Earthquake in haiti

folks - now that we have all indulged in a political free- for-all, why don't we bring this back on track and focus on the mission at hand - which is the US military and the USG providing humanitarian assistance to Haiti in this time of disaster. This is a real world mission which has daily implications for many on this site. Pretty much all branches of the military are trying to get aid as fast as possible to the people of Haiti and the State Maritime Academies are now affected- Mass Maritime's Sea Term has been cancelled, 3/C & 4/C cadets disembarked and the training ship - with 1/C cadets aboard has been diverted to Haiti. This is a truly joint- real world, as it's happening, mission and rehashing political slogans from the Red and Blue sides of the beltway seems to be misplaced. So focus on the mission here folks which is simple- help the millions who have been hurt, killed or are suffering from this natural disaster and who live on our southern doorstep.
 
Bruno - thanks.

A couple of good articles here on the AF effort:
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2010/01/gns_air_force_haiti_airport_011810/

.........The air-traffic control tower was damaged and unsafe. So Tech. Sgt. Chris Grove, whose expertise extends to calling in airstrikes from the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, brought his squad to a spot near the runway and set up what would become an air-traffic control center. They went to talk to pilots on the ground.
“We told them, hey, we’re Air Force combat controllers. We’re taking over the airfield,” Grove said. From a dirt patch, two young American sergeants began directing air traffic for one of the largest humanitarian operations in history.
It was the beginning of an operation that, by Sunday, had unclogged one bottleneck preventing aid from reaching Haiti’s desperate population. It was no magic bullet — relief officials searched for helicopter landing zones and overland routes through which to bring in aid.
By Sunday, the Air Force had landed some 300 planes, most of them laden with relief supplies. Four large forklifts unloaded the pallets as they landed and the aid was shipped out on trucks and helicopters. Incoming planes were required to file flight plans with landing times to ensure an orderly flow. The Haitian government has signed an agreement granting the U.S. formal control of the airport........
Click to expand...
I saw them on 60 minutes. Literally on a grass strip next to the runway with a folding card table and radios.

The AF also started air drops of food and water in one section of Port-au-Prince if an effort to get around the bottleneck at the airport:
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2010/01/gns_airforce_airdrops_haiti_011910/

Also last night I saw a great interview by Commander Michael Gander off of USCG Cutter Oak on the conditions of the port and the challenges in getting it open:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show#34928092
 
Great stuff. USNS Comfort and Mercy have some great facilities! Nice closing too.
 
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