• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

USS Fort McHenry Supports Canadian Ship in Haiti Relief

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS100124-07
Release Date: 1/24/2010 11:24:00 AM

By Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Rachael L. Leslie, NPASE East SEAOPDET

NEPLY, Haiti (NNS) -- The amphibious dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) began providing amphibious transportation support to the Canadian ship HMCS Athabaskan (DDH-282), off the coast of Haiti Jan. 22.

Fort McHenry is currently participating in Operation Unified Response, providing military support capabilities to civil authorities to help stabilize and improve the situation in Haiti following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake Jan. 12.

"This morning the close collaborative effort between Canadian and U.S. Navy forces once again enabled increased joint effect ashore from the sea in the Leogane region," said Capt. Art McDonald, maritime component commander to the Canadian Joint Task Group Haiti. "A time-savings of over an hour was the result of this mass movement by landing craft as opposed to multiple small boat sorties."

Fort McHenry's capability to transport a large amount of troops and equipment ashore quickly and effectively will allow the Athabaskan crew to spend an additional 200 man-hours supporting the relief efforts ashore.

"We all provide different assets and capabilities, and have different strengths," said Lt. Rose Goscinski, operations officer aboard Fort McHenry. "By working together we can multiply the efforts ashore."

Fort McHenry will send one of its LCM-8 boats to the Athabaskan each morning and transport its crew to the relief location, and it will go back to transport them back to their ship in the afternoon.

"I think this demonstrates what we're all here to do," said Goscinski. "We're all here for the same cause."

The engineers, medical and security personnel from Athabaskan are working with Saebees from Amphibious Construction Battalion Two (ACB-2), based out of Joint Amphibious Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Va., to provide support to the local populations of Neply and Birey, Haiti.

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. The USS Fort McHenry team includes the ship's crew, members of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Assault Craft Unit (ACU) Two, Beach Masters Unit (BMU) Two, and Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadrons (MSRON) Six and Four. The group's equipment is comprised of heavy-lift and utility helicopters, trucks and humvees, assault amphibian vehicles, and logistics capabilities to include water purification and limited medical support to further enhance the humanitarian relief efforts ashore.

For more news from Navy Public Affairs Support Element, Norfolk, visit www.navy.mil/local/pacennorfolk/.