• US Navy Sends Aid to Philippines Typhoon Victims
    23 replies, posted
[quote] The U.S. Navy has sent a Japan-based aircraft carrier strike group to the Philippines to step up relief efforts following the devastating typhoon Haiyan. The record-setting storm is estimated to have killed more than 10,000 people and left hundreds of thousands in need of food, water, shelter, and medical care. The Navy ships are well-equipped for disaster relief and aim to provide as much humanitarian aid as they can. The USS George Washington aircraft carrier ended its port visit to Hong Kong early, setting out Tuesday afternoon to help the Philippines with typhoon disaster relief. The U.S. Navy's only forward-deployed carrier in Asia was joined by four of its escort ships, two destroyers and two cruisers. They are expected to arrive Wednesday night, at the earliest, off the coast of the typhoon-ravaged central Philippines. They will be joined by at least two more U.S. Navy ships, another destroyer that just ended exercises off the coast of India, and a supply ship. Commander William Marks, a spokesman for the U.S. 7th fleet, says altogether they carry 21 helicopters, medical facilities, and can convert seawater into drinking water. “The helicopters, which provide logistic support-getting things both in and out. We also have on board the carrier a significant medical capability," Marks said. "So, we can provide a lot of treatment both there on the carrier and on land. In addition, we have the ability to make water. And, that's one of the things that's most critically needed, usually, is water.” The aircraft carrier's distilling plants can hold 1.5 million liters of water, enough to supply 2,000 homes. Marks says the carrier group, and two P-3 patrol aircraft already in action, can better coordinate search and rescue operations. [/quote] [url=http://www.voanews.com/content/us-navy-sends-aid-to-philippines-typhoon-victims/1788432.html]Voice of America[/url] Send the Gerald Ford!
I'm deploying over there to help with the relief effort. My platoon and one other from our company were picked to get on over there. I'm excited to be making a difference.
[QUOTE=Jim_Riley;42860746]I'm deploying over there to help with the relief effort. My platoon and one other from our company were picked to get on over there. I'm excited to be making a difference.[/QUOTE] Good on ya, man - I heard there's a bit of a law and order situation in the area. In what capacity will your platoon be going - relief, rescue or maintaining law and order?
[QUOTE=snookypookums;42860778]Good on ya, man - I heard there's a bit of a law and order situation in the area. In what capacity will your platoon be going - relief, rescue or maintaining law and order?[/QUOTE] Well, we're an infantry platoon coming from an infantry unit so we'll literally be doing a lot of the dirty work: Full on relief and rescue, rebuilding (MAYBE--there are a lot of logistic units mainly, already there), definitely security and law and order I suppose. Our platoon has been trained as a sort of "lower echelon" raid team so we can provide security, rescue and escort of American/Filipino citizens and other [I]priorities[/I]. Basically, most likely a little bit of every thing.
[QUOTE=Jim_Riley;42860746]I'm deploying over there to help with the relief effort. My platoon and one other from our company were picked to get on over there. I'm excited to be making a difference.[/QUOTE] Can somebody say working party? Hahaha [editline]14th November 2013[/editline] Seriously though the whole time you're there it will be one big working party.
And people wonder why we keep such a fuckhuge navy on the books. This is why. Our navy does all sorts of relief stuff when disasters strike.
[QUOTE=jgerm529;42860845]Can somebody say working party? Hahaha [editline]14th November 2013[/editline] Seriously though the whole time you're there it will be one big working party.[/QUOTE] Oh yeah, definitely. I'm expecting as much.
[QUOTE=TestECull;42860874]And people wonder why we keep such a fuckhuge navy on the books. This is why. Our navy does all sorts of relief stuff when disasters strike.[/QUOTE] Those America-Firsters can go screw themselves. We've got the money for this sort of thing, so we might as well use it to help our allies, rather then leaving them high and dry.
I wonder what effect this will have on our deficit
[QUOTE=Tucan Sam;42861215]I wonder what effect this will have on our deficit[/QUOTE] Negligible when you consider the alternative is a whole lot of people being left to die. They should be cutting stuff like the F-35 program, not this.
[QUOTE=Psychokitten;42861156]Those America-Firsters can go screw themselves. We've got the money for this sort of thing, so we might as well use it to help our allies, rather then leaving them high and dry.[/QUOTE] not low and wet?
[QUOTE=Hamsteronfire;42861341]not low and wet?[/QUOTE] Heh. Yeah.
[QUOTE=TestECull;42860874]And people wonder why we keep such a fuckhuge navy on the books. This is why. Our navy does all sorts of relief stuff when disasters strike.[/QUOTE] no the US navy is definitely for killing people but it's nice to have a force capable of this for sure
[QUOTE=BrainDeath;42862192]no the US navy is defo. for killing people but it's nice to have a force capable of this for sure[/QUOTE] Its primary function is as a deterrent.
[QUOTE=Psychokitten;42862205]Its primary function is as a deterrent.[/QUOTE] it wouldn't deter anyone if all it could do was provide medical care & warm cocoa to the enemy forces
[QUOTE=BrainDeath;42862221]it wouldn't deter anyone if all it could do was provide medical care & warm cocoa to the enemy forces[/QUOTE] And for all that firepower, it really hasn't done a huge amount of killing in the last ten years. Kind of like nukes. It sits around and scares everyone shitless.
[QUOTE=Psychokitten;42862245]And for all that firepower, it really hasn't done a huge amount of killing in the last ten years. Kind of like nukes. It sits around and scares everyone shitless.[/QUOTE] also the US navy is one of very few blue water navies plus aircraft carriers (which only the US actually has any real quantity of) are [I]exclusively[/I] for conducting offensives- they serve very little defensive value (an airfield can do everything they do far better)
[QUOTE=BrainDeath;42862264]also the US navy is one of very few blue water navies plus aircraft carriers are [I]exclusively[/I] for conducting operations against enemy forces - they serve very little defensive value (an airfield can do everything they do far better)[/QUOTE] Force projection. Fight in your opponent's court, not your own. That's what my old fencing coach always told me.
you cannot possibly argue that the US govt runs the navy primarily as a humanitarian organisation - it's simply absurd to think that any politician cares about foreigners enough
[QUOTE=BrainDeath;42862295]you cannot possibly argue that the US govt runs the navy primarily as a humanitarian organisation - it's simply absurd to think that any politician cares about foreigners enough[/QUOTE] And I'm not. I'm just saying it's a happy side effect, and a good reason to not scrap the Navy.
[QUOTE=Psychokitten;42862311]And I'm not. I'm just saying it's a happy side effect, and a good reason to not scrap the Navy.[/QUOTE] eh you were defending someone who was
[QUOTE=BrainDeath;42862323]eh you were defending someone who was[/QUOTE] Was he?
he literally said that the reason the US navy was as big as it is was because of things like this which is obviously wrong - it's as big as it is to be scary and dangerous anyway i agree with what you're saying so i'm going to stop posting now
[QUOTE=Psychokitten;42861156]rather then leaving them high and dry.[/QUOTE] ok but that's pretty much the opposite of what The Philippines is right now
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