Operation Tomodachi / Friendship
Operation Tomodachi is the Japanese Self Defense Force led-humanitarian-assistance operation aimed at, along with U.S. Department of Defense assets, providing search-and-rescue provisions, medical services, food, shelter, command and control, fuel and other capabilities in the wake of the March 11, 2011 earthquake of the coast of Japan.
The earthquake, of a 8.9 (later revised to 9.0) magnitude, struck the Eastern coast of the island of Honshu, Japan on March 11, 2011. It was the biggest earthquake to hit Japan in 140 years and the world's fourth largest recorded earthquake. Its epicenter located 373km (231 miles) North East of Tokyo sparked a tsunami that hit Japan's Miyagi and Iwate prefectures, with waves reaching up to 10 meters high. A tsunami warning was also initially issued for the entire Pacific bassin. The ensuing damage to Japanese coastal areas closest to the quake was extensive with deaths expected by some initial estimates to reach over 10,000.
The Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant, located approximately 177 km (109 miles) from the earthquak's epicenter and operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co., was also damaged, resulting in failures in to the facility's power supply and then of its backup power. Cooling systems used to keep the reactors under control failed, resulting in a series of fires, explosions and radioactive leakages. A week after the quake, authorities were still struggling to bring the rogue reactors under control.
U.S. President Obama, in a March 11 telephone call to Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, offered U.S. assitance. In response to requests by the Japanese government to assist in rescue and recovery operations, a number of U.S. military assets in the region were mobilized.
The United States has a large number of military assets on both the Japanese island of Okinawa, and throughout the Pacific region. This includes ships and aircraft and 38,000 military personnel along with 5,000 Defense Department civilian employees assigned to U.S. Forces Japan.
The Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) embarked aboard three ships of Amphibious Squadron 11 (PHIBRON 11) were tasked with providing humanitarian assistance/disaster relief (HADR) support to Japan, as directed. The Essex ARG was comprised of the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) and the dock landing ships USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49), USS Germantown (LSD 42) and USS Tortuga (LSD 46). Each ship is capable of supplying fresh water, medical contingency support, search and rescue (S&R) support. The Essex ARG's support also extends to heavy lift capibilities afforded by its fleet of CH-53E Sea Stallion and CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 262 and a number of amphibious crafts (LCACs). The 31st MEU was expected to arrive March 16 in support of Operation Tomodachi.
The USS Ronald (CVN 76) Carrier Strike Group was also tasked with providing assistance to relief efforts. Plans called for the aircraft carrier to serve as an afloat platform for helicopters from the Japan Self-defense Force, the Japanese coast guard and other civilian authoritie
After low-level contamination was detected in the air and on aircraft operating in the area, U.S. 7th Fleet moved to temporarily reposition its naval and air assets downwind and away from Japan’s Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant. Some Navy airmen and sailors participating in relief missions off the USS Ronald Reagan were reported have been exposed to radiation that leaked from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plants although levels of radioctivity were low. At the time, the USS Ronald Reagan was operating about 100 miles northeast of the nuclear facility.
As of 14 March 2011, the United States had eight ships operating east of Honshu with five additional vessles on the way, including the USS Tortuga, equipped with heavy-lift MH-53 helicopters, USS Preble (DDG 88) with embarked Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 43 air detachment.
The guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) also departed from Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka on March 12 to joing USS McCampbell (DDG 85) and USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) in assisting at-sea search and rescue recovery operations.
In addition, Air Mobility Command C-17 Globemaster IIIs were sent to Japan, loaded with search and rescue equipment and personnel. They were refueled along the way by KC-10 Extenders from the 60th Air Mobility Wing at Travis AFB. A PACAF RQ-4 Global Hawk from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam was also dispatched to aid disaster relief and recovery efforts by helping assess damage to towns, industrial infrastructure and other facilities. Navy P-3 Orion aircraft were also tasked with helping in area surveying efforts.
As of 16 March 2011, the US Navy had fourteen ships involved in humanitarian relief operations off Japan. These included their embarked aircraft and 17,000 sailors and Marines.
On 17 March 2011, US Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates to $35 million in initial Defense Department funds for humanitarian aid to Japan, in addition to $8 million planned to come from the US Agency for International Development. In a press conference on 17 March 2011, commander of US Pacific Command (PACOM) Admiral Robert Willard stated that PACOM was making use of Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Special Operations Command elements and was conducting combined operations with the Japanese Ground Self Defense Forces (JGSDF) as part of the humanitarian operations in Japan. US Northern Command (NORTHCOM) was also deploying an assessment team to the region to assess the situation throughout the affected areas, to include the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
As part of efforts to cool the core of the damaged No. 3 reactor at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant, five high-capacity pumping systems from U.S. NAVSEA Emergency Ship Salvage Material (ESSM) locker in Sasebo, Japan were provided to Japan's Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Group Nuclear Asset Management Department. They were delived by Air Mobility Command via USA C-17.
As of March 18, USS Tortuga was near Ominato, Honshu. On March 17, the ship had completed ashore delivery of 93 vehicles along with 273 Japan Ground Self Defense Force via landing craft Tomakomai, Hokkaido. The ship was scheduled to transport 5,000 bottles of water and 5,000 Meals Ready to Eat to Misawa.
The Logigistcs Combat Element (LCE), 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Forward, working from Sendai Airport, provided logistical support for Operation Tomodachi as part of Joint Support Forces - Japan (JSF-J). By 18 March 2011, LCE troops had Sendai airport cleaned of debris and repaired, allowing it to become a hub for the distribution of relief supplies. The LCE also supported convoy supply operations delivering supplies to the surrounding areas. The JSDF took the lead on these supply operations, coordinating with the LCE to plan and support the convoys.
As of March 19, 2011, approximately 17,000 U.S. servicemembers and over 100 aircraft were involved or preparing to support relief operations in Japan as part of Operationa Tomodachi. This ifigure included the 4,000 Marines and sailors from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and Amphibious Squadron 11 which had arrived off the coast of western Japan on March 18. Helicopters assigned to the 31st MEU flew aerial reconnaissance missions of the Akita port area as well as surveyed road networks and airfields to the east, in an effort to identify potential supply routes and staging areas.
As of late March 2011, over 11,000 had been reported dead with over 16,000 missing. Operation Tomodachi continued into April 2011, with US forces continuing their assistance to the Japanese Self-Defense Force and other Japanese authorities. By 11 April 2011, however, there were no ships still operating in support of the operation. The US military had also not been called to help with the most-recent aftershocks, though it remained positioned to respond to future requests by the Japanese government. Operation Tomodachi had effectively ended by the end April 2011, though the Joint Support Force, Japan remained active to respond to any additional requests for assistance from the Japanese government.
By 8 April 2011, convoys had delivered 45,200 gallons of water, a half ton of rice, one ton of hygiene kits, one ton of toys, 350 barrels of diesel fuel and 396 barrels of kerosene. The convoys also delivered 8 shower facilities and coordinated with 3rd MEB's Air Combat Element to install the showers in camps where people displaced by the disaster had gathered. The LCE also helped recover 4,800 vehicles, 12 fixed-wing aircraft, and 7 helicopters; helped clean up 2 schools to be used as camps for people left homeless by the disaster; and helped clear out other schools in preparation for Japanese school children to return to school in coming months. In all, the LCE helped remove some 2.5 million cubic feet of mud and debris.
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