By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Alan Gragg

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

WASHINGTON – The commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (NAVSO) and U.S.

4th Fleet testified before Congress’ Western Hemisphere Subcommittee Sept. 23, giving an update on USS Kearsarge’s (LHD 3) support of disaster relief operations in Haiti.

Rear Adm. Joseph D. Kernan spent eight days aboard Kearsarge, coordinating Department of Defense (DoD) relief efforts and working alongside U.S. troops to provide aid to Haitian communities heavily damaged by recent tropical storms and a hurricane.

To date, Kearsarge´s embarked helicopters and landing craft have delivered more than 1,400 metric tons of relief supplies, medical teams are providing care to those in need, and military engineers are assessing areas where heavy rains and flooding damaged roads, bridges and other critical infrastructure. 

“Prior to the response in Haiti, the USS Kearsarge was conducting  a humanitarian mission in Colombia as part of humanitarian assistance deployment in Central and South America and the Caribbean region called Continuing Promise 2008,” Kernan said in a prepared statement to the Committee. “The timing of and preparation for this mission was purposeful. The USS Kearsarge was not only prepared for its planned humanitarian assistance visits, but also to respond to disasters of this nature during the hurricane season.”

The subcommittee members thanked Kernan and USS Kearsarge and praised the Department of Defense (DoD) for its swift response and relief efforts.

“All of the efforts… would not have been possible without the coordinated and combined efforts of the U.S. Ambassador in Haiti and country team, USAID and our interagency partners, UN organizations such as MINUSTAH,  NGO’s, and very importantly, the Haitian government,” Kernan added. “I can testify to the success of these collective efforts in serving the Haitian people and the great work being done by our young Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, DOD Civilians, and Coastguardsmen.”

On Sept. 5, NAVSO/ 4th Fleet, which is headquartered at Naval Station Mayport, Fla., diverted the amphibious ship Kearsarge from their Continuing Promise Humanitarian Assistance mission in Santa Marta, Colombia, to assist the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Haitian communities impacted by tropical storms Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Hurricane Ike. The ship commenced relief support operations Sept. 8 and Kernan arrived Sept. 10.

“The Department of Defense brought its unique, sea-based mobility, medical and engineering  assets to provide critical support, such as the delivery of food, water, and medical assistance to remote and difficult to access locations,” said Kernan.

USAID´s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) prioritizes the areas needing the most immediate assistance.

As the Naval Component Command of SOUTHCOM, NAVSO´s mission, in addition to humanitarian and disaster relief, 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, countering illicit trafficking,  building cooperative, maritime domain awareness, and conducting a variety of other Theater Security Cooperation operations.  These efforts are enabled by recurring military-to-military interaction and bilateral and multinational training.

Fourth Fleet is the numbered fleet assigned to NAVSO, exercising operational control of assigned forces.

Kearsarge is in the Caribbean supporting phase two of Continuing Promise 2008, a humanitarian assistance mission that includes assisting partner nations impacted by natural disasters and other emergencies resulting in human suffering or danger to human lives.

Kearsarge embarked personnel include service members from the Navy, Army, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard, along with medical personnel from the U.S. Public Health Service, Canadian Army and Air Force, Brazil, Project Hope and International Aid. Select portions of the deployment are also supported by NGO’s such as Operations Smile and Project Hope.