Cross water purification unit trailer and a Navy helicopter that crashed in Banda Aceh. “Despite the challenges, all the lifts went smoothly without one complication,” said Stover.


Even with humanitarian efforts running smoothly, officials continue to find more bodies amongst the piles of ruble that remain in and around the cities. “Very few of us have ever visited a city or met a survivor of a tragedy that wiped out 25,000 people [like in the city of Meulaboh],” said Col. T. C. Greenwood, commanding officer of the 15th MEU (SOC). “The magnitude of this natural disaster defies comprehension.”


The heaps of debris still littering the streets and homes on Sumatra are not something that many of the Marines and Sailors will soon forget. “The destruction was far worse and reached further inland than I ever expected,” said Davenport, Iowa native Cpl. Mathew R. Rank, a Maritime Special Purpose Force radio operator. “You just can’t come to understand the amount of destruction until you see it first hand.”


While Marines ashore delivered supplies, those remaining onboard worked to build pallets, load aircraft and landing craft. Helicopters transported supplies from the USS Rushmore to the USS Bonhomme Richard where combat cargo Marines worked relentlessly organizing the supplies and preparing them to be taken ashore.


Before any of the missions took place, 15th MEU (SOC) Marines with the Command Element, S-4 section were logging long days in the office organizing each mission. “The S-4 Marines were very involved, putting in 16 to 18 hour days planning and organizing what would go ashore with each mission,” said Staff Sgt. Chris Boyden, a native of Rochester, Minn., and the embarkation chief for the 15th MEU (SOC).


Many of the service members who made it ashore to assist with the humanitarian aid were happy to do so. “I felt more pride handing out food and water to all the victims than I ever have before,” said Rank.


After the last LCAC from the 15th MEU (SOC) unloaded its supplies yesterday, the 15th MEU (SOC) had delivered well over 1,000,000 lbs of supplies to victims. Included in the 1,000,000 lbs were thousands of MREs, and thousands of gallons of fresh water.


“It was both humbling and a privilege to help humanity in what was one of the worst natural disasters in history,” said Greenwood. “We undoubtedly saved lives and relieved some suffering from the victims.”