From U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs
USS BLUE RIDGE, At Sea (March 21, 2011) - A total of 12,750 personnel, 20 ships, and 140 aircraft of U.S. 7th Fleet are continuing to participate in Operation Tomodachi. Today, utilizing 14 helicopters, the fleet delivered more than 47 tons of relief supplies bringing the total of aid delivered to Japan since the beginning of the crisis to 227 tons.
USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49), USS Germantown (LSD 42), USS Tortuga (LSD 46) along with USS Essex (LHD 2) and the embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit are off the coast near Hachinohe to assist humanitarian aid efforts along the affected northeastern coast to reach people in remote areas where the tsunami hit hardest. Ships of the Essex ARG conducted underway replenishment today with the USNS Matthew Perry.
Helicopters with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 262 (Reinforced), 31st MEU, flew two CH-46 helicopters from the USS Essex to deliver humanitarian aid supplies including blankets and fresh water to Miyako city. The pilots also conducted aerial surveys of 200 miles of the affected coastline between Miyako and Ofunato.
A P-3 from VP-4 deployed to Misawa conducted reconnaissance of coastal areas to continue the search for displaced people and to find new landing zones to service them.
USS George Washington got underway from Yokosuka today to assure the ship can sustain a state of readiness in the long term for the defense of Japan. The forward deployed carrier is scheduled to remain in the local waters off Japan. Moving USS George Washington is a precaution given the capabilities of the vessel and the complex nature of this disaster. USS Lassen also departed Yokosuka today.
The USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group to include USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), USS Preble (DDG 88), USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62), USS John S. McCain (DDG 56), USS McCampbell (DDG 85), USS Mustin (89) and USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) along with USS Cowpens (CG-63) and USS Shiloh (CG-67) continued operations north of Sendai. Strike group helicopters carried 17 tons of supplies to 24 separate sites, and identified 16 additional sites where groups of people are isolated to be serviced with supplies in the coming days. Aircrews report that people on the ground are particularly interested in receiving shipments of gasoline, kerosene or diesel fuel.
USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), flagship for the United States Seventh Fleet, conducted a connected replenishment with USNS Pecos today in the vicinity of Nagasaki.
The commander, U.S. Pacific Command, directed that precautionary measures be taken due to the potential of future radiological exposures, including directing the distribution of potassium iodide (KI) tablets to military personnel and their families in Yokosuka and Atsugi. Personnel in Yokosuka and Atsugi will not actually take KI unless advised to do so by U.S. or Japanese authorities. Seventh Fleet personnel conducting disaster relief missions inside of 100 nautical miles from the Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant continue to take KI as a precautionary measure.
Families of Seventh Fleet Sailors are continuing to voluntarily depart Yokosuka and Atsugi as part of the Military Assisted Departure for Department of Defense personnel.
US Pacific Fleet
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Essex Embarks Radiological Assessment Control Team
By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Johnie Hickmon
SEA OF JAPAN - Members of a radiological assistance team landed aboard the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) to assist in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) efforts March 19.
The team, consisting of 21 military and civilian personnel, comprise of personnel from Guam, Puget Sound, Wash., Norfolk, Va., and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Naval Ship Yards. Under the command of Adm. Kirkland H. Donald, the director of Naval Nuclear Propulsion and Deputy Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration's Naval Reactors, they will disperse to provide assistance to Essex, USS Harper’s Ferry (LSD 49), and USS Germantown (LSD 42). Their mission is to check for radiation on the aircraft and personnel of the Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) who go on the HADR missions to ensure they are not exposed to any radiation.
“We will be monitoring flight crews and any passengers that go out to the affected zones in Honshu,” said George Bowyer, a radiological physical science technician.
“We will be looking for any signs of radioactivity on the people and planes that return back to the ship from their missions,” said Machinist’s Mate 1st Class (SW) Wade Gerloff, a radiological control technician. “If we find any signs of radioactivity, we will remove and prevent the spread to others on the ship.” Among the equipment they brought aboard to help them perform their job are radiac survey meters, portable air samplers, and personal dosimetry. Each piece of equipment serves instrumental in helping the team perform their mission.
“The radiac survey meter monitors for radiation,” said Carlos Soto, a radiological control technician. “The portable air sampler takes samples and tests for radiation in the air. The personal dosimetry monitors for radiation a person may have been exposed to. These personal devices will be given to flight crews and random ship personnel. We use the data to see how much radiation each person may have been exposed to.”
While providing humanitarian assistance is the main objective of the crew, ensuring the safety of the men and women performing these humanitarian missions is the main objective of the radiological assessment control team.
“The safety of the crew is our first priority,” said Essex Commanding Officer David Fluker. “Without having a healthy crew in this environment, we can’t do our job.”
The Essex ARG, commanded by Commander, Amphibious Squadron 11 Capt. Bradley Lee, is comprised of the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship Essex and the dock landing ships Harpers Ferry, Germantown, and USS Tortuga (LSD 46). Essex is currently off the coast of Japan to conduct HADR operations as directed in support of Operation Tomodachi.
US Pacific Fleet
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Seabees Survey Destruction in Sendai
By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Steve White, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 Public Affairs
OKINAWA, Japan (NNS) - Five Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133 at Camp Shields in Okinawa, Japan, traveled to mainland Japan March 12 to join the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force and Commander Task Force 76.
Four of the Seabees will work as subject matter experts within a humanitarian assistance survey team, and one Seabee will function as a liaison officer in Yokota, Japan.
The survey team will begin assessing the damages caused by the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami that struck Sendai, Japan, March 11.
Their expertise in providing medical care, setting up communication systems and conducting engineering projects in arduous conditions will assist the U.S. military and Japanese government by assessing critical facilities. These facilities include schools, government buildings and locations that could support the search and rescue missions being conducted for Operation Tomodachi.
"They're out there to get an assessment of the damage and work with the government of Japan on finding out what the requirements are and how the U.S. military can best support the operations," said Lt. Cmdr. Joshua Gamez, NMCB 133's operations officer.
When the teams arrive in the vicinity of Sendai, Japan, they will report their findings and assessments to the liaison officer in Yokota, who will then relay the information back to NMCB 133 headquarters in Okinawa.
The length of time that the surveys will be conducted may last anywhere from two weeks to a month, but the Seabees from NMCB 133 are willing to stay in Japan for as long as the mission requires.
"I think it's very important that we're here to support; it's what we're here to do. Seabees are deployed around the world, and NMCB 133, specifically, is deployed to the Pacific for operations just like this - to support and provide humanitarian assistance, disaster recovery and operations," said Gamez.
US Pacific Fleet
