Haiti and the Internet

[kham]

Eaglespeak has an unconfirmed report the crane ships have been activated, so that is very good news if true. It still will take time though, but it's about the only way to get large tonnages moving ashore, as well as heavy equipment; there is only so much airlift available (there is a real shooting war on still that just cant drop all the airlift needed there) plus, I'm not sure if C-5 or C-17s can get in and out of the field there with full loads (just under 10,000 feet of runway, if it is all usable) Hercs, Buffalos , and similar no problem, and they can also use the few auxilliary fields nearby -- but it is rapidly becoming not enough space at the airfield and not enough means to get the supplies out of there.

[bbjohn]

From what Kham is saying, it sounds as if there are many problem of getting aid to Haiti, most notably a very limited capacity at the nation's ports and airfields (or what remains of them). The situation is far more dire than it was on the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina. The problem there was the government relief agencies stumbling over their own red tape as they tried to meet the needs of the people. In Haiti, you have that problem plus a corrupt and ineffective government, and a limited capacity for bringing in supplies.

I know the Navy had the Seabees in World War II. They could build airfields in a matter of hours. We need something like that in Haiti. There also needs to be as little red tape as possible, and it would definitely help if the Haitian officials would be honest and concerned about their people for a change.

I hope no one minds me saying this, but you might want to pray for the relief workers, the military people, and everyone involved in the recovery effort. They're going to need all the help they can get. A little divine intervention would be welcome.

Big Bad John

[Lomax]

Logistically, they are screwed; the port has been destroyed, and would need rebuilding...

From what I hear on the news, cruise liners are still docking just up the coast.

On the wider aspect of effective/non-effective/bogus donations I suggest leaving it to the professionals. I recommend donating to the International Red Cross and trusting to their expertise.

[kham]

That's correct, but they do not unload any cargo, nor take on any either; plus, I havent checked their PoC's but I suspect they only drop the hook in the roadstead and send launches ashore. Even on a good day, most Carribean ports aint Miami

On the whole though, this is a good thing; tourists == money spent ashore in a country that desperately needs it

[kham]

Major hardware now on the way to Haiti.

This is what we talking about

Nice

[Duncan Edwards]

Major hardware now on the way to Haiti.

This is what we talking about

Nice

It will take a while to put these big pieces in place but once there it will become the Haitian port facilities for a while. The US Navy still operates construction battalions like the SeeBees of old. I watched them first hand in Gulfport, MS after Katrina. (Ever seen a bulldozier fly?) Anyhow, this will buy some time to get the real port facilities cleared.

There is more than "red tape" gumming things up in Haiti. Three million people who couldn't feed themselves before are now relying on a damaged airport with one runway and a wrecked infrastructure for survival after a major disaster. No matter how hard you try you can't possibly deliver sustenance to a major population like that overnight. When you are dealing with a place like Haiti where life is shit even in the best of times its even harder. None of this even begins to address how you are going to care medically for thousands of complicated injuries and restore infrastructure and housing before hurricane season in September. Haiti got hit with four major hurricanes last year and if nature repeats anything like that this season then the misery will only compound. What you are seeing is only the beginning of a protracted and expensive operation to help those who rarely helped themselves before.

[nachtjaeger]

I knew our military was in sad shape, but good grief. . . Barges and Bailey Bridges, maybe? Do something. {quick web search} No freakin' way! We sold or scrapped all the Newport class LSTs????

Yeah, the INLS would be the answer.

Where are the Wasp and her sister ships? Their LCACs and/or LCUs would be really helpful. The LCUs can carry 24 20' containers, or link up bow-ramp-to-stern-gate to make a temporary pier.

There are no modern equivalent to the Mulberries at all ; the closest thing would be the Navy's INLS but it's gonna take time, so be prepared for a lot of uninformed media whinage

[nachtjaeger]

OMG! A private company is going to have a makeshift port operating while the Navy is still spinning up? Major national embarrassment there.

Major hardware now on the way to Haiti.

This is what we talking about

Nice

[Duncan Edwards]

OMG! A private company is going to have a makeshift port operating while the Navy is still spinning up? Major national embarrassment there.

Nothing embarrassing. Our Navy nor any other keeps capabilities like this ready for a moments notice. You don't normally have to build a port overnight so why maintain the huge expense? Getting stuff on the beach with LSTs or LCACs or rowboats won't matter if it isn't in the right place with functioning roads leading away from it. Ports and airfields in the Dominican Republic are ready now and are being used as quickly as the required stuff can be brought to them. Everywhere we've been since Inchon we had access to first class port facilities. These crane ships have been operated under charter by the Military Sealift Command for decades in case they are needed and have rarely been used for more than exercises.

Right now the United States has parked a nuclear powered airfield off the Haitian coast that will support helicopters to do all the carrying of supplies and wounded until roads can be cleared. The arrival of the Bataan will double that number and bring heavy equipment that is lacking in Haiti. When the USNS Comfort arrives in a few days it will bring the world's largest trauma center and a 1000 bed hospital. I'm leaving a lot out here but no other navy on earth can come close to doing such as this.

General Russell Honore (ret.), hero of New Orleans after Katrina, has made the point that any confusion stems from having the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) put in charge of the effort. This is not a job that they are normally tasked with and they are not up to handling it right away. Our efforts are not in response to Pentagon planning but the United Nations and USAID. Former President Bill Clinton is present not as a representative of President Obama but working for the UN. All of these people claim to be working at the behest of the government of Haiti. There is understandably some beauracratic confusion going on.

I have two friends who will be delivering a load of anesthetics and antibiotics via pickup truck from the Dominican Republic tomorrow. This was urgently requested by "Dr. V", a missionary physician, in Port au Prince. Their major concern is the reported condition of the roads leading into Haiti. Their last ditch plan is to load as much as they can carry into backpacks and hike as many miles as needed. It will be interesting to get first hand reports from someone I know.

[bbjohn]

Their major concern is the reported condition of the roads leading into Haiti. Their last ditch plan is to load as much as they can carry into backpacks and hike as many miles as needed. It will be interesting to get first hand reports from someone I know.

If it works, do it! Whatever it takes! If getting things in by carrier pigeon worked, I'd recommend doing that, too.

Big Bad John