Navy Global Involvement

Navy responds after N. Pakistan earthquake devastates region

Northern Pakistan was the epicenter of a massive quake that registered a 7.6 on the Richter scale and left thousands dead and millions homeless. The Desert Hawks of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 26 sent two aircraft and more than half their detachment to Pakistan to help deliver medical supplies, water, and tents to earthquake victims to support the Pakistani government’s relief efforts.

USS Pearl Harbor arrived in Karachi, Pakistan, delivering 13 pieces of heavy machinery to support the Pakistani earthquake relief effort. Equipment such as dump trucks, front–end loaders, backhoes, cargo trucks, a road grader, a forklift, and a generator will help Sailors and members of the Pakistani military to clear and repair roads.

Navy switches into high gear for Hurricane Katrina cleanup

When Hurricane Katrina left a giant wake of destruction throughout the Gulf Coast, Navy Sailors worked with other military branches and government committees to help restore order, provide medical supplies and services, and conduct search and rescue missions.

Help arrived by air, sea, land, and even military mail as thousands of Soldiers, Sailors, Pilots, and civilians worked tirelessly in exhausting, near tropical conditions. Most recent Navy estimates indicate that the Navy placed 54 aircraft in five locations and 17 ships on station, treated more than 1,450 patients, and evacuated more than 8,000 people.

Fresh water stations delivered clean drinking water to tsunami survivors

Immediately following the tsunami’s path of destruction in Southeast Asia, the Fleet and Industrial Supply Center (FISC) sprang into action, responding to survivors’ needs for fresh water, food, clothing, shelter, and medical supplies. The rapid response of FISC facilities located in Yokosuka, Japan; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; and San Diego, California, played a large role in the Navy’s part of what is a multinational, multi service operation.

The most critical need of any disaster–laden area is fresh water. And, while all large ships have ways to process seawater into fresh water, they don’t have a great capacity to store it. That was until USS Bonhomme Richard’s Repair Division took on the job. They made more than 20 fresh water distribution manifolds out of salvaged materials, providing spigots and piping along with garden hoses to fill up to 10 five–gallon containers at a time.