Fort McHenry Sailors Help Clear a Road in Neply, Haiti
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS100122-41
Release Date: 1/22/2010 4:57:00 PM
By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Rachael L. Leslie, Navy Public Affairs Support Element, Norfolk
NEPLY, Haiti (NNS) -- Sailors from the amphibious dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) helped clear downed electric cables from a road in Neply, Haiti, Jan. 21.
The ship is part of the USS Bataan (LHD 5) Amphibious Relief Mission, currently deployed to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster response in support of Operation Unified Response, a joint military venture implemented after the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti.
According to Fort McHenry Command Master Chief (SW/AW) Andrew Thompson, Sailors constructed lifts from two by fours and used post-hole diggers to plant them in the ground along a two-mile stretch of highway.
Thompson said the evolution was important for Fort McHenry Sailors, and assisting those in need was a priority for him.
"It's important for the Fort McHenry crew to be a part of this because we want to partner up with the community and help them in any way that we can," said Thompson. "Personally, it makes me feel really good to be able to help because they are fellow human beings in need, and I think it's important that we help each other."
The team also included the ship's commanding officer, a damage controlman chief, a hull technician chief, electrician's mates and an interior communications electrician. These Sailors, with the help of Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), raised the cables more than 13 feet from the ground, ensuring heavy equipment would be able to pass, reaching areas which were only accessible by airlift until now.
"I will probably always be excited about my experience today," said Interior Communications Electrician 3rd Class Jared Moore. "I actually joined the Navy to do this kind of thing, to do something useful for the world. No matter how hot it was out there, or how much I hurt my hands and my body, it was more than worth it."
According to Neply town elders, the village and surrounding areas are currently without power and could remain that way for up to six months, a consequence of damage sustained to the area's main power plant during the earthquake.
Fort McHenry Sailors also discovered many homes were wired with makeshift power connections spliced into the main power line, creating unsafe conditions for the residents. In a secondary mission, Sailors were able to remove many of these electrical hazards.
"We took down a lot of the unsafe wiring with some very useful guidance from the residents, and made sure to leave what we took down with the families who it belonged to," said Moore. "The residents were very helpful in figuring out who everything belonged to."
The group also provided many residents with new, insulated wiring.
Thompson said the evolution was successful, and he remained appreciative of the impact Fort McHenry Sailors made in the area.
"We're grateful for the fact that we can access this port and utilize this area, and we're also contributing to the community while we're here," said Thompson. "We want to show them that we can bring services and keep their way of life intact, while at the same time making it safe for our vehicles to get through."
Sea-based amphibious ready forces, like the ones aboard Fort McHenry, bring added capabilities to aid the relief efforts in Haiti without taxing the already strained infrastructure ashore. Fort McHenry's team includes the ship's crew, members of the 22nd MEU, Assault Craft Unit 2, Beach Masters Unit 2 and Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadrons 4 and 6.
The group's equipment is comprised of heavy-lift and utility helicopters, trucks and humvees, assault amphibian vehicles and logistics capabilities including water purification and limited medical support to further enhance the humanitarian relief efforts ashore.
For more news from USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43), visit www.navy.mil/local/lsd43/.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
