"The Worlds Symbol of Hope in Disaster"

ORNDOC BAY, Philippines (Nov. 16, 2013) Sailors from the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) and Philippine Army soldiers unload international aid from an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter from the Island Knights of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25 as an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter from the Warlords of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 51 prepares to land. HSC-25, HSM-51 and Mustin are with the George Washington Carrier Strike Group, which is supporting the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade in assisting the Philippine government in ongoing relief efforts in response to the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. j.g. Timothy Tran/Released))

Last week I was sitting on the couch with my 3rd grader. It was almost 9pm, well past her bedtime. She was finishing her homework late due to being out that evening shopping with mom, and I was enjoying a book as I tend to do in the evenings. We have a family rule that during homework time, the television is allowed to be on only as long as it is on the a Music Choice station - in most cases the Alternative music station.

My daughter finished her homework about 8:59, and I changed the channel over to CNN to see how Anderson Cooper was going to lead into his show. While I do not watch cable news very often, I had noted from Twitter that Anderson Cooper was in the Philippines, and I was very curious how CNN was reporting the response to the Typhoon.

As I was telling my daughter that her evening still isn't done, Thursday night being bath night, there was a silent pause in our conversation so we could have a staring contest between dad and daughter over this new 'bath time' information that was not being well received. In that silent moment, Anderson Cooper made a comment like "US Navy helicopters have become a global symbol of hope during crisis."

I got distracted when hearing that phrase, and repeated it out loud to myself. My daughter then asked me a question, "What does crisis mean?" My immediate thought was how fortunate I am that my eight year old child has never had to learn the meaning of that word crisis from experience. As I explained the definition, describing the term within the context of disaster, CNN flashes a picture of an MH-60 helicopter delivering humanitarian assistance to the people of the Philippines. My daughter, a right-brained thinker who has grown up heavily influenced by her much older left brained-sister, noted it is the same helicopter that I have a picture of on my office wall - a picture of the Bay Raiders of HSC-28 Det 2 from the Bataan's incredibly long 2011 deployment.

The voice of power interrupts our little conversation as mom sends my daughter up to the shower.

Fast forward to Wednesday night, where again the family is gathered to read and do homework listening to excellent music, as per our usual routine. That evening my youngest daughter asked me to check her paragraph. The classwork for the evening is for the students to write a paragraph based on an article written in this weeks Time For Kids magazine and other materials from school related to the Typhoon that hit the Philippines. I checked the TFK website, the article in the print version is not the same article they have online. On Thursday, exchanging emails with my daughters teacher, I was able to get the back story.

Every Monday the students discuss current events from the weekend. This weeks current event topic for class is the Typhoon. Several of the boys in the class had watched the news with their parents over the weekend and the centerpiece of the class discussion was the USS George Washington (CVN 73). The teacher, because she is freaking awesome, quickly pulled up a picture of the ship for the class to help the students fully appreciate how big an aircraft carrier is. My daughter, according to the teacher, contributed to this conversation by repeating her interpretation of what Anderson Cooper said - describing Navy helicopters as "the worlds symbol of hope in disaster."

For the art project this week, the students were asked to draw a picture related to the Typhoon, which are then placed around the classroom for the week. Due to my daughter leaving a form that needed to be filled out in her classroom, I walked into my daughters classroom with her to see the art the students had produced hanging on the walls of the classroom. There were pictures of aircraft carriers and helicopters, Marines and even a few dark pictures of broken homes and sad people, and in the center of the room my daughter showed me her picture - which was very similar to my picture of the Bay Raiders from HSC-28 in my office, except with gold glitter and glue she had written "The worlds symbol of hope in disaster."

Since the release of the Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower, the United States has not hesitated to commit major naval capabilities to humanitarian response and disaster recovery. While it isn't necessarily a new thing to commit aircraft carriers for HADR, the increased frequency of committing major naval capabilities like entire Carrier Strike Groups for that purpose can be specifically attributed to the elevated emphasis of humanitarian assistance and disaster response outlined in CS21. I do believe Anderson Cooper is on to something, and the US Navy helicopter has in fact become a symbol of hope in crisis around the world.

That symbolism is important, and represents a much stronger strategic communication than I have previously appreciated. Six years after the release of CS21 I note that it is primarily because of an active HADR policy by PACOM  - using aircraft carriers to respond to crisis in places like the Philippines and Japan, and building upon the 2005 Tsunami response by the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72); the forward deployed aircraft carrier in the Pacific is no longer simply a symbol of American military power communicating political influence to the governments of the region, but thanks to the consistent great work of the helicopter squadrons supporting humanitarian assistance and disaster response, the aircraft carrier has also become a symbol of American power representing hope during crisis to the people of the region during their times of legitimate need.

That second part has significantly greater positive ramifications in support of America's "Pivot to Asia" policy than the first part, because regional support of the United States at the population level defuses criticism of American forward based presence while simultaneously reinforcing the value of the United States as the regions primary security provider, and by using "hard power" assets in support of HADR a positive American "soft power" message is being communicated to a broader audience than just the political level of the regional governments.

Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda

 The following is an incomplete list of assets various governments are sending or have already sent to support humanitarian assistance in response to Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda.

United States
USS George Washington (CVN 73)
USS Antietam (CG 54)
USS Cowpens (CG 63)
USS Mustin (DDG 89)
USS Lassen (DDG 82)
USS McCampbell (DDG 85)
USS Ashland (LSD 48)
USS Germantown (LSD 42)
USS Denver (LPD 9)
USS Emory S. Land (AS 39)
USNS Yukon (T-AO-202)
USNS Walter S. Diehl (T-AO 193)
USNS Bowditch (T-AGS 62)
USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE-4)
USNS Charles Drew (T-AKE 10)
USNS Mercy (T-AH 19)
Military airlift

Great Britain
HMS Illustrious (R06)
HMS Daring (D32)
Military airlift

Norway
Kapitan Felix Oca (NSA 16)

Japan
JDS Ise (DDH 182)
JDS Osumi (LSD 4001)
JDS Towada (AOE-422)
Military airlift (C-130s)

Australia
HMAS Tobruk (L 50)
Military airlift (C-130s)

India
Military airlift (C-130)

Indonesia
Military airlift (C-130)

Malaysia
Military airlift (C-130)

New Zealand
Military airlift (C-130)

Singapore
Military airlift (C-130)

South Korea
Military airlift (C-130s)

Sweden
Military airlift (C-130)

Taiwan
Military airlift (C-130)

Thailand
Military airlift (C-130)

Belgium
Military airlift

Canada
Military airlift (C-17, C-130s)

France
Military airlift

Germany
Military airlift

Italy
Military airlift

Netherlands
Military airlift

Spain
Military airlift

The response of the United States led by PACOM is remarkable. There are 20 US Navy helicopters  that have been providing support since Thursday, and 14 MV-22s as well. Those 34 US vertical lift aircraft outnumber the 31 helicopters the government of the Philippines had available when the disaster took place.

与人方便，自己方便

Pivot to the Gates of Tears

The clash between radical Islam and modernity manifesting itself in the littorals of the Indian Ocean is an interesting subject. Recently, one of my friends currently patrolling the Indian Ocean invited my attention to book on this very topic by Camille Pecastaing, a professor at Johns Hopkins SAIS.

The title and cover jacket (a photo of a lone Aegis cruiser) of Jihad in the Arabian Sea are a bit misleading; navalists looking for a detailed account of terrorism on the high seas might be disappointed, with only one chapter really devoted to al Qaeda’s activities on the water along with a quick treatment of Somali piracy. Those interested in understanding the reasons behind AQ's operations at sea can save some time and read a more concise account of that subject here.

That said, I'd strongly recommend the book anyone involved in researching the region or preparing to deploy there. The book provides a wealth of context on the Horn of Africa and Arabian Peninsula’s importance to al Qaeda. Detailed chapters on the violence and chaos endemic in Somalia and Yemen for decades give the reader a greater understanding of the conditions that allowed terrorism to take root there. Knowing the history and geography of areas in which policy makers and strategists are trying to devise solutions seems like common sense, but is often dismissed in favor of combing over the latest intelligence reports for "ground truth."

Rob Farley (and others) have written about the coming “pivot” of US defense focus to the Asia-Pacific. The reality is that a pivot has already occurred, especially in naval focus. As al Qaeda’s core has been decimated in South Central Asia, the network has dispersed to safe havens around the Indian Ocean and Africa where it can parasitically latch onto other insurgencies and unrest. Yet terrorism is just one of the problems driving US national interests in the region.

As Pecastaing writes, “At the dawn of the twenty-first century, the challenges for the countries on the littoral of the Arabian Sea are civil war(s), piracy, radical Islamism, transnational terrorism, and a real risk of environmental and economic failure on both sides of the [Bab el-Mandeb] strait.” Since the demise of Saddam Hussein, attention of the US Navy has shifted from the Arabian Gulf to the Indian Ocean in response to those challenges. While ground forces remain locked in a protracted nation-building effort in Afghanistan, since 2005-ish, the US Navy has dealt with a range of irregular threats from the Mediterranean to Pakistan’s Makran Coast. Quiet, but platform-intensive counter-terrorism operations, coalition piracy efforts over millions of square miles of ocean, large scale humanitarian assistance operations, and support to regime change in Libya are just a few of the missions that have driven demand and PERSTEMPO sky high for Naval and Marine Corps units of all types. Although in the long term, forecasters of a pivot to East Asia are likely correct, in the mid-term, we should expect continued requirements for naval presence in and around the Gates of Tears.

The opinions and views expressed in this post are those of the author alone and are presented in his personal capacity. They do not necessarily represent the views of U.S. Department of Defense, the US Navy, or any other agency.

Operation Tomodachi: Fukushima Plant Still Struggles

Luis Martinez of ABC News is reporting that a US nuclear emergency response team of Marines is being sent to Japan.

Approximately 155 Marines from the Marines' Chemical Biological Incident Response Force (CBIRF) received their deployment orders for Japan earlier today and are scheduled to arrive on Friday.

The team is being sent as what a Defense Department official calls "an initial response force" because they are only a portion of the much larger CBIRF unit.

Based at the Indian Head Naval Surface Warfare Center in Maryland, CBIRF is a Marine unit specially trained to counter the effects of a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive (CBRNE) incident. Usually, that entails being available to assist local, state and federal agencies with domestic emergency responses to CBRNE incidents.

The unit's deployment to Japan "will provide the U.S. on-scene commander a rapid response capability and, if requested, [allow the commander to] assist Japanese authorities by providing advice and expertise in the areas of agent detection and identification, casualty search, rescue, personnel decontamination and emergency medical care," a defense official said.

The deployment of the initial response force is not of an emergency nature, but more as a precautionary move in case they are needed, another defense official said.

The report goes on to note they will operate from Yokota Air Base outside of Tokyo, which is outside the 50 mile exclusion zone. Also reported today was news that seawater around the Fukushima plant is 4,385 times more than the legal limit, and radiation is potentially entering directly into the seawater from an unknown source.

Also important, Wednesdays update from Operation Tomodachi.

Seventh Fleet forces continue support of Japan Self Defense Force (JSDF) in Operation Tomodachi. With Sendai airport now open for military flights - and soon to be opened for commercial flights as well -- 7th Fleet’s focus has shifted to harbor clearance, consolidating relief supplies at airfields ashore, and preparing to assist with clean-up of debris.

USNS Safeguard (ARS 50) and USS Tortuga (LSD 46), Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5 and Underwater Construction Team 2 conducted additional surveys in preparation for port clearance operations at the port of Miyako. Visual surveys show extensive damage including commercial and pleasure craft sunk, concrete pier supports washed ashore and a permanent pier destroyed. Tortuga launched a Landing Craft Unit (LCU) equipped with side scan sonar to survey additional areas of the port. The side scan sonar provides detailed visuals of the harbor bottom to identify and prioritize dive sites for clearing. During today’s survey, the dive team discovered the remains of a victim of the tsunami of March 11. The Navy team immediately communicated the discovery to the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force, whose divers retrieved them.

Sailors and Marines from the USS Essex amphibious ready group and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) are planning for Operation “Field Day”, a clearing and clean up mission on the remote island of Oshima off the coast of Kessennuma. In conjunction with the Japan Ground Self Defense Force, the effort will include clearing the port, and clearing debris from local schools and government buildings. The island is dependent upon ferry service to and from the mainland, is the primary method for travel to/from the island and clearing the port allows this vital lifeline to resume. Clearing and opening of schools and government buildings is a significant step towards restoring the island to normal.

Helicopters from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 262 moved an additional 13 pallets of relief supplies from USS Essex (LHD 2), USS Germantown (LSD 42) and USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) to Misawa, where they will moved via C-130 aircraft to Sendai. From there, JGSDF and civilian relief authorities will able to distribute the items to disaster areas as needed. The JGSDF has opened most roads in the disaster areas, and are able to move most goods to displaced persons via ground transportation.

USNS Rappahannock (T-AO 204) and USNS Pecos (T-AO 197) arrived at the port of Yokosuka today. The Rappahannock transported 312 pallets of water it picked up from the port city of Gwangyang, South Korea. The water will be used by Fleet Industrial Supply Center (FISC) to support ongoing relief efforts. USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE 7) arrived in Sasebo. Both Pecos and Carl Brashear are taking on fuel and ships stores prior to returning to the fleet to support relief operations.

A P-3 “Orion” aircraft from the Skinny Dragons of Patrol Squadron Four (VP-4) conducted a search and rescue flight down the east coast of Japan to search for debris or objects at sea that could interfere with shipping. The P-3 returned to Kadena Air Force Base (AFB) upon completion of the mission and will stage from there for continued relief efforts.

The first of two U.S. Navy barges containing 500,000 gallons of fresh water from Commander, Facilities Activities Yokosuka (CFAY) was moved to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant today. The second will arrive tomorrow. Japanese authorities will use the fresh water to replace salt water currently in some of the reactors.

USNS Bridge (T-AOE 10) conducted resupply at sea (RAS) activities with USS McCampbell (DDG 85), USS Preble (DDG 88), USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), USS Mustin (DDG 89), USS Cowpens (CG 63), and USS Shiloh (CG 67), ships of the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) Carrier Strike Group (CSG), supplying fuel and additional supplies. Most of the relief supplies on these ships have been moved ashore to airfields in Misawa or Sendai where the JSDF can better access them to deliver to people in need.

Currently 16 ships, 130 aircraft and 13,076 personnel are actively engaged in operation Tomodachi. Those ships include USS Tortuga (LSD 46), USNS Safeguard (T-ARS-50), USS Essex (LHD 2), USS Germantown (LSD 42), USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49), USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), USS McCampbell (DDG 85), USS Preble (DDG 88), USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), USS Mustin (DDG 89), USS Cowpens (CG 63), USS Shiloh (CG 67), USNS Bridge (T-AOE 10), USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) and USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE 4).

Since Operation Tomodachi started, U.S. 7th Fleet forces have delivered more than 250 tons of relief supplies to survivors of the tsunami and earthquake in support of Japan Self Defense Force efforts.

A few thoughts.

1) I am still blown away by the magnitude of the disaster in Japan. It isn't just the regional damage that has probably killed more than 20,000 people. The ongoing struggle at the nuclear reactor adds uncertainty to just about everything. Radiation concerns apply to their food sources, water supplies, and the wind has been blowing radiation all over their land. Many people are still struggling for electricity, and oh btw it's been snowing. Yet, the people of Japan move forward. The picture above reads "To everybody in the U.S. 7th Fleet: Thank you. The Japanese people will not be beaten."

2) The PAOs in the Pacific are doing a fabulous job. Seriously... they have been outstanding in their efforts in matching the efforts of those in field. There is only one example of stupidity by a PAO on Facebook, and it has been scrubbed from all official sites although not before the poor guy was torn a new asshole on SailorBob. It was a good story (see Google cache here while it lasts), but the guy made an error by speaking in an official capacity with those opinions regarding Americans - even if they aren't necessarily disagreeable opinions.

3) It was controversial when the Navy elevated humanitarian assistance and disaster response to a strategic priority in the Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower. Does anyone still have any lingering doubts about that decision? I've been thinking about how many officers there are in Navy Medicine, perhaps one of the most underrated Federally funded health care organizations in America. I've been thinking about the Continuing Promise deployment of USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) and the Pacific Partnership 2011 deployment of USS Cleveland (LPD 7), and I think about Haiti, the Pakistan floods, and now Japan...and I think the maritime strategists got it right. HA/DR is strategic, HA/DR is influence, and HA/DR is one of the best peacetime defense investments per dollar the United States government is making today.