VIDEO: Troops Board Helicopter  

VIDEO: Aboard USS Bataan

VIDEO: Marines Flex Muscle

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Feb. 1: 22d MEU–Haiti

Andrew Lubin, Embedded Reporter

Off Route 200, 4 miles west of Leogane: “We’ve got to put a UN-NGO face on this.” Major Christopher Wills, Battalion Landing Team 3/2 quietly told Leatherneck. “The Sri Lankans [the security arm of the UN mission] only got here a few weeks before the earthquake [and] don’t have any ‘Terps,’ but they’ll be here after we leave. So we’ll help them.”

Company K, BLT 3/2 had brought two trucks, one of food, and one of bottled water, to a refugee camp a few miles west of Camp Kilo, the latest small Marine encampment. Set up in a small field surrounded by sugar cane and cows, the camp consisted of four tarps around a pile of MRE boxes and cases of bottled water. The mission, Wills explained, was to support a Sri Lankan platoon-sized unit at a displaced-persons camp and bring enough supplies to give perhaps 1,100 men, women, and children an MRE and a bottle of water.

Although the Sri Lankan troops are the lead UN force in Haiti, they clearly had no concept of what was expected from them. As “Kilo” Company drove into the camp, groups of Haitians were milling around in the hot, humid, and sunny day as a few blue-helmeted troops stood and watched.

As the Marines disembarked their trucks and humvees, several Haitian aid workers appeared, as did a Sri Lankan captain, who ordered the refugees assembled into lines: young children, women and girls, men and teenage boys, and a small line of very old people. As First Sergeant Jimmie Combs grabbed several Haitian workers and readied them to distribute the MREs and water, the other aid workers quickly assembled the refugees into the proper lines – where they waited patiently.

“Cyrille,” Maj Wills called over Marine Private James Cyrille, “talk to them and tell them we’ll be starting soon. Cyrille (Weapons Co, 2d Bn, 6th Marines, 2d Marine Division) is one of the 70+ Creole-speaking Haitian-American Marines who volunteered to assist the 22d MEU. Cyrille grabbed his bullhorn and with Lance Corporal Jamie Hayward providing security as they walked among the lines of increasingly restless refugees, Cyrille pleaded with the crowd for calm and patience and promised the distribution would start momentarily.

Click picture to watch video.

Maj Wills and 1stSgt Combs ensured Cyrille’s promises were kept. The Sri Lankan captain had arbitrarily decided that groups of five men and five women would alternate in receiving aid—until Will and Combs saw an elderly Haitian woman collapse in front of them. The aid handout would begin NOW, the Sri Lankan was advised, and it would begin with the group of elderly women and men swaying in front of them.

With 1stSgt Combs motioning to the Haitian aid workers, the elderly were walked to the Marine vehicles and gently handed an MRE and a bottle of water. The long lines of women and men, adult and teens, quickly and calmly received their aid; many of them waving shyly and smiling at the Kilo Co Marines walking alongside them.

The line of children remained. Ranging from perhaps ages 2 – 10, they had been entertained by the Marines who gravitated towards the smiling, chattering children. “I have a daughter at home,” Sergeant Jeff Potter said as he shook hands and played with the younger children, “and it’s easy to visualize mine here. I’m happy to be able to help.” With SSgt Jonathan Breeden leading the way, the workers escorted the children to receive their aid packages as 1stSgt Combs towering over the children and UN soldiers. As he oversaw the operation, each child received his or her food and water. “This was a good day,” Maj Wills commented. “The aid workers did a good job, and the Sri Lankans just need to learn what’s expected of them. And wasn’t it great helping all those kids!”

Lubin Note: This is my last posting as I’m departing Haiti. I’d like to thank CPT Paul Dahlen of the Puerto Rican Army National Guard, Aviation Support, whose helo pilots flew me to Port-au-Prince, along with Captains Clark Carpenter and Binford Strickland, Public Affairs Officers, 22d MEU. In every possible sense, they “helped make it happen.”

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Jan. 29: 22d MEU–Haiti

With 1st Recon Platoon, BLT 3/2

By Andrew Lubin

Dano, Haiti – Landing Zone Sting Ray: While the scenes of individual rescues in Port-au-Prince still make the television news, the Marines of Captain Robin Wagner’s 1st Recon Platoon are assisting a far larger segment of the population.
“The Marine mission is unique,” Capt Wagner told Leatherneck. “We’re not distributing food and water directly, but rather are supporting the existing NGO’s (non-governmental organizations) who already have distribution networks within Haiti. A group called Star of Hope is strong here, so we’re supporting them.”

Located some 3 miles south of Grand Gouve, LZ Sting Ray is located in Dano, a farming community in an agricultural district. The earthquake flattened individual houses, killed an undetermined number of locals, and caused serious injuries. Three locals were medivaced yesterday, after they were carried by donkey over the mountains to LZ Sting Ray, where they were flown to USS Bataan for urgent medical treatment.

Today, four Marine CH-53’s flew pallets of MREs into Dano; approximately every 45 minutes a helicopter flew in, circled, and quickly landed onto a freshly cut-out landing pad. Earlier in the day, after Wagner’s Marines walked to Dano, they began to chop a landing pad out of the jungle foliage, dozens of local citizens arrived with machetes and, working side-by-side with the Marines, the two groups quickly cleared the undergrowth in time for the next helicopter.

The local citizenry had been assembled by “Mr. Tony” the local Star of Hope coordinator. “We’ve been here for 20 years,” Tony said, “running schools. We’ve got financing from Sweden, and an office in Kansas. Now we’re doing food distribution, medical, and population surveys.”

Speaking in Creole (the local language) Haitian-borne Marine Sergeant Olnaud Valmyr addressed a crowd of some 200 locals “Keep back when our machine lands,” he warned, “fierce winds will blow rocks at you and hurt you.”

The crowd moved back a few inches, but then took their cue from Tony, who used a bullhorn to harangue the crowd into turning their backs as the first CH-53 helicopter landed. As the ramp dropped, a contingent of 15 Navy volunteers from USS Bataan pushed four pallets (4,400 lbs) of MREs out the back. More of Wagner’s Marines and the sailors formed a chain, passing the boxes out of the landing zone. Soon there were 200 boxes of MREs roughly stacked up; waiting to be moved down a steep ravine, up the other side, and then down a mountain road to the (damaged) Star of Hope school; a total distance of some 400 meters.

Prior to this, Wagner moved his Marines along the jungle path to the school. Wearing soft covers, and without flak jackets, the Marines were spaced some 50 meters apart as the locals gawked at them and the children waved shyly. Spotting three Marines sitting on the ground in front of Star of Hope’s school, Leatherneck asked if any lessons learned in Iraq or Afghanistan were proving useful here.

“For sure, Sir,” laughed Sergeant T.C. Coy as he sat under a palm frond lean-to, “we learned to take shelter from the sun and to hydrate frequently. But seriously, I don’t see anything to worry about here.”

Mr. Tony then proved why the Marines picked Star of Hope with whom to partner. On his command, men, women, and children swarmed the piled MRE boxes, placed them on their heads, and began walking them to the school. Old women, boys of six and seven, teenage girls, and old men, all began moving the precious cargo down the ravine and over to the school. Interestingly, many teenage boys refused to work, despite being the object of derision and ridicule by the women and teenage girls.

A dozen yards off the landing zone, Navy corpsmen set up an aid station, the first the locals had seen in the two weeks since the earthquake. Wagner had two Marines to control security as the docs set up outside of a ruined building, and Navy linguist George Traore assisted in treating the babies and injured locals who immediately lined up for medical aid. With Traore translating, the Navy medical staff first cared for an elderly lady with 2nd degree burns on her leg that had festered badly after two weeks of non-treatment. Other cases were similar, but less severe.

As the afternoon came to an end, the Marine helos had delivered, and the locals had moved some 3,600 boxes of MREs. Even the younger children, who earlier had run up and down the steep ravine walls looked exhausted. But not an MRE box remained on the LZ, for with Mr. Tony and his Star of Hope team organizing the locals to assist, a lady with three young children came to Gunnery Sergeant Oscar Castillo and said, “If you’ll watch my babies, I’ll carry the food boxes.”

Tomorrow: With Kilo Company, BLT 3/2 at LZ Mongoose //

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Jan. 28: 22d MEU–Haiti

USS Bataan & the Marines

By Andrew Lubin

“This ship may be the last piece of America a deploying Marine sees; I want us to be worthy of that honor”

CAPT Sam Howard, CO, USS Bataan

USS Bataan: CAPT Sam Howard is familiar with deploying Marines. In January 2003, he was the skipper of USS Ashland, one of the LSD’s that carried Task Force Tarawa from Onslow Beach to Kuwait for the subsequent invasion of Iraq. “Carrying those young Marines to war was an eye-opener,” he told Leatherneck, “I told my crew to treat those young Marine artillerymen (I call them all LCPL Jackson), as one of their own. And carrying them home, we were as proud of them as was their CO.”

Howard brought this same mindset to USS Bataan. “There’s no blue or green here. We’ve got one mission, and let there be no misunderstanding, the Marines and sailors will accomplish it together.”
It’s not just handing out food and water, he explained, it’s how America projects power. Howard is very much in favor of the sea-based, amphibious force concept: “We can move more Marines and equipment than can air, and we’re not weather-sensitive. And we’re prepared to help you or to hurt you; a Marine who can carry an M-4 can carry a flat of water. He can perform a combat mission or a humanitarian one, and the humvees our LCAC’s move ashore can carry ammunition or medical supplies. And on the LCAC’s return trip, my docs can treat combat or civilian casualties.”

Bataan is responsible for getting those LCAC’s and LCU’s ashore, and the Beachmaster unit (BMU 2) has carved out four beach sites in the past days: three for LCU’s and one LCAC. Inspecting the proposed sites along the northern coast west of Leogane by air, they quickly landed small bulldozers in order to build the landing sites, from which Bataan’s landing craft brought ashore the humvees and 7-Ton trucks used by the Marines in food and water distribution.

Last week, Bataan’s medical staff received an augment of 87 doctors and specialists, many of whom were pressed into service as their gear was still sitting in the passageways. “We had an influx of badly injured Haitians,” Howard commented, “many of whom were children. We seem to have all the fleet pediatric specialists on board; we’ve got neonatal specialists and pediatric nurses here, and they were incredibly busy.” Howard noted that his sailors and Marines conducted the first medical evacuations via LCAC, as they brought seriously injured Haitian citizens on board from their beachhead sites.

Today the 22d MEU’s area of operations runs along a 25-mile coastline stretching west of Leogane and some 5 miles deep. Tomorrow it might be extended, as the Marine – American – UN mission changes to adapt to the situation on the ground. Regardless of the mission assigned to USS Bataan, CAPT Howard assured Leatherneck, his bluejackets would be supporting LCpl Jackson and his mates.

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Jan. 27: 22d MEU–Haiti

An Interview with Lieutenant Colonel Rob Fulford, Commanding Officer, Battalion Landing Team 3/ 2, 22d MEU

By Andrew Lubin

USS Bataan: Patrolling to the west of Port-au-Prince in Canal de Sud (South Channel), USS Bataan holds the majority of the Marines and rolling stock of the 22d MEU. From last week’s initial helicopter insertion into Leogane, the Marines of Battalion Landing Team 3/ 2 currently own a battlespace that reaches from Leogane west to Petit Goave, and southeast to Carrefour.

“The situation on the ground has improved tremendously,” LtCol Rob Fulford told Leatherneck this morning, 27 January, in an exclusive interview. “In addition to the supply depots we’ve established, we’re opening CMOC’s [Civilian-Military Operations Centers] that are working with the NGO’s and local Haitian leaders. Our CAG [civil affairs group] guys are already working with some of the town councils.”

Leatherneck: “Lima 3/2 has been in Leogane for a week. Are things improving?”

Fulford: “Absolutely. The markets are re-opening and we see the locals selling ice, fruits, vegetables The Haitians are a resilient people, and while it’d be wrong to call them optimistic, the sense of despair I saw last week is disappearing.”

L: Have your Marines had any security issues?

F: We have not. The Haitian people are following our guidelines. Their major concern, however, is that food and water are being distributed equitably.

L: Are the schools reopening?

F: No. Many of them need to be rebuilt, and there is still a fear among the people of being indoors. We’ll see what happens in the coming days.

L: What is the Marine mission here? Just handling food and water distribution, or is there a longer-term goal?

F: Short term, which could still be 30 days or more, is the restoration of services back to a January 11 [pre-earthquake] status. That includes electrical service, food distribution, and shelter. Anything longer than that will be determined diplomatically; there was just a conference in Montreal discussing this. (Note: the US military’s actions are directed by USAID, who is working with the UN, who is working in conjunction with the government of Haiti).

L: Lima Company is on the ground in Leogane. What are they doing?

F: My Marines have 2 missions. One is to work with the UN and NGO’s in food and water distribution. They’ve been here longer; they know or operate the local distribution channels, so we supply them and assist with moving supplies. But recently we’ve been taking food and water out into the countryside ourselves; there are areas that have had no assistance in the 2 weeks since the earthquake struck, and we’re the first relief they’ve seen.

L: I would think that the time spent in Iraq and Afghanistan has given the Marine Corps a blueprint on how to succeed here?

F: Oh my yes. In the old days, we’d likely have just given away food and water to everyone, which is certainly a humanitarian and good-hearted response. But now we know not to distribute food and water where it’s being consumed, otherwise they’re lining up for food three times daily. We know to find local leaders, be they mayors, businessmen, or teachers, to get them involved. Haiti has an existing culture and economy; if we just hand out food, we destroy the market the farmers need for their crops. We now know that our actions may have unintended reactions, and that we need to think things through before acting. Many of my Marines have served in Iraq or Afghanistan; we have an in-house knowledge base that’s incredibly thorough.

L: You and your Marines just returned in early December from a deployment. Any reactions to being pulled away from home again?

F: The reactions have been exceptionally positive, especially among the Marines ashore. They’re working with the people, with the NGO’s, and can see with each pallet of food or water how much of a difference they’re making. This is a role for which Marines and the Marine Corps might be the best suited in the world today.

Leatherneck: Thank you for your time LtCol Fulford.
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Jan. 25: 22d MEU–Haiti

By Andrew Lubin

Andrew Lubin is on his way to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, today to cover the 22d MEU.

Many thanks to the Puerto Rico Air National Guard with whom Andrew is travelling.

Check back tomorrow for his coverage of the 22d MEU's relief efforts in Haiti when he puts boots on the ground.

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Jan. 22: 22d MEU–Haiti

By Andrew Lubin

The situation in Haiti remains fluid as UN-US rescue efforts continue to ramp-up. The 22d MEU continues to deliver food and water in the Leogane area and yesterday delivered some of the first relief supplies into Cotes de Fer since the earthquake struck some nine days ago.

Weapons Company, BLT 3/ 2 handed out water and nutrition bars to the residents, most of whom were living in makeshift shelters.

"It's about getting the supplies to the people that need them," said First Lieutenant Kevin Stuart, Weapons Co’s executive officer. “They can't come and get it and some are not in the big cities where the aid centers are. The challenging part is getting the food and water to the
people who really need it the most."

The Marines returned to USS Bataan later in the afternoon.

Although the pictures being sent from the cities begin to describe the situation on the ground, below is an email sent to Leatherneck from a Florida-based first responder. The Fort Walton beach-based Fl-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) has been in Haiti for a week:

We probably fed over 1400 meals during the day.

In terms of medical care, we are constantly finding dehydration and having to bring people into the embassy, and start IVs and change bandages, set broken bones, stabilize cardiacs. We are walking around through the crowds and find issues; some are imminent need like a baby being born on the ground and then we get to hold a newborn and stabilize. Amputations are still going on in a closet the size of our clothes closet.

We have constantly had a mission going at the airport loading the infirm into C130's (with no wraps!) or any possible type plane leaving from a Lear jet to a 747.

Today we are to set up outside the walls if we are able to have enough troops to protect us. We have had to bring in the riot troops twice to the compound; when you are feeding up to 700 people at a time, tremendous unrest has sometimes occurred - but when you have all these pumped-up Marines with their big guns it does make a presence!

Today, they expect us to take care of up to 2,000 people with only about 20 members.
We have lost a number of members and had to have them med-evaced; 2x Post traumatic syndrome, 2x dehydration, 1x broken bones.

I need to go medicate the whole team again against infections. There is rampant, TB, typhoid fever, malaria, etc. The night is long or short depending on how you look at it. Riots are constant outside the walls so sirens are frequent, tremors are frequent, and movement of personnel and goods are constant.

NOTE: Monday: An Interview with MajGen Cornell Wilson, heading up the Marine effort in Operation Unified Response

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Jan. 21: 22d MEU–Haiti

Last updated: 11:52 a.m. EST 22 January 2010  

By Andrew Lubin

“We are in Leogane,” Captain Clark Carpenter, 22d MEU Public Affairs officer, e-mailed Leatherneck this afternoon. “There are zero issues with the Haitians.  They are extremely respectful of our operations.” More details are due from Capt Carpenter later today, but this short note reconfirms another one he sent last night:

“Supplies continued to flow ashore today as Marines delivered 1,487 cases of bottled water into Leogane and dozens of five-gallon water cans near Petit Paradies. Marines from “Lima” Company, BLT 3/ 2 were the first significant Marine presence ashore Tuesday as they secured a landing zone in Leogane. Also on Tuesday, humvees and Marines from Combat Logistics Battalion 22 came ashore at the New American Mission in Padou.

Six humvees with 24 CLB Marines provided 500 gallons of water to residents at Petit Paradies. The CLB Marines continued inland where they linked up with Lima Co and used their humvees to move dozens of cases of water to a nearby distribution point.

The crowd was curious about the Marine's operations, according to Staff Sergeant Clausele Barthold. At one point, a local man opened coconuts for the Marines who were providing security on the perimeter to help build rapport between the residents and Marines.

"The Haitians think that when the U.S. Marines come ashore, that it means force," said Barthold, a Haitian-American who grew up in Haiti. "But after being here two days, and seeing how hard the Marines are working, they are beginning to trust the Marines and become more friendly."

Barthold volunteered his services after the massive earthquake rocked his native country. He also rallied other Haitian Marines he knew to join the effort. Barthold and 30 others were quickly integrated into a team of interpreters to support the MEU's relief efforts. Barthold spoke with crowds, gave them directions and even found time to joke around with a group of children who sat in a school circle around him at the edge the landing zone.

"I'm overwhelmed with joy to help, but at the same time it's hurtful to see the human suffering," said Barthold. "But the Marines are here to help, and with time, the suffering will come to an end."

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Jan. 20: 22d MEU–Haiti

Last updated: 9:49 p.m. EST 20 January 2010  

Medical Care Afloat: USS Bataan & USNS Comfort

By Andrew Lubin

With the death toll in Haiti now estimated at a horrific 200,000+, attention is being focused on the arrival of the American naval ships in Port-au-Prince harbor. The USS Bataan (LHD 5) arrived late morning Monday along with USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43), and USS Carter Hall (LSD 50). Both USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) and hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) dropped anchor mid-morning today, while the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) has been sitting off the Haitian coast since last week.

Reports of combat-like casualties are becoming increasingly common, with NBC’s Dr. Nancy Snyderman’s report “Amputate or Die” describing the grim nature of many of the injuries.

But from Bataan and Comfort, the doctors are awaiting a flood of casualties, and talked to Leatherneck about the state of their readiness:

“We have four operating rooms, 14 ICU beds, and 38 ward beds,” Commander Melanie Merrick, Bataan’s Senior Medical Officer told Leatherneck. “The operating rooms are staffed with a surgeon, an OR nurse, a critical care nurse, and an anesthesiologist, and we can rotate our Fleet Surgical Teams (FST’s) so both surgeons and nurses can step in and out without a break in care.”

There are both general surgeons and specialists on board Bataan, with an additional 87 medical personnel assigned. Specializations include family medicine and pediatrics.

Yet with only 17 Haitians brought to Bataan for treatment in the 48 hours since the ship’s arrival, the ship’s commander, Captain Sam Howard, addressed the question of medical care directly: “our flight deck is in operation 24/7; we’ve got Navy MH-60’s and Marine CH-53’s and Hueys conducting relief operations. If we were to fill the flight deck with cots, then we’d sacrifice our ability to supply food and water to a far larger group of people, as well as support the Marines ashore.”

Howard explained that the 22d MEU has established a beach site near Leogane, where air cushioned craft (LCAC’s) and utility landing craft (LCU’s) are establishing a supply dump in order to resupply their relief effort in Leogane. “We had 800 Marines go ashore yesterday and today, Howard said, “and they’re building a stockpile of supplies as quickly as possible.”

To date, there is no overall commander of the medical effort, CDR William Wallace, Bataan’s Fleet Surgical Team’s officer in charge explained. Between the ships of the 22d MEU, Comfort, and Carl Vinson, and the mobile surgical hospitals and doctors sent by Colombia, Israel, and Argentina, there are continuous ad-hoc discussions as to how to coordinate triage and medical assistance.

Today’s arrival of USNS Comfort increases the medical capacity geometrically. With 1,000 beds, increased staffing, blood banks, and sophisticated equipment providing CAT scan and other abilities, the most critically injured in Haiti now have access to western hospitalization.

CDR Mark Marino, Comfort’s Director of Nursing, told Leatherneck that his capacity included “beds for 400-600 walking wounded, 400+ higher-level care that would entail use of IV’s, 60-80 hi-acuity-critical care patients. We also have 8 – 11 operating rooms, a 20 bed recovery room, and a 50-bed casualty receiving –triage room.”Marino also described their training en-route “we’d practice taking mannequins off helicopters, triaging them, and moving them below for proper care. We’re ready.”

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Jan. 20: 22d MEU–Haiti

Last updated: 11:30 a.m. EST 20 January 2010

By Andrew Lubin

Yesterday the Marines landed in Haiti. Lieutenant Colonel Rob Fulford, commanding officer of Battalion Landing Team 3/2 led the first wave of Marines into Leogane as some 125 Marines arrived on six helicopters launched from USS Bataan. Fulford said his Marines would be reinforced later in the evening by the MEU’s logistics element, Combat Logistics Battalion 22 and added, “The intention of this force is to rapidly build a landing zone that relief supplies can go into.”

The Marines are using a cow pasture for their landing zone, one of the few undamaged areas in Leogane. Plans are to build up the LZ rapidly, as aid needs to be distributed quickly. The epicenter of the earthquake was in the Port-au-Prince area, where approximately a third of Haiti’s nine million people live. Entire neighborhoods collapsed, along with hospitals, schools, power plants, and cell phone towers. Fulford’s Marines, along with the rapidly arriving non-government organizations, or NGO’s, and foreign forces, will be filling the vacuum left by the non-functioning government of President Rene Preval.

Our efforts have been going very well," said Captain James Birchfield, commanding Company L, BLT 3/ 2. "It's hard work, but the Marines are working quickly to get the supplies to those who need them." Through the afternoon, U.N. forces picked the pallets of food and water brought by “Lima” Co and distributed them to areas that have had virtually no relief since the earthquake rocked the country seven days ago.

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Note: This morning at 0603 an earthquake of 6.0 magnitude rocked Haiti, epicenter of which was Jacmel, where 2,000 Canadian troops are currently arriving.

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Jan. 19: 22d MEU–Haiti

Last updated: 9:30 a.m. EST 20 January 2010

By Andrew Lubin

The three ships of the 22d Marine Expeditionary Unit sailed into Port-au-Prince harbor late yesterday morning. Commanded by Col Gareth Brandl, some 2,200 Marines left Morehead City, N.C, embarked in USS Bataan, USS Fort McHenry, and USS Carter Hall carrying heavy-lift and utility helicopters, trucks, humvees and amphibious assault vehicles. The MEU’s logistics capabilities include water purification and medical support, both of which are necessary to relieve the strain on the destroyed Haitian infrastructure.

A fourth vessel, USS Gunston Hall, is in transit to Haiti carrying an additional complement of amphibious assault vehicles. As part of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group, the MEU was tasked on Thursday, Jan.14, to assist in Operation Unified Response. By Saturday, the ships were loaded with vehicles and supplies, Marines recalled from leave, and underway on Saturday, Jan. 16—only 36 hours after notification.

The Navy and Marine Corps will be providing assistance as soon as possible, Col Brandl said. “We are here to support the Haitian people in an area that has been hard hit by this disaster.”

This area will be south and west of Port-au-Prince, U.S. Army Lieutenant General Ken Keen, the commanding general of Combined Joint Task Force Haiti told Leatherneck 18 Jan.: “They’re going to go into an area southwest of the city where we haven’t been yet because we don’t have enough forces. We will put them in the Leogane area which is one of the most hardest-hit cities. It’s right near the center of the epicenter…the reports I’ve heard, over 60 percent of that city was destroyed. So they’re going into an area that is in great need.”

The heavy equipment from USS Bataan landed this morning. Commander William Wallace, a spokesman for USS Bataan told Leatherneck that bulldozers and heavy lift equipment began beach clearance operations in order to build a shore-based staging area. So far today, only food and water has been shipped ashore.

Although Bataan is the most robust ship in the harbor, with a 60-bed hospital, and the Fleet Surgical Teams on board standing by, no casualties have yet been sent on board. With the Navy’s hospital ship USS Comfort due to arrive tomorrow (Weds), with her superior medical facilities and 1,000 bed hospital, only then will a coordinated medical effort begin.

“We’ll have the Comfort, the Bataan, and the Carl Vinson,” Wallace explained,” and we’ll triage people to the most appropriate facility.” Calling in from sea, CDR Mark Merino, Director of Nursing in USS Comfort told Leatherneck that they’re ready for the various types of injuries following such a disaster: “On arrival we’ll see trauma, food and dehydration problems, infection from untreated injuries. In another week we’ll see patients who can’t get access to the meds they take for blood pressure, diabetes, and other problems.”

With reports of the widespread looting in Port-au-Prince reaching to other parts of the country, LTG Keen told Leatherneck, “UN troops have been overtly welcomed… We have not personally experienced any of this violence in the areas that we have been...we're seeing indicators that (the gangs) sort of dusted themselves off and found their weapons. But we will have to deal with the security situation as we try to help the Haiti people.”

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Editor’s note: Andrew Lubin is a frequent contributor. He has embedded as a journalist several time with Marines in Afghanistan. Additionally, he is the author of the award-winning book "Charlie Battery: A Marine Artillery Battery in Iraq,” as well as "Keep Moving or Die: Task Force Tarawa at An-Nasiriyah,” to be published by Naval Institute Press this year.