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The guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) prepares to get underway for possible disaster response to Haiti. Normandy and several other Navy vessels are underway to render humanitarian assistance after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the Caribbean nation. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Remus Borisov)

Guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy arrives in Haitian waters

The Norfolk-based guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) left Norfolk Naval Station Jan. 13 in support of relief response for Haiti, after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the nation.

“Just by taking in all the news reports, we know that there is a lot of hurt and need taking place in Haiti right now,” said Commanding Officer Capt. Jeffrey T. Griffin. “We want to assist in whatever way we can and in general, support the carrier. Our hope is to contribute to the restoration of the affected parts of their country.”

Prior to getting underway, Normandy was in the midst of conducting a minor maintenance period. Sailors on board, in conjunction with contractors and outside support units, worked continuously to get the ship ready to deploy in support of HA/DR missions, and were able to do so in in just 15 hours.

The ship is carrying several hundred meals-ready-to-eat (MRE) and bottles of water that can be distributed as directed by the Southern commander.

“It was stressful…but we pushed through,” said Ship’s Serviceman 3rd Class (SW) Demarcus Debose, 23, of Dallas, Texas, who was a key member of the supply onload. “We’re glad to be able to do this and help out.”

A chance to help out was on the minds of nearly all of Normandy’s crew members.

“This is what I wanted to do when I joined the Navy, to aid people,” said Sonar Technician 3rd Class John Kenny, 21, from Port Charlotte, Fla. “We know there are a lot of people in need there and they don’t have a lot of resources. I’m not sure what impact we’ll be able to make, but I hope to do as much as we can.”

“When we went in, we expected there to be worse conditions at the airport, but by the time we got there, all communication, navigation, and lighting systems were up and running,” said Air Force Lt. Col. William Baulkmon, an aircraft commander from the 179th Airlift Wing, based in Mansfield, Ohio.

Late on Jan. 13, members of the wing flew two C-130 aircraft into Haiti with support personnel and equipment.

“We brought in basic cargo such as communication equipment, and service members from the various services to accompany that equipment,” said Baulkmon. “More than likely we will continue to provide this type of support.”

About 45 members of the 179th have been deployed to Puerto Rico since Dec. 26 and were diverted to earthquake relief efforts. They joined forces with two C-130s from the 156th Airlift Wing of the Puerto Rico National Guard, based at Luis Muniz-Marin International Airport in San Juan.

“We were really surprised at how well the airport was set up as we came in,” said Baulkmon. “We expected the facility itself to be more degraded, but as soon as we landed, they started to off-load us and we were back on our way to Puerto Rico in less than an hour.”

The 12th Reconnaissance Squadron at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., launched a Block 10 RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle from Beale Jan. 13 to assist with the humanitarian aid mission in Haiti after the country suffered a 7.0 magnitude earthquake Jan. 12.

The Global Hawk is primarily used to record intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data and its large coverage area makes it a useful tool for recording data and sending it to warfighters on the ground.

Carl Vinson received orders from U.S. Southern Command to deliver assistance to the Caribbean nation following a 7.3 magnitude earthquake which caused catastrophic damage within the capital city Jan. 12. The aircraft carrier’s speed, flexibility and sustainability make it an ideal platform to carry out relief operations.

“Our initial focus is to concentrate on saving lives while providing first responder support to the people of Haiti. Our assistance here reflects our nation’s compassion and commitment to those impacted by this tragedy,” said Rear. Adm. Ted Branch, commander of the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group and the U.S. Navy’s sea-based humanitarian support mission of Haiti.

The carrier arrived on station with a robust airlift capability, picking up extra helicopters while in transit that will will prove essential during the mission.

Carl Vinson commanding officer Capt. Bruce H. Lindsey said, “When tasked to support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in Haiti, we immediately headed to Mayport, Fla., at more than 30 knots and loaded 19 helicopters, personnel and support equipment from five different East Coast Navy squadrons in less than eight hours. There is no other platform that can do all of that so quickly.”