Haiti and the Military Response – DoD Roundtable

The Haitian crisis continues to receive world wide attention and the US military response continues to expand. We received an update during a Department of Defense (DoDLive) Bloggers Roundtable this evening with Lt General P. K. (Ken) Keen, Military Deputy Commander of US Southern Command providing an update on the disaster response. He has been designated Commander, Joint Task Force Haiti.

General Keen’s comments included praise for the efforts of the international community responding to the crisis! The general highlighted the efforts of the US Air Force airmen at the only international airport. They have taken over operations at the airport to expedite air traffic flow. General Keen described them as the “the best airmen in the world” and they were the first US military on the ground when 100 airmen from the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, FL arrived within 24 hours of the quake. Their team has improved the air flow from 13 flights a day before the earthquake to 180 flights (without one delay) today! They have established slot times, prioritized traffic flow with the government of Haiti, gone to 24 hour operations and have aircraft turned and offloaded in 2 hours or less.

But the general did not stop there but included the efforts of the US Coast Guard helicopter rescue crews and cutters for their fast response and life saving efforts. Today, the US military delivered 233,000 bottles of water; 148,000 rations, 12,000 pounds of medical supplies and 16 water purification plants. There are numerous field hospitals enroute to support the Israeli and Argentinian ones in place and the USNS Comfort hospital ship as well! The USS Bataan has arrived as has the USS Carl Vinson with their Marine and Navy helicopters. Currently, there are 1,400 US military on the ground in Haiti and 5,000 afloat on Navy and Coast Guard ships in Haitian waters. Gen Keen believes that the numbers will grow to 4-5,000 on the ground and 10,000 afloat.

Thank you to General Keen for taking his time to speak with us this evening during an impossible schedule and effort to focus on saving Haitian lives! General our thoughts and prayers are with you and the Haitian people!

Here are some additional articles on the military response to the humanitarian need in Haiti since the 7.0 earthquake struck last week:DoD photo by Fred W. Baker III

• 82nd Airborne Soldiers Begin Haiti Deployment
• Air Force Evaluates Damaged Haitian Airports
• Air Force Photographs Damage to Help Relief Effort
• Air Force Special Forces Rescue Seven in Haiti Relief Efforts
• Colonel Describes Orderly Traffic at Haiti Airport
• Comfort Staff Readies for Haitian Patients
• Defense Department Authorizes Up $20 Million in Immediate Haiti Relief
• Defense Department to Provide Blood Supplies to Haiti
• Florida Guard Establishes Flight Center for Haiti
• Garamone’s Blog: Comfort Crew Gets Off to Good Start
• Gates, Mullen Cite Aid Streaming into Haiti
• Haiti Relief Effort Spans Agencies
• Haitian Evacuees Sent to Joint Base McGuire
• Logistics Agency Prepares to Help Haiti
• Marine Unit Prepares for Haiti Response
• Marines Embark on Haiti Response Mission
• Military ‘Working Feverishly’ to Help Haiti, Commander Says
• Military Assesses Haiti Disaster, Readies for Response
• Military Makes Initial Assessments in Haiti, Mullen Says
• Military Preps for Broader Haiti Relief Mission
• National Guard Stands Ready to Help in Haiti
• Obama Makes Haiti Response Top U.S. Priority
• Obama Permits Reserve Activations for Haiti Effort
• Obama Pledges Continued Commitment to Haiti
• Ohio Air Guard Assists Haiti Relief Efforts
• Ohio Guard Pilot Describes Scene in Haiti
• Pennsylvania Guard to Broadcast to Haitians
• Richmond Supply Center Prepares to Help Haiti
• Security Incidents in Haiti Impede Relief Efforts, General Says
• Security Role in Haiti to Gain Prominence, Keen Says
• Southcom Officials Provide Haiti Update
• Special Ops C-130s, Teams Provide Disaster Relief
• Top Navy Doc Predicts Long USNS Comfort Deployment
• Troops Set Up Front Lines for Survival in Haiti
• U.S., Haitian Officials Work Together on Quake Relief
• USNS Comfort Begins Race to Haiti
• USNS Comfort Readies to Leave for Haiti
• USS Carl Vinson Arrives in Haiti

Photo Credits:

Photo Credit: Airmen take the first step in providing relief supplies to Haiti Jan. 14, 2010, at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. Together, they loaded bottles of water and other relief supplies on a C-17 Globemaster III in support of Haiti humanitarian relief operations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Charles Russell)

byColonel KonMonday, January 18, 2010Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestMilitary Life:Col K,DoD Roundtable,Haiti