The Wasp class amphibious assault ship USS Bataan is en-route to aid in the relief and recovery operations in Haiti. Less than one month after returning from a combat mission in support of Afghan operations, the Bataan and the embarked 22nd MEU are preparing to employ their array of equipment and highly trained personnel to bring much needed supplies and manpower to the devastation in Haiti.
The units of the 22nd MEU are presently dockside taking on equipment and relief supplies for Haiti, and are slated to put to sea late tonight for arrival in Haitian waters this weekend. In a telephone roundtable with bloggers, Captain Clark Carpenter, public affairs officer for the 22nd MEU, stated that the Marine’s morale is “off the charts”; they know the urgency of the mission and are eager to begin. Many of the sailors and marines going on this mission were on post-deployment leave with their families, but were called to action to help rescue the people of Haiti.
Rather than their traditional compliment of tanks and artillery, the 22nd MEU is packing extra engineers, logistics, corpsmen and has gathered an augmented group of translators, public-relations and press specialists to aid in the effort. The Marines also gathered members of the Corps who were from Haiti or had family there to serve as liaisons and help coordinate relief.
The Bataan and her battle group will be supported by Marine heavy lift squadron 461’s CH-53 heavy lift helicopters, augmented with lighter UH-1N Hueys.
The expeditionary force’s advance team is headed in country today, lead by the the MEU executive officer Lt. Col. Verda, along with subject matter experts and Marines trained to interface and coordinate with State Department officials and relief agencies. The 22nd MEU are no first timers to relief efforts, the unit was integral to Operation Sea Angel II to bring relief to Bangladesh in 2007, after a tropical cyclone devastated the coastal regions of that country. The Bataan also aided in relief and rescue efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Once in Haiti, the units of the 22nd MEU will use their heavy lift helicopters to ferry supplies and equipment into the city, while they will use their massive LCAC landing craft to move hundreds of tons ashore every day. The Marines are likely to remain based at sea, working ashore by day and returning to the ship at night, in order to lessen their impact on the already shattered local infrastructure.
