*EPF304 12/29/2004
Huge U.S. Military Relief Effort Moves to Tsunami-Struck Region
(Freshwater-producing ships steaming from Diego Garcia, Guam) (660)

By Merle D. Kellerhals, Jr.
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- U.S. military forces from throughout the Pacific region are rushing humanitarian supplies and assistance to countries devastated by a catastrophic earthquake that generated a tsunami in the Indian Ocean.

The natural disaster killed tens of thousands and destroyed property worth billions of dollars.

The military ships and aircraft are rapidly moving into the region as part of a greater U.S. response to the 9.0-magnitude earthquake that struck early on December 26, said Marine Lieutenant General James T. Conway, who is director of operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

At a December 29 State Department news briefing, Conway said that Admiral Thomas Fargo, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii, has set up Joint Task Force 536 to direct and support military humanitarian-relief operations throughout the Indian Ocean region.

"That headquarters is already in the process of deploying," Conway said. "A forward command element has moved to Utapao, Thailand." The Thai government gave the United States permission to use its facilities at the Utapao Royal Thai Air Base.

Three military disaster-relief assessment teams are either in place or are moving into place to make an immediate assessment of the nature and the scope of the disaster. The first team arrived in Thailand early December 29, a second was to arrive later the same day in Sri Lanka, and a third will arrive in Indonesia December 30.

The Navy is immediately moving five freshwater-producing ships from Guam to the region, Conway said. "Each ship can produce 90,000 gallons of fresh water a day, and of course that'll be extremely valuable," he said. Pacific Command is sending two additional freshwater-producing ships from Diego Garcia that can also produce 90,000 gallons daily.

A sixth ship from Guam with a field hospital is also being sent to the region. The field hospital can be sent ashore once it arrives, he said, depending on the need.

"The ships out of Guam will take seven days to reach Thailand, perhaps as many as 11 [days] if they go all the way over to Sri Lanka and must go through the Straits of Molucca," Conway said. The ships steaming from Diego Garcia should reach their stations in four to five days, he said.

Six U.S. Air Force C-130 cargo planes, flying from Yokota, Japan, and loaded with emergency relief supplies and assessment teams, will be operating from the Utapao air base, he said. Nine U.S. Navy P-3 Orion reconnaissance aircraft from Kadena, Japan, have been sent to the region as well. "As we speak, there are at least two P-3s in the air, conducting that initial observation and reconnaissance of some of the damage sites to further the assessment," said Conway.

The Navy's five-ship USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, which is part of the U.S. 7th Fleet, was diverted from a port visit in Hong Kong to the Gulf of Thailand, Conway said. Before the joint task force arrives, aircraft from the Abraham Lincoln will conduct a reconnaissance of the Molucca Straits to check for debris that could hamper the carrier's movement.

The Abraham Lincoln has 12 helicopters on board that will be used in assisting disaster relief, reconnaissance and recovery operations, Conroy said. The carrier's supporting ships are scheduled to take position off the island of Sumatra.

The USS Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group in Guam will forgo port visits there and in Singapore to move quickly to the Bay of Bengal, Conway said. It should be in position before January 7, 2005, he said.

"It has seven ships associated with the strike group, [and] carries 25 helicopters, which will be valuable to us again in disaster relief," he said. The Bonhomme Richard group has 2,100 Marines and 1,400 sailors.

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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