Military Monday: Surface Force Assists After Hurricanes

September 15, 2017

CARIBBEAN SEA (Sept. 9, 2017) Naval Aircrewman (Helicopter) 2nd Class Andy Blessing from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC-22), assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), departs Wasp to provide aid to evacuees as part of first response efforts to the U.S. Virgin Islands in the wake of Hurricane Irma. The Department of Defense is supporting Federal Emergency Management Agency, the lead federal agency, in helping those affected by Hurricane Irma to minimize suffering and is one component of the overall whole-of-government response effort. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Taylor King/Released) 170909-N-NM806-002

In the midst of what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has labeled as ‘one of the most potentially active hurricane seasons since 2010’, the U.S. Navy Surface Force has mobilized multiple vessels and thousands of Sailors and Marines to support humanitarian and disaster relief (HaDR) operations.

According to the National Weather Service, a hurricane is defined as “an intense tropical weather system with well-defined circulation and sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or higher” and is measured on a scale, one through five, that estimates potential property damage. This first-ever recorded event of two category four or stronger hurricanes, Hurricane Harvey trailed by Hurricane Irma, making landfall in the continental U.S. in the same year has prompted one of the largest HaDR operations in U.S. Navy history.

CARRIBEAN SEA (Sept. 10, 2017) The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) transits the Caribbean Sea in support of first response efforts to the U.S. Virgin Islands in the wake of Hurricane Irma. The Department of Defense is supporting the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the lead federal agency, in helping those affected by Hurricane Irma to minimize suffering and is one component of the overall whole-of-government response effort. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Levingston Lewis/Released) 170910-N-BD308-0009

The seven surface force ships sent to various locations around Florida, the mid-Atlantic and the Caribbean include: USS Wasp (LHD 1), USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), USS Oak Hill (LSD 51), USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), USS New York (LPD 21), USS Farragut (DDG 99), and USS San Jacinto (CG 56).

U.S. Northern Command endorses these ships as collectively capable of providing medical support, maritime civil affairs, maritime security, expeditionary logistic support, medium and heavy air lift support, and bring a diverse capability including assessment, security, route clearance and water purification. Amphibious ships are particularly well designed for this type of mission as they are designed and built to move Marines ashore and provide sustainable logistic and aviation support.

The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1-Nov. 30 and covers the areas of the North Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, as per the NOAA.

The top priority of the federal government, as multiple federal and state organizations work together to support civil authorities, is to minimize suffering and protecting the lives and safety of those affected by these natural disasters. For such a lethal, war-fighting force, these surface combatants are especially equipped to conquer other mission areas. HaDR is a pillar mission set for the U.S. Navy and these ships’ crews- Sailors and Marines of the finest kind, surface warriors-along with their embarked aircraft.