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Haitian Coast Guard base becomes hub for quake relief

The amphibious dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall operates off the coast of Killick, Haiti. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Kristopher Wilson

The amphibious dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall operates off the coast of Killick, Haiti. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Kristopher Wilson

Chance often plays a large role in the lives of our military’s men and women. The sailors and service members aboard the USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) recognize that fact of life all too well today.

LSD 44 was supposed to be off the west coast of Africa today, working with partner navies and providing security and stabilization instruction and assistance to the nations and peoples in that region as the sea base for Africa Partnership Station (APS) West . Instead, they find themselves off the coast of Haiti, uniquely staffed and provisioned for a relief mission they could have never imagined.

British Royal Navy Cmdr. David Salisbury, right, the director of staff for Africa Partnership Station West, embarked aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall, helps deliver donated goods from Mexico to more than a thousand people in a school yard in Killick. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Martine Cuaron

British Royal Navy Cmdr. David Salisbury, right, the director of staff for Africa Partnership Station West, embarked aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall, helps deliver donated goods from Mexico to more than a thousand people in a school yard in Killick. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Martine Cuaron

On board the ship are a number of officers from various navies in West Africa as well as officers from European militaries. Officers from nations as diverse as Gabon, Senegal, Ghana and Italy were part of the APS staff but have transitioned to being an integral part of Gunston Hall’s relief efforts. The ship also carried a Maritime Civil Affairs Team (MCAT) which has worked to allow closer cooperation with local leaders and NGO’s in the area.

Maritime Civil Affairs Team 203, along with Sailors from the amphibious dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall and the Mexican navy ship ARM Huesteco deliver donated goods from Mexico to more than a thousand people in a school yard in Killick. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Martine Cuaron

Maritime Civil Affairs Team 203, along with Sailors from the amphibious dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall and the Mexican navy ship ARM Huesteco deliver donated goods from Mexico to more than a thousand people in a school yard in Killick. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Martine Cuaron

The ship is working through the Haitian Coast Guard (HCG) base on the outskirts of the devastated city of Carrefour. Killick Base was badly damaged by the earthquake on January 12 but the first U.S. ships on scene found the Haitian Coast Guardsmen at work. USCGC Forward was met by their small craft and their aid parties welcomed ashore.

HCG Killick Base has become an active relief center for the region. Large amounts of supplies have been offloaded for distribution by the HCG and local Haitian police. A medical clinic has been created and staffed, and medical evacuations to ships offshore such as USS Bataan and the hospital ship Comfort are carried out as necessary.

Petty Officer 1st Class Christine Perez, information systems technician, left, from Elgin, Texas, Nicole Lozano, chief Navy counselor, center, from Salt Lake City, and Seaman Nicole Worthy, from Vallejo, Calif., comfort a crying baby after a medical examination at Killick Haitian Coast Guard Base. All three Sailors are stationed aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall, which is assisting in Operation Unified Response following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, Jan. 12. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Martine Cuaron

Petty Officer 1st Class Christine Perez, information systems technician, left, from Elgin, Texas, Nicole Lozano, chief Navy counselor, center, from Salt Lake City, and Seaman Nicole Worthy, from Vallejo, Calif., comfort a crying baby after a medical examination at Killick Haitian Coast Guard Base. All three Sailors are stationed aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall, which is assisting in Operation Unified Response following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, Jan. 12. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Martine Cuaron

Gunston Hall arrive January 18. It has been on station since then. Forty man work parties are going ashore every day to provide assistance in and around the medical clinic. The Mexican Navy is supplying medical personnel to the clinic.

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Table of contents for Haiti quake 2010

  1. Massive earthquake strikes Haiti
  2. Earthquake in Haiti – aftershocks continue
  3. Haiti earthquake aid
  4. Haiti quake damages pile up
  5. Horror in Haiti – the morning after the quake
  6. U.S. quickly responds to Haiti quake
  7. Infrastructure hurdles to Haiti quake relief
  8. U.S. Coast Guard on location in Haiti right now
  9. Strong aftershocks continue in Haiti
  10. PR Guard standing by – Gitmo damaged by Haiti quake
  11. Paras and Marines on alert for Haiti move
  12. Earthquake in Haiti update for January 13 evening
  13. Earthquake in Haiti – January 14 morning update
  14. Marines ready to assist Haiti after earthquake
  15. Earthquake in Haiti – Update for January 14 evening
  16. FEMA report on Haiti relief efforts for January 15
  17. Out of the night sky – Air Force secures Port-au-Prince airport
  18. Earthquake in Haiti – January 15 evening
  19. Haiti Quake Relief Funding Numbers
  20. But people are dying – thoughts on the Haitian disaster
  21. Aftershocks continue to rock Haiti
  22. Earthquake in Haiti – Update for January 16
  23. Haiti Quake Relief Funding Numbers for Jan 16
  24. Hospital ship Comfort sails for Haiti
  25. Baby delivered during Haiti evacuation
  26. Navy is delivering supplies to Haiti victims
  27. Hospital ship Comfort racing to Haiti
  28. Country club serves as forward base for Paras in Haiti
  29. Situation at Port-au-Prince airport improving
  30. Sanjay Gupta Assists Vinson Medical Team in Haiti
  31. USAID Update on the Haiti relief operation January 18
  32. Air drop to aid Haitian victims of earthquake
  33. Haiti Quake Relief Funding Numbers for Jan 18
  34. Earthquake in Haiti – morning update January 19
  35. Los Angeles rescuers save Haitian woman
  36. Stories from Haiti – update for Jan 20 morning
  37. American volunteers in Haiti
  38. American donations for Haiti earthquake relief – Jan 21
  39. Haiti earthquake relief update for Jan 21
  40. Haitians receiving care and support aboard Bataan
  41. Hospital ship Comfort healing, hugging Haitians
  42. Brief update on Navy and Marine relief efforts in Haiti Jan 23
  43. Fort Hood veterinary services unit sent to Haiti
  44. Harbor damage in Port-au-Prince
  45. American giving for Haiti relief as of January 25
  46. Comparison of Haiti donations to Katrina and the tsunami
  47. Haitian Coast Guard base becomes hub for quake relief
  48. Comparison of Haiti donations to Katrina and the tsunami Jan 28
  49. High tech warbird aids Haiti relief efforts
  50. High-speed ferrys en route to Haiti
  51. Southern Command briefs on Haiti situation
  52. Paras opening roads in Haiti
  53. Aid from Dominican Republic via Kentucky National Guard
  54. Haitian assistance stories for February 3
  55. Haitian relief efforts slow
  56. Marine calls Leogane Haiti home
  57. Haiti earthquake relief update for February 7
  58. Army medics at work in Haiti relief effort
  59. Haiti earthquake relief funding update for February 14
  60. Keeping Haitians informed
  61. A tent means a lot to Haitian orphans
  62. Italian troops aid paras in Haiti rubble clearance
  63. Landslide in Haiti tests Special Ops rescuers
  64. Navy and Marines bridge Haitian divide from government
  65. Haitian earthquake relief – update for February 28
  66. Haitian earthquake update – March 4
  67. Air Guard Engineers Help Haitians
  68. Things are baaaaad in Haiti

the attachments to this post:

Petty Officer 1st Class Christine Perez, information systems technician, left, from Elgin, Texas, Nicole Lozano, chief Navy counselor, center, from Salt Lake City, and Seaman Nicole Worthy, from Vallejo, Calif., comfort a crying baby after a medical examination at Killick Haitian Coast Guard Base. All three Sailors are stationed aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall, which is assisting in Operation Unified Response following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, Jan. 12. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Martine Cuaron
Gunston Hall crew comfort Haitian baby

Maritime Civil Affairs Team 203, along with Sailors from the amphibious dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall and the Mexican navy ship ARM Huesteco deliver donated goods from Mexico to more than a thousand people in a school yard in Killick. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Martine Cuaron
Donated Mexican aid delievered to Haitians

British Royal navy Cmdr. David Salisbury, right, the director of staff for Africa Partnership Station West, embarked aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall, helps deliver donated goods from Mexico to more than a thousand people in a school yard in Killick. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Martine Cuaron
British Royal Navy Cmdr David Salisbury

The amphibious dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall operates off the coast of Killick, Haiti. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Kristopher Wilson
USS Gunston Hall

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 at 3:55 pm and is filed under Disasters, Military, Original writing, Original writing, Reporting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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