By U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/ U.S. 4th Fleet Public Affairs

GULF OF GONÂVE, Haiti -- Rear Adm. Joseph D. Kernan, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (NAVSO)/ U.S. Fourth Fleet, is visiting USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) today off the coast of Haiti.

U.S. Fourth Fleet, headquartered at Naval Station Mayport, Fla., diverted the amphibious ship Kearsarge from Santa Marta, Colombia, Friday to assist the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in mitigating human suffering and loss of life in Haitian communities impacted by tropical storms Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Hurricane Ike.

Kernan will review U.S. Naval relief efforts from Kearsarge and visit ship personnel supporting relief operations in Haiti.

"Providing much needed relief following a disaster of this scope is precisely why we’re here, this is what SOUTHCOM, the Navy and Fourth Fleet does - it is one of our core missions," said Kernan. "It is so important to work together with partner nations and U.S. governmental agencies like USAID to help the people in this region after a natural catastrophe like this."

Kearsarge support to Haiti includes the movement of food, cargo and equipment between Port-au-Prince and Gonaives, Jeremie, Saint Marc, Port de Paix, Jacmel and Les Cayes.

U.S. Southern Command and U.S. Fourth Fleet planners continue to work with interagency partners and their counterparts in countries affected by the recent devastating weather activity to assess recovery needs in the affected areas and identify additional U.S. military units that may be able to provide assistance.

As the Naval Component Command of USSOUTHCOM, NAVSO’s mission is to direct U.S. Naval Forces operating in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions and interact with partner nation navies within the maritime environment. NAVSO/Fourth Fleet operations include counter-illicit trafficking, theater security cooperation, humanitarian sssistance and disaster relief, military-to-military interaction and bilateral and multinational training.

Reestablished on July 12, Fourth Fleet is the numbered fleet assigned to NAVSO, exercising operational control of naval assets supporting operations in the Caribbean, Central and South America.