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Navy, Coast Guard bring supplies to Haitians

The amphibious assault ship Kearsarge arrived in the waters off Haiti on Monday to begin providing relief to victims of Tropical Storms Hanna and Gustav, as well as Hurricane Ike, which have battered the island nation over the past week.

It’s the first time the Navy’s new Mayport, Fla.-based 4th Fleet, which stood up as the Navy component of U.S. Southern Command in July, has tasked a ship to respond to an emergency.

Four CH-53E Sea Stallions from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464, based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., along with two Navy MH-60S Seahawks from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron based in Norfolk, Va., onboard Kearsarge started flying missions immediately to identify suitable landing sites.

“The tasking is for logistics support,” said. Lt. Joe Vasquez, spokesman for the U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command in Mayport. “The Kearsarge also has three landing craft onboard that will be able to ferry supplies to coastal and riverine areas inaccessible to the helicopters.

The combined capacity of the helicopters and landing craft is 253 metric tons, Vasquez said.

The ship was diverted Saturday during a scheduled port visit in Santa Marta, Colombia, where it had been operating in support of Operation Continuing Promise.

Kearsarge is specifically tasked with U.S. Agency for International Development in Haiti, Vasquez said, and will primarily be used to move cargo and equipment between the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, and the cities of Gonaives, Jeremie, Saint Marc, Port de Paix, Jacmel and Les Cayes.

U.S. military assistance to a foreign nation must be requested by the host nation through the U.S. ambassador, Vasquez said. Once the formal request is received in Washington, he said, the lead federal agent, USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance then asks the Defense Department for military assistance.

USAID is providing $7.1 million in assistance to Haitians, according to its Web site.

The Coast Guard also delivered supplies to the region Friday and Saturday.

Two HH-60 Jayhawk helicopters from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Fla., delivered aid from the U.S. Agency for International Development to Gonaives, Haiti, on Friday. The cutter Legare also carried an additional 33 to 35 tons of supplies, including staple foods, hygiene and medical kits, tents and plastic sheeting.