Team,
On Saturday I was privileged to be on the pier as USS BATAAN returned from her nearly three month deployment to Haiti. USS BATAAN’s return marked the close out of our Navy’s initial response to the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Our Navy did extraordinarily well performing a very challenging mission.
Below are follow-ups to the letter I wrote to our Sailors’ families and my P4 to our ships, squadrons, and units as we commenced HA/DR operations in Haiti.
PAAUZYUW RUCBCLF9078 1101757-UUUU--RUCBCLO.
ZNR UUUUU
P 031315Z APR 10 ZYB PSN 326143I19
FM COMUSFLTFORCOM NORFOLK VA//N00//
TO ALFLTFORCOM
BT
UNCLAS PERSONAL FOR COMMANDERS, COMMANDING OFFICERS AND OFFICERS-IN-CHARGE
FROM ADM HARVEY
SECINFO/-/-//
MSGID/GENADMIN/COMUSFLTFORCOM//
SUBJ/EXTRAORDINARY EFFORT FOR AN EXTRAORDINARY CHALLENGE PT2//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/TODAY, THE USS BATAAN (LHD 5) RETURNED HOME TO NORFOLK. AS ONE OF THE FIRST SHIPS TO DEPLOY TO HAITI, HER RETURN ESSENTIALLY MARKS THE END OF NAVY'S IMMEDIATE SURGE TO PROVIDE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND DISASTER RELIEF TO THE VICTIMS OF THE DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKE IN HAITI AS PART OF OPERATION UNIFIED RESPONSE.
2. I WANT TO PASS TO YOU MY SINCERE APPRECIATION FOR THE EXCEPTIONAL WORK YOU, YOUR STAFFS, SHIPS, SQUADRONS, UNITS, AND CREWS HAVE DONE TO SUCCESSFULLY EXECUTE A VERY DIFFICULT AND DEMANDING MISSION. FROM USS CARL VINSON (CVN 70) STEAMING AT 32 KNOTS LOADED WITH 19 HELICOPTERS FROM HM-14, HM-15, HSC-26, HSC-9, HS-11 AND HS-15 TO PROVIDE OUR INITIAL RESPONSE, AND THE USNS COMFORT GETTING UNDERWAY IN JUST THREE DAYS FROM A REDUCED OPERATING STATUS TO THE CREW OF THE USS BUNKER HILL (CG 52) PROVIDING DESPERATELY NEEDED FOOD AND WATER TO THE LITTLE TOWN OF PICMI AFTER SEEING AN SOS DRAWN IN THE SAND - YOUR RESPONSE WAS IN THE FINEST TRADITIONS OF OUR NAVY.
3. I WAS PARTICULARLY IMPRESSED WITH THE INITIATIVE OF YOUR SAILORS. THEIR ABILITY TO ANTICIPATE, IMPROVISE, AND EXECUTE WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE WAS INDICATIVE OF THE TRUE ASYMMETRIC ADVANTAGE OF OUR NAVY - OUR PEOPLE.
4. ALTHOUGH OUR IMMEDIATE RESPONSE IS COMPLETE, THE SUSTAINMENT EFFORTS IN HAITI WILL LIKELY ENDURE FOR QUITE SOME TIME. NOW IT'S TIME FOR US TO FOCUS ON THE LESSONS-LEARNED FROM THIS OPERATION AND ENSURE WE'RE READY TO RESPOND TO THE NEXT CRISIS THAT HEADS OUR WAY.
5. YOU AND YOUR SAILORS RESPONDED TO A VERY DESPERATE SITUATION. YOU HAD AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT. YOU MADE A REAL DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF THOUSANDS, AND WHILE YOU DELIVERED MUCH FOOD, WATER, AND AID, YOU GAVE THE PEOPLE OF HAITI THE MOST IMPORTANT GIFT OF ALL, HOPE.
6. WELL DONE.
7. ADMIRAL J. C. HARVEY, JR. SENDS. MINIMIZE CONSIDERED.// BT
#9078
NNNN
1 comment:
This is true heroism and a great display of what the Navy can do as a global force for good!
Admiral, thanks so much for providing these updates and hosting this blog. As a new financial management intern at a small command, I don't get as much exposure as I'd like to the actual goings-on at Fleet or to what our sailors are doing on a daily basis. This blog has been one of the best resources I have to help mitigate that. It has definitely been a great asset!
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