The events in Haiti are going to effect the military family in ways that few may understand.
The world is watching the tragedy unfold in Haiti, our President has promised a start of $100 million dollars in aid, and former President Clinton and H.W. Bush are going down to help lead the support to this poverty stricken country.
The USNS Comfort, a Navy floating hospital ship has departed from New York with a crew of 64 and a staff of 560 medical personnel, the USS Carl Vinson over 3,000 sailors and officers on board and carrying 19 helicopters, is off shore, providing tons of support and vital transportation assets, starting with helicopters. The 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the vaulted 82nd Airborne have already sent an advance party in who parachuted in, with the remainder of the brigade to come in behind the lead elements. US Marines have established security at the Port-au-Prince airport, and will undoubtedly add security to this fragile nation. They are being delivered by US Air Force C-17s.
Four US Coast Guard ships and a Navy Destroyer are off shore, offering assistance with supplies and more helicopters. Air Force C130s are bringing in tons of supplies including precious water. Two more Coast Guard Cutters were en route to add to the support effort, where news report states that there may be as many as 50,000 dead. The US Coast Guard Cutter FORWARD was on the scene arriving the morning of the 7.3 magnitude earthquake.
The Delaware National Guard are preparing to deploy with much needed medical and support units, just as they did in past natural disasters. Over 2,200 US Marines on three more ships with even more equipment and supplies are expected to arrive in the next three days.
Americans have come to depend on this kind of response from the most powerful nation in the world, with the most powerful military forces in the world. But it comes with a cost.
As you watch the news coming from Haiti, watch for the unit patch on the right sleeve of our Army. That tells you that the young man or women wearing that has served at least one tour in combat in Iraq or Afghanistan. The Pentagon announced that the 3,500 soldiers from the 82nd would be performing rescue, recover and peace keeping missions and creating a “safe environment” for humanitarian aid as it arrives.
Why all this conversation about what they are doing? They are the same military families that are fighting a two front war in Iraq and Afghanistan and many have been on multiple rotations and will undoubtedly return with 12 to 24 months. This time nobody is shooting at them, but they are still absent from their homes and their families. Bad things still happen to good people, even if they are somewhere saving lives.
USA Cares continues to stand behind them and all that serve, we understand the challenges they face, many of us have worn the uniform and understand that this task is not a “combat” task and will not keep up from the next scheduled deployment into Iraq or Afghanistan. Other units may be moved up to fill a gap created by the additional demands of the 15,000 or so that are now focused on Haiti. That means families who were preparing for deployment later in the year, may see that moved up by four to six months, including all the preemptory training that is required before entering the war zone.
The USS Carl Vinson may very well have been scheduled to begin a float, now pulled to the Caribbean, and another Nimitz class carrier may be moved up to meet the operational needs that this 103 tons of combat airfield with its 3,200 crewmembers. All this effects Navy families around the world as deployment and training schedules are adjusted. The same is true with the Army and Marine units who stand in the deployment ready line.
Just thought you might see if from the military families’ eyes. USA Cares continues to see an average of 140 new cases a week. I suspect that will increase over the coming weeks. We continue to spend nearly $25,000 a week on these families. USA Cares has no greater purpose.
God Bless all of them, and thanks for your continued support of our mission.
Roger
