7th Fleet Updates Ships En Route Japan
Saturday, March 12th, 2011
Command Master Chief David Unnone of U.S. 7th Fleet command flagship USS Blue Ridge, briefs Sailors about taking on humanitarian assistance supplies in Singapore to ensure the ship and crew are ready to support earthquake and tsunami relief operations in Japan if directed. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Fidel C. Hart
Our thoughts and prayers go out to our close friends in Japan during this difficult time. All 7th Fleet personnel and their families in Japan have been accounted for.
We continue to position 7th Fleet forces so that they are ready to respond and provide disaster relief as directed.
Two SH-60 helicopters from Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Fourteen (HS-14) from Naval Air Facility Atsugi are delivering 1500 pounds of rice and bread to Shiroishi City in Miyagi Prefecture today. The food donation came from the people of Ebina City.
The destroyers USS McCampbell and USS Curtis Wilbur are at sea east of the Boso Peninsula preparing to move into position off Miyagi Prefecture to assist Japanese authorities with providing at-sea search and rescue and recovery operations. An additional destroyer, USS Mustin, will depart Yokosuka tomorrow.
The USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group, which includes the cruiser USS Chancellorsville, the destroyer USS Preble, and the combat support ship USNS Bridge, is en route the east coast of Honshu, expected to be on station tomorrow (March 13 local). USS Ronald Reagan is prepared to serve as an afloat platform for refueling Japan Self Defense Force and other helicopters involved in rescue and recovery efforts ashore.
USS Tortuga departed Sasebo, Japan, last night and is currently anchored off Pohang, Republic of Korea, to onload two heavy-lift MH-53 helicopters belonging to HM-14. The ship will then proceed to the east coast of Honshu, expected to arrive on station around March 14.
USS Essex, with the embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, departed Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, this morning en route the east coast of Honshu. The ship should arrive on station on March 17.
USS Blue Ridge onloaded a Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief (HADR) kit in Singapore last night and departed this morning. The ship just completed an underway replenishment with the oiler USNS Rappahannock where it onloaded another HADR kit. The 7th Fleet flagship is en route Japan, expected to arrive around March 18.
USS Harpers Ferry and USS Germantown have been re-directed to Japan from locations at sea in Southeast Asia.
