Kearsarge, Fourth Fleet Teams With Disaster Relief Agencies To Bring Aid To Hard-hit Haiti

Established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, USAID became the first U.S. foreign assistance organization whose primary emphasis was on long-range economic and social development assistance efforts. In Haiti, USAID is responsible for directing the contributions to thousands of other non-profit and international organizations. They also ensure that all of the aid supplies are given in a way that will effectively help those who have the greatest need.

"We are a team that is assembled for disasters overseas," said Dana Chivers from USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) office. "When a host nation requests assistance, we will respond."

Any U.S. military assistance to a foreign nation must be requested by the host nation through the U.S. ambassador. Then, as the lead federal agent, USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance fields the request and asks the Department of Defense for military assistance, if needed.

On Sept. 5, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) directed Commander, Fourth Fleet to divert the amphibious ship from its humanitarian/civic assistance (HCA) mission in Colombia to assist in the relief efforts in Haiti following destruction caused by Hurricane Hanna and the threat of Hurricane Ike.

"Haiti is in need of a lot of help in this very difficult time," said Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, Commander, U.S, Fourth Fleet. "We are here working very closely with various organizations to bring Haiti what it needs to pull through this tragedy,"

Also on scene is The World Food Program (WFP), the food aid branch of the United Nations, and the world's largest humanitarian agency. For more than 40 years, WFP has worked with foreign governments and more than 3,300 other international and local NGOs, including USAID, to distribute food to the hungry.

Sailors, Marines, Airmen, Soldiers and Coast Guardsmen embarked aboard Kearsarge are currently in Haiti working with both organizations to bring aid to the communities by assembling working parties to load and unload food on the ship's helicopters and landing craft utility vessels for delivery.

"We have a lot of humanitarian aid training in the military and it doesn't really hit home until we are actually here and using it," said Cmdr. Ansel Hills, from the Kearsarge. "Having the opportunity to be here helping and work with so many other great organizations is wonderful."

Overall, the Kearsarge mission in Haiti has delivered an estimated 350 metric tons of relief supplies in addition to 1,500 gallons of water.

"This is one of those missions you will always remember," said Marine Capt. Clennon Roe. "Even though we are a fighting force, I believe we have proved ourselves to effectively be able to deliver humanitarian support to various countries around the world when we are needed."

The capabilities of Kearsarge include the fast movement of personnel and cargo by helicopter and landing craft vessels, making it the ideal platform to support urgent humanitarian relief missions.