But hey, spin and good press is better than the facts.
Posted on 01/01/2005 1:06:28 PM PST by kingu
Reuters finally broke the story about USS Abraham Lincoln and it's task force bringing aid to the northern tip of Sumatra in Indonesia, and briefly mentions some of the aid being given to Sri Lanka, but there is more to the story...
Resupply ships, such as AORs, are detaching themselves from the aircraft carrier task force and from Diego Garcia and are fanning out to more isolated islands and using their three launches and two helicopters to bring aid to those in need. The plan is to make two deliveries to each community they come across. The first, sadly enough, is to bring body bags, the most requested aid at the moment. The second delivery brings water purifiers, MREs, aid packs (those infamous yellow bagged kits) and one 50k generator.
After five hours of deliveries, everyone re-boards and the AOR makes way at combat speed to the next aid location, pre-chosen from updated sat imaging.
Islands that have been completely wiped out are being serviced by air drops of floatation devices and aid packs in the vague hope that someone may be alive to use them. All of this has been going on for the last few days, even though the Pentagon has been rather silent on broadcasting this information. (Likely because of diplomatic issues.)
Those who are performing this service are fiercely proud of what they are doing while the media continues to focus on who is giving how much money when. While bucks will be useful in the future, money means nothing when there is no place to spend it. Many islands have lost their vital links with more populous areas as their cargo ships have been beached or destroyed by the tsunami waves and currents.
I'm trying to get clearance to post photos or more detailed stories, but PacFlt is being horribly slow (most of the senior press office folks are on Christmas leave.) I'm only able to post this information because Reuter's made reference to other aid areas.
I hope everyone will lift a glass in support of those who are 'doing' rather than 'talking of doing.'
Thank you! I am sending money.
Your source ought to request an embedded reporter.
Learned long ago that those who talk about things have a tendency to talk things to death, but those who actually take charge and start the physical process are the ones who get the job done. That's the difference between the military and diplomacy.
Less talk - more action.
Go Navy!
(Air Force, too! :)
We're the good guys. Always have been, always will be.
Proud of our armed forces ping!!
bump
| 3 survivors walk for 5 days, find no one alive on coast |
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| Posted by Pikamax On 01/01/2005 3:28:24 PM CST · 1 reply · 23+ views Mercury News ^ | 01/01/05 | Richard C. Paddock 3 survivors walk for 5 days, find no one alive on coast By Richard C. Paddock Los Angeles Times LHOKNGA, Indonesia - For five days, the three friends walked across a 95-mile wasteland of death and destruction. Living on coconuts, cassava and unopened noodle packets they found along the way, they hiked along the west coast of Sumatra through 150 villages that had been reduced to rubble by Sunday's massive earthquake and tsunamis. They swam across 15 rivers where bridges had been washed away. They passed more bodies than they could count, including some that had lain in the tropical... |
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Once again this illustrates the importance of Navy carrier groups and Navy P-3 squadrons positioned around the globe.
Normally we think of the carrier quick response strength and power but today we are reminded of the humaniarian strength that a US Navy carrier group has at its immediate disposal. The generators of ships and the onboard water purifying plants can make the different for entire cities much more quickly than Air Force transports can get smaller pieces of equipment there. Medical staff and the hospital on board the ships bring care faster than field hospitals can be built.
The Navy P-3s were in the air and over the devastated areas faster than any US based Air Force planes could get there. The P-3's used their long range maritime patrol capability to search for survivors floating on debris far from land and to survey the situation on remote islands. They also dropped supplies in remote areas.
Once againt the Navy comes through first.
Thanks for the ping. Go Navy!
GIs wearing clean uniform at airport EQUALS a lame PAO photo
GI with cuts, mud on body, disheveled hair ... looking ugly and "unprofessional" (i.e. not squared away) ... with crowd of refugees EQUALS real and meaningful
Distance shot of Swabbie strapping a pallet to helicopter on a flightdeck EQUALS another lame PAO photo
Swabbie lowering pallet onto a mud field while refugees are whipped by the rotor wash EQUALS real and meaningful
Marines in formation on flightdeck EQUALS yet another lame PAO photo
Marines stripped down to their undershirts dripping with sweat (oh no ... they are not "squared away") while doing something on debris strewn beach EQUALS real and meaningful
Stand by for military PAO lame photos and video
We'll have to wait for the families of servicemen & women to post REAL and MEANINGFUL photos and video to their personal websites
take a look at this.
I was going to write some rather verbose descriptions on what is really needed for the first few weeks. Tnen as my response on two other related posts got long I just stopped writing and quite the thread. I am sure a lot of us Freepers have in the past four or five days a very distinct feeling it was going to come down to the United States,British, and Australian Airforces,Navy, Army, and Marines to get this stuff moving. Some three days back I heard on PBS nightly news that an advanced contingent of US Navy and Marine officers already where in a few areas, such as Sumatra.
At least the UN has made mention of "military". Yea. Our boys will get the job done ASP with "planned" effeciency.
Sad, our press,UN, and Europeans complained earlier this week as why GWB was not doing something when little did they know things the day after where already being put into play.
This administration is short of "big talk", folks of few words............but when the chips are down, things get a cooking. That is why everyone hates em. We know what the hell we are doing often before we must even act.
Go Airforce, Navy, and Marines.....of course or Army to if they end up being involved. And yes go Bush team.
hmmmmm still waiting to hear about a few bucks coming from China, Russia, hey where are the billionare Saudi Princes, the Sultan of Brunel (northeast country on Island of Borneo), the riches man in the world?
Off course we know the answer. Thousands of super wealthy Muslims world wide will have as little to do with departing with their money as humanly possible. At least India had the common decency to say up front they really do not need money to take care of those on the Indian coastlines that are effected. It is hard to believe though, why we cannot hear from those group of Malaysian and Indonesian nations rich in Oil and all the companies from USA that moved their manufacturing to those lands, why they are not listed as contributors for the common good.
Or have I not been seeing the newest list of all nations pledging help?
Patriciaruth, thanks for the ping.
I caught this a little while ago, and was pleased that someone is finally publicizing the good work that our armed forces have been and are doing.
I was half hoping to find something in this story that would give me a hint where my son's been since the tsunami, and on the other hand relieved that his location hasn't been broadcast (like the faces of the Navy SEALs.) I don't know if he's accompanying any of the ships bringing supplies, or maybe occupying a location they left behind. It's hard not knowing the details, but this much I do know. He's not sitting around with his thumb up his butt like all the arm chair quarterbacks who keep calling foul. If the media had the opportunity to broadcast the locations of our ships to compromise our security, they'd do that in a heartbeat, but announcing that we're sending supplies and other assistance isn't worth their precious ink.
You got it right buddy. At least a lot of Freepers will fully understand your message. Good old warm fuzzy feeling aaah.
Such is the way it has been since modern civilization an the Television came into existence. So many in so many lands don't have a clue to what honor and commitment for the good of all really means. They are to busy waddling between the refrig and boob tube.
US Military in war and peace...........we smarly salute you all!
Look at what?
Not all Air Force planes are US based. Those P-3s probably came from Diego Garcia, which also hosts USAF bombers from time to time. The bombers have similar capability in their radars and other systems.
I believe that they DID know, they just wanted to try to make the President look bad with their reports of his "not publicly mentioning the story for 4 days while he was vacationing in Texas".
Fargin bastiges!
| Tsunami Survivors Mob U.S. Aid Copters |
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| Posted by Pikamax On 01/01/2005 3:59:30 PM CST · 3 replies · 11+ views AP ^ | 01/01/05 | DENIS D. GRAY Tsunami Survivors Mob U.S. Aid Copters 38 minutes ago World - AP Asia By DENIS D. GRAY, Associated Press Writer ABOARD THE USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN - Desperate, homeless villagers on the tsunami-ravaged island of Sumatra mobbed American helicopters carrying aid Saturday as the U.S. military launched its largest operation in the region since the Vietnam War, ferrying food and other emergency relief to survivors across the disaster zone. From dawn until sunset on New Year's Day, 12 Seahawk helicopters shuttled supplies and advance teams from offshore naval vessels while reconnaissance aircraft brought back stark images of wave-wrecked coastal landscapes and... |
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"First response efforts by the Red Cross always comes out of their general disaster funds and current rules don't allow that money to be repaid by later donations for that particular disaster. Contribute, but don't specify what the money is to be used for other than 'disaster fund.' They'll know what to do with that money."
Very good point. Some other posts on this subject include links to some good religious based organizations that are known to use monies very effectively.
As for your comments on the huge area of Islands affected.
Yep. I was going to write up a long disertation on the subject, with reference to the various Island groups, those mostly hammered etc., but felt perhaps it was to verbose.
One thing for sure is the United States Navy will get to areas no one else other then our Brit and Aussy buddies could do. As usual it perhaps is only somewhat important that Americans get the after facts in how our guys quickly came to the aid of those in dire need.
Semper Fi to them all.
"Those P-3s probably came from Diego Garcia,..."
Surely you right on the money. Good call.
For those readers not sure where this Navy base is located.....it is about 500 miles south of the lower Maldive Island group south of the Indian contienent. Our Navy Patrol P3 Orions etc., will be the most VITAL link the world has to those living in those island chains.
But hey, spin and good press is better than the facts.
"I believe that they DID know, they just wanted to try to make the President look bad with their reports of his "not publicly mentioning the story for 4 days while he was vacationing in Texas". Fargin bastiges!
I don't think they really had a clue in the first day or so what and who the POTUS may have been making calls to from Crawford. Our POTUS is a man of few words, he could even follow through in the first debate with the traitor to our military, about why the MSM was totally distorting some of the issues the traitor was blurting out. He started to say in effect......"well I could talk a bit about this......then just sort of laughted and droped it."
But surely if any of those pop weavils on day three or four where contacting the DoD etc., they should have started to realize the USA was moving fast on putting into play the solution to many of the tough problems the UN and most every other nation would not be able to do much or anything about.
So I would for day one give the miserable pud knocker L/MSM the pass on this one. Day two and beyond, their back to being at very best miseriable pud knockers.
" I'll give a nod as well to the Canadian Navy who are also lending a hand as well doing relief efforts."
Yes. Let us salute the our brothers to the north.....those in the military and those citizens of Canada that still are truly spirited and bonified patriots, conservatives, and for the most part, ones we can stand side by side when the going gets tough. We have some Canadian citizens on this site that yearn for the good all days when Canada was truly free, sane, conservative in many respects, willing to stand up against evil and oppresive regiems, in short our brothers in arms against the evils of the world. So much goodness left in Canada. I pray their liberal mental set can divert back to at least a neutral point. Obviously there is so much strong feelings of close friendship between these two great nations. I aalute their service in this aid relief cause, I am sure their contribution will prove quite meaningful.
Now lets see how long it takes the American and Canadian press to belt down a few shots of Wild Turkey 101 or whatever and start reporting how the truly free nations of the world are contributing a large military presence to do the work no one else can tackle.
"Now, if you had told me a week ago that an American Marine expeditionary force would be in Banda Aceh on New Years Day, my first reaction would have been that the President had decided upon a bold and unexpected strike in the War on Terror, jumping ahead on the timeline of that effort's multi-generational strategy. I might have thought it was a bold and necessary move, and I would have believed you if you had said they had located and captured Osama Bin Laden there.
"As it was, in our shock, probing in from the parameter toward the epicenter of the Banda Aceh Earthquake, only a few have considered whether the hand of the Almighty reached out and sliced off a decade from what still promises to be a protracted conflict with Islamo-Fascism."
Go Navy!
And THAT is what sets us apart from the rest of the world. Thank you for stating it.
"Hope" is not a strategy
Mud is mud unless doing pre-invasion beach head mud analysis.
It looks pretty damn similar in the region. Whether it is mud on the beach belonging to either the "LBFM" nation or the "Thuosand Island Dressing" nation is immaterial and little revealing of operational location
Ever hear of MS Paint? Very useful for eliminating background landmarks that you wish to obscure.
Ask some snipes to help you.
"***We know what the hell we are doing often before we must even act***
And THAT is what sets us apart from the rest of the world."
"Thank you for stating it."
I am sure this is a self evident thought to many at this site.
So many of our thoughts are one at this site, when it comes to the courage, honor and deliberation our military lead by a POTUS that knows when to butt out and when to give them support. We got the best combo for another four years. Heaven knows what may happen should the slick one's worse half become POTUS. I cannot fanthom the horrible state our military will go into. How can we as conservatives and Republicans somehow share the dire need in four years for our citizentry not to elect some military hating president?
We surely have our work cut out for us.
At least the MSM is starting to give a bit of praise as to what the US citizens and military have been doing in the past few days. I almost dropped my cup of tea as I watched NBC world news actually show a picture of the USS Abraham Lincoln off the coast of Ceylon.......and a few brief shots of our Airforce and Navy quickly loading military cargo planes etc., with aid materials. I am sure the Navy offered the shots of our carrier sitting out there, and NBC and perhaps some others could not get out of showing that our guys/gals are already positioned to provide aid, while the UN and other agencies are sitting around at dinner sipping their wine trying to figure out how to get things started.
Once again...............Go US Navy, Airforce, and Marines!
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Description: Helicopters from Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 2 (HS-2) Golden Falcons and Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (Light) 47 (HSL-47) Saberhawks depart from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) en route to Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia.
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| Indian Ocean (Jan. 1, 2005) -- Helicopters from Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 2 (HS-2) “Golden Falcons” and Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (Light) 47 (HSL-47) “Saberhawks” depart from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) en route to Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia. The helicopters are transporting supplies, bringing in disaster relief teams and supporting humanitarian airlifts to tsunami-stricken coastal regions. Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is currently operating in the Indian Ocean off the waters of Indonesia and Thailand. U.S. Navy photo (RELEASED) http://www.navy.mil |
This is important to know. Thank you.
You're a better person than I. I won't give them even that because even when they DID find out that he'd been doing things behind the scene, they STILL dissed him for "being on vacation and not coming out publicly for 4 days."
Bastiges.
Also, wasn't this photo taken several months ago?
My apologies for typing this; however, the photo you posted is an example of a lame, non-descript military Public Affairs Officer photo shoot.
Do you have a photo showing the same helicopter landing on a mud & debris strewn soccer field at tsunami impact ground zero amongst several chopper wash blown refugees wait for the supplies to be tossed to the ground?
Ooops ... although the legendary PAO corps has photos such as that they dare not put real and meaningful photos on the net cause the American Fighting man will not be seen wearing his "regulation squared away working uniform" ... instead the viewing public might see the American fighting man wearing a real working uniform with several days of hydraulic oil drippings on the sleeves and backs, suffering from several days of sleep deprivation.
Bravo Zulu PAO Corps!!!
Thanks for the ping!
GREAT post! This story needs national attention!
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