US Navy Disaster Relief Task Force
 

If the US Navy were to create a naval task force dedicated to disaster relief, what capabilities, ship, aircraft, equipment and personnel do you think it might consist of?

The Comfort, obviously
One or Two America class Amphib Assault carriers with helos and Marine loadout
Several tenders and units from the Military Sealift Command
A few Whidbey Island class Dock Landing craft with ACLCs
A Tico or two to act as air traffic organisation (if needed)
Arleigh Burkes and OHPs for fleet protection (against pirates and the like)

The ACLCs and Helos would probably be some of the most important items in the fleet. The ACLCs able to use beaches to deploy supplies instead of waiting for ports, and the Helos able to ferry supplies to designated and protected LZs in the location where aid hubs can be established along repaired transportation networks.
Obviously getting ground pounders in with the Engineering corps is important too and if the airports in the area are screwed then the Engineers would have to come in by boat or helo and their equipment ferried in the same way.

How about adding some LSTs to the mix.
They don't require a dock to unload right on the beach.
And at that close proximity they could make good use of their desalinization plants, and abilty to generate electricity.

Good idea :up:

Oh! How dumb of me to forget.

CBs. Lots and lots of CBs.

Hello,
anyway the US did far more than other nations already again, you can say against it what you want. Secure the airport and do something, that's the point.
I mean it's closer to the US but I wonder where our ships are, after all those days. But at least the german THW and some water-cleaning device containers seem to be there.

Greetings,
Catfish

I was watching TV2 (Danmark), and the US forces seem to be doing a magnificent job.

The reporters were out on the street helping the people, who were hard at work with rescue efforts. A baby girl, who had been buried in rubbel for 3 days, was finaly dug out, and was in surprisingly well physical shape. Unfortunately, it looks like her uncle is the closest, and only, living family.

USA's military is doing one hell of an impressive job!

Shouldn't this be done by the United Nations? Why does it always start with the US?

It's funny in a way. For all the bitching and moaning about how bad America is, when it comes to things like this, the first place everyone looks is to the US.

Because, thankfuly, the United Nations has no military.
Let's keep it that way.

Who said anything about forming a navy or a military? We were talking about a Disaster Relief Task Force.

To say the United Nations doesn't have a military would be incorrect. There are "UN Peacekeepers" deployed globally, and they have guns and act just like a military.

As far as I know, and I may be wrong, the only assets owned by the UN, is a building in New York City, which seems to be funded, for the most part, by US taxpayers.

A NATO Task Force is certainly a good idé.

Sorry. I just have no love for the UN, and would prefer them/it to quietly "ride off into the sunset" never to be heard from again.

Oh! Most of the supplies coming in by sea will be on danish ships (MAERSK).
They work very closely with the US government.
(The US Merchant Marine is, for all practical purposes, nearly extinct).

http://www.maersklinelimited.com/aboutus_flagfleet.php

Take a look. http://www.un.org/ NY is just one of many assets.
No love or hate here. However I do think they serve a purpose.
Not in the very near future. Although I did read somewhere MAERSK is send a ship, or ships, to help solve the problem of unloading. Currently the docks in Haiti are closed. http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...9&postcount=73


Back to the original topic. It would be tough to make a list as each disaster has it's own unique challenges. Suffice to say, enough assets to put food, waters, and rescue personnel on the ground, anywhere in the world, within 18 hours. In some situations, like Haiti, a peacekeeping force asap as well. People start getting desperate and they'll do anything to survive, including killing other people for food and water.

I thought I might have been wrong on that. This is certainly the case. Thanks for the link.

They are looking into coming in through the Dominican Republic. Should this option be selected a smaller ship will be needed to shuttle the goods. It will get done, one way, or the other.

No more LST's for the USN anymore, only LSD's. The last of the Newport Class LST's were sold off or scrapped in the early to mid 90's

Whoa!
I have to recover from the shock from that one.

Thanks for the info.
Now I need a big eraser to change some of my thinking.