por admin » Vie Mar 18, 2011 4:56 pm
5,757 marinos se han establecido en Japon y llevaran a cabo la Operacion Tomodachi (amigo en Japones) ellos daran ayuda humanitaria. Los militares de US y Japon coordinaran juntos sus acciones, y no es contra un enemigo extranjero.
U.S. Marines' Aid Builds Slowly in Japan
By CHESTER DAWSON
YAMAGATA, Japan—A week after a devastating earthquake and tsunami hit northeast Japan, the U.S. Marine Corps slowly began to ramp up activity at a forward refueling base Friday in support of Japanese government efforts to provide aid to tens of thousands of survivors.
While some 4,757 U.S. military personnel affiliated with the Marines and sailors, mostly based in Japan, have been tasked to Operation Tomodachi (which means "friend" in Japanese), delivery of large quantities of humanitarian aid has been hampered by damaged infrastructure, poor weather and what some military officials describe as minor miscues between American and Japanese armed forces. In some sense, the relief effort has become a test of the two close defense allies' ability to work seamlessly to face a military challenge, albeit one with no foreign enemy.
Many branches of the U.S. armed forces have been active in Japan over the past week, but the Marine Corps has led efforts on the ground in the worst-hit areas of the country.
On Friday, a convoy of 24 Marine vehicles—including 11 Humvees, seven 7-ton troop transports and a wrecker to clear debris—arrived at the staging base in the mountains of Yamagata after an 18-hour ride from Camp Fuji outside Tokyo. Coming from the other direction, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and Amphibious Squadron 11 arrived off the Pacific coast of mainland Japan.
Those combined forces, both part of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, are expected to engage in humanitarian relief assistance in tsunami-stricken areas in cooperation with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. "We have been working closely with our Japan Ground Self-Defense Force counterparts throughout this operation," Col. Craig S. Kozeniesky, commanding officer of Camp Fuji said in a statement. "We are looking forward to joining the relief efforts."
Relief cannot come soon enough for tens of thousands of Japanese in the hardest hit parts of northeastern Japan, many of whom are living in makeshift shelters with little or no heat despite freezing temperatures outside. Local officials in these areas have also complained about a lack of food and clean toilets, which raises the specter of disease if basic sanitary needs remain unmet. Japan's national broadcaster, NHK, reported Friday that there are some 280,000 Japanese approaching a second week in a total of 2,304 shelters.
On Wednesday, the first of four Humanitarian Assistance Survey Teams, or HAST, began limited relief operations along the northeast coast of Japan, distributing basic supplies such as water, food and blankets to evacuees in Japanese shelters without electricity, gas or running water. The delivery was slowed by roads partially blocked by debris and harsh weather, including heavy snowstorms.
No new HAST missions have been undertaken since then and three of the teams still await deployment orders at a U.S. Navy base in Atsugi outside of Tokyo, along with about half a dozen CH-46 helicopters. The Marines may move those resources to Yamagata and begin operations "within the next 24 hours," but specific missions for them have yet to be determined, said Lt. Nick Eisenbeiser, a spokesman for the Marine Corps in Japan.
One issue remains a lack of materials to transport. While a C-130 cargo plane on Friday delivered more than 8,000 gallons of fuel for military aircraft and vehicles to the mountain air base, which is located about two hours by land to the tsunami-stricken coast, there appeared to be few other supplies ready to be delivered from the forward base other than six pallets of "modular sleep systems," or sleeping bags. The U.S. military has said that it is awaiting the flow of supplies from the Japanese government, which is coordinating the collection of donated materials like food and water.
The Marines' CH-46 helicopters, which can dart in and out of hard-to-reach areas, are key to the survey and infrastructure repair effort. "If they got them here, they could be out maybe by the next day" flying relief missions, said Capt. Adam Simon, who is in charge of the fuel and supply outpost. The facility in Yamagata is the first of three that the U.S. plans to establish within easy reach of the northeastern coast of Japan.
Privately, some U.S. and Japanese military personnel say there have been many snags and communication issues that have complicated and slowed the joint humanitarian effort. A lack of translators, unfamiliarity with interservice protocol and different approaches to decision making are among the problems that have slowed down the pace, they say. "It's really the first time for us" to work this closely together, said one Japanese defense official, who declined to be named. "In previous joint exercises, we just shook hands but this is like living together," he said.
Yet U.S. Marine Corps and Japanese Self Defense Force officials say whatever difficulties that have been encountered will only strengthen the relationship.
"When you do exercises and train you don't estimate something as large as this" disaster, said Marine Corps spokesman Lt. Eisenbeiser. "A quick plan isn't necessarily a good plan."