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Wasp, Samuel B. Roberts' Helicopter Crews Deliver Relief Supplies to Hurricane Victims

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS070911-08
Release Date: 9/11/2007 2:03:00 PM

From Commander, Task Group 40.0 Public Affairs

PUERTO CABEZAS, Nicaragua (NNS) -- Aerial delivery of relief supplies to victims of Hurricane Felix began from USS Wasp (LHD 1) Sept. 7, and concluded from USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 28) Sept. 10.

The deliveries made possible with helicopter crews and ground support personnel directing distribution and loading relief supplies.

Commander, Task Group (CTG) 40.0 directed the combined and joint distribution mission at sea from USS Wasp. It included personnel from Joint Task Force Bravo out of Soto Cano Air Base in Honduras, Nicaraguan military and the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA).

“Our helicopters flew over the region Thursday and saw many communities that received the worst of Felix’ wrath,” said Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron (HM) 15 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Frank Dowd. “The crews marked each position, and we relayed the information to coordinate the distribution efforts. It was easy to see we could make an immediate difference as soon as we could deliver relief supplies.”

Both HM-15 Det. 1 and Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 28 Det. 4 flew relief missions throughout the weekend.

One of the areas hardest hit was Sandy Bay, in the northern part of Nicaragua, near the boarder with Honduras. The eye of the storm passed just north of Sandy Bay, so it received much of Felix’s fury.

On-the-ground observers backed up the assessments from the air. Laymon Thomails from the European Commission for Human Assistance said the communities “need everything.” With nearly 16,000 people in 10 smaller communities without fresh water or food and very little medicine, the aid was welcome but led to some confusion.

Local residents were unaware of the potential hazards of hovering helicopters delivering relief supplies by air.

“As soon as they saw the water they started swarming forward,” said Aviation Warfare Systems Operator 2nd Class Nathan Kelly from HSC-28, who was on one of the first helicopters to deliver food and water to the Sandy Bay area. “It was not only awesome, but pretty frightening. It was a crazy but educational experience because we learned how to deal with that kind of desperation, and it definitely didn’t happen again after that.”

The objective of delivering emergency relief supplies, which included blankets, hygiene kits and plastic sheeting to provide cover from rain, much of which was provided by OFDA, was to help local governments and relief organizations achieve self-sufficiency as they rebuild from Felix’s destruction. Wasp, Samuel B. Roberts and the World Food Program provided emergency food and water to the hurricane victims.

Marvin Hendriquez, who lives in one of the Sandy Bay communities, said it will take three years to rebuild, but over time, they will. He said local communities were grateful for the help provided by the U.S. military.

Delivery of relief supplies from Wasp continued into Sept. 9, when Samuel B. Roberts took over the delivery mission with its embarked SH-60B helicopters from Anti-Submarine Helicopter Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 48 Det. 7. On its first day of the relief effort, Samuel B. Roberts and its embarked helicopters flew 11 missions, and filled and delivered nearly 1,000 bottles of water to the hardest-hit areas. Their total delivery of water was nearly 10,000 liters.

CTG 40.0 is led by Capt. Randy Snyder, who is Commander, Destroyer Squadron 40, which is headquartered in Mayport, Fla. HM-15 flies MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopters; HSC-28 flies SH-60S helicopters.