Photos: US Military And Pakistan Flood Relief

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Chinooks over Islamabad taking part in relief efforts.

 

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USAID Administrator arrives in Pakistan

U.S. Embassy, Islamabad, Pakistan

Islamabad (Aug. 24, 2010) — Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, arrived in Pakistan Tuesday to consult with the Pakistani government on the extensive U.S. response to the country’s devastating floods.
Dr. Shah is the most senior U.S. official to travel to the country since the floods began last month. This is Dr. Shah’s third trip to Pakistan in five months. While in Pakistan, he will meet with senior government officials, key representatives from Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority and leadership from the United Nations and other disaster response organizations.
Under Dr. Shah’s leadership, USAID is coordinating extensively with other U.S. agencies to expand pre-existing programs in flood-affected areas, and to mobilize significant U.S. civilian resources to help rescue victims of the disaster and deliver needed supplies. The efforts underscore the U.S. commitment to strengthen its partnership with the Pakistani people and government for long-term reconstruction of the country.
The United States responded immediately and generously to Pakistan’s call for assistance following the tragic and devastating floods that began July 29. To date, the United States is providing approximately $150 million to support relief efforts in Pakistan, including funding for the operations of the NDMA, the United Nation’s emergency relief plan, and the many local and international organizations responding to this disaster. The U.S. also is providing millions of dollars of additional in-kind and technical assistance.
For more about USAID's Pakistan flood response, visit USAID Disaster Assistance: Pakistan Flooding.

U.S. Pledges More Aid to Pakistan for Flood Crisis

Transcript

HARI SREENIVASAN: The head of the U.S. Agency for International Development was in Pakistan today to see flood devastation firsthand. Rajiv Shah pledged an additional $50 million from the U.S. for the eight million people who need help. And he said the bulk of a $7.5 billion aid package pledged to Pakistan before the flooding will now go toward reconstruction. But Shah also warned that assistance is conditional, as long as Pakistan's leadership shows how the money is spent.

DR. RAJIV SHAH, administrator, United States Agency for International Development: And the people of Pakistan need to know that efforts spent on the relief are generating real results.

So, I am thankful that Minister Qureshi and others have validated that and have also indicated their full commitment to making sure that relief efforts are transparent, resources that go in are accounted for, and there's real verification, so that we can all continue to stand by the people of Pakistan during this hour of humanitarian need.

HARI SREENIVASAN: Also today, the U.S. military official in charge of the flood relief mission said Pakistan is still committed to fighting insurgents, in spite of the flooding.

U.S. sends support teams to help Pakistan organizations

U.S. Embassy, Islamabad, Pakistan

Islamabad (Aug. 24, 2010) — To provide additional support to local humanitarian organizations, the U.S. has funded support officers to help NGOs apply for flood relief assistance grants available under the special $5 million “Responding to Pakistan’s Internally Displaced” fund.
The fund was created to provide quick-impact grants to local NGOs responding to the flood emergency. In addition, USAID announced today that support officers will be traveling through flood affected areas in Multan, Sukkur, and Dera Ismail Khan.
Support officers will distribute printed grant applications to those without internet access seeking grant assistance. The officers will also monitor and assess emergency needs, validate local capacity to respond, and assist in the funding of grants. NGOs interested in expanding support in the flood areas can contact support officers through the RAPID fund.
To date, the United States has provided more than $150 million in emergency humanitarian assistance to the people of Pakistan.
In support of the Pakistani government, current U.S. flood relief priorities are to reach those in inaccessible areas and provide them aid, assure the current flood emergency is not compounded by a health crisis, and utilize all appropriate U.S. government resources efficiently and effectively.

 

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Airmen respond to Pakistan relief efforts

Posted 8/27/2010

by Airman Leah Young
62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs

8/27/2010 - JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. (AFNS) -- Active duty and Reserve aircrews assigned to the 62nd and 446th airlift wings departed here Aug. 23 for Pakistan humanitarian relief operations.

Officials said the U.S. has responded immediately and generously to Pakistan's call for assistance following the tragic and devastating floods that started July 29.

"The U.S. is committed to the welfare of the people of Pakistan and will continue to provide assistance during this period of terrible suffering," said Col. Kevin J. Kilb, the 62nd Airlift Wing commander. "The U.S. government applauds the government of Pakistan's efforts to provide support to its citizens, and stands ready, with the international community, to further support these efforts."

Two aircrews departed Joint Base Lewis-McChord Aug. 23 to conduct a five-day mission, transporting CH-53 Super Stallion helicopters from Cherry Point, N.C., to Afghanistan. The helicopters will be reassembled in Afghanistan and then flown into Pakistan.

The helicopters will be used to access villages that can't be reached by way of boat or vehicle because of the flooding, said Capt. Brian Yeargan, a C-17 Globemaster III pilot and aircraft commander assigned to the 10th Airlift Squadron.

"The relief operations will be much easier to conduct with the helicopters," Captain Yeargan said. "We'll be able to help more people in need and save more lives."

The 62nd AW, along with the 446th AW, provides a large part of Air Mobility Command's global reach airlift capability. The wing's tasking requirements include supplying humanitarian airlift relief to victims of disasters.

As a member of the 62nd AW, Staff Sgt. Jose Perez, a loadmaster, said he is more than willing to help any country in need.

"We were one of the first wings responding to the natural disaster in Haiti," Sergeant Perez said. "One of (JB) McChord's goals is simply to deliver goods to those in need, and I am happy to be involved in that."

Officials from the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan reported Aug. 18 on the Air Force's public website that, to date, "U.S. military cargo aircraft based in Afghanistan have transported more than 194,000 pounds of relief supplies from the Pakistan air force's central flood relief cell to required locations throughout Pakistan in support of government of Pakistan (officials') requests for additional airlift support."

According to the report, U.S. military helicopters conducting relief operations in partnership with the Pakistan military have rescued more than 4,800 people and transported more than 600,000 pounds of relief supplies.

"This mission mirrors our humanitarian beliefs, assists a country in great need, and strengthens our foreign ties," Captain Yeargan said.

According to Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority, the floods of the 2010 monsoon season have exceeded the magnitude of all recent disasters in Pakistan, including the 1929 floods and 2005 earthquake, particularly in terms of the size of the affected populations and widespread damage. The floods have affected more than 13 million people countrywide, including 1,600 dead, more than 11,000 injured and an estimated one million people displaced.

Per the Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs, flood relief support to Pakistan from the U.S. is a government and interagency response. Relief efforts are being coordinated through the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, in full consultation with the Pakistan government. The U.S. military will support the relief effort at the invitation and request of the government of Pakistan as long as needed.

The aircrews are scheduled to return from their mission Aug. 27.

(Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol, of Air Mobility Command Public Affairs, and Senior Airman Dani Shea, of Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs, contributed to this report.)

Family and friends watch the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge depart Naval Station Norfolk, Va., Aug. 27, 2010, for Pakistan to help provide relief to flood-stricken regions. The Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group and embarked units of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit are executing an early deployment to the region in support of ongoing humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Brian Goodwin

Chief Aviation Ordnanceman Gary Allison says goodbye to his 9-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter before deploying on the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3).



More U.S. Helicopters to Deploy for Pakistan Relief

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2010 – Defense Department officials announced today the deployment of 18 additional helicopters to Pakistan as part of the expanding U.S. contribution to flood-relief efforts there.

The aircraft include 10 CH-47 Chinook and eight UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, based at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. The unit will operate alongside the Pakistani military throughout flood-affected areas.

These helicopters are expected to begin flood-relief efforts in Pakistan in mid-September, officials said.

This is the latest in a series of deployments in response to Pakistan’s urgent request for flood-relief assistance. About 15 U.S. military helicopters and three C-130 Hercules aircraft already supporting flood-relief efforts in Pakistan have transported more than 2 million pounds of humanitarian assistance supplies and rescued more than 7,000 people.

Today, helicopters transported more than 750 people and delivered more than 160,000 pounds of food and supplies. C-130s delivered 6,000 pounds of food and supplies.

Since the floods began July 29, the United States has provided $150 million to support immediate relief efforts and has allocated an additional $50 million to assist with re-establishment of communities impacted by the floods, according to Defense Department reports.

 

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August 26,2010. Elderly Pakistani flood victim peers out of the window of a Marine Corps Sea Knight helicopter from HMM-165 (Rein), 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit with his grand daughter during humanitarian relief efforts in the Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan.

August 27, 2010. Marine Corps Sea Knight (CH-46E) helicopter from HMM-165E (REIN), 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit flies over the Tarbela Damn enroute to Kohistan, Pakistan during humanitarian relief efforts in the Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa Province Pakistan, Pakistan(formerly known as the Northwest Frontier province, Pakistan)


One Million Served

GHAZI, Pakistan – The sailors and Marines of HMM-165 reinforced (Reinforced), 15th MEU, and HM-15 Detachment 2, Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 15 press on as they acknowledge a major achievement during humanitarian relief efforts in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan.

In just over two weeks on the ground in Pakistan the combined efforts of the Marines and sailors in Task Force Ghazi have resulted in 1,084,158 lbs of supplies delivered to flood victims and 4,758 evacuees relocated.

“It was slow going at first because of the weather, but I think we have really hit our stride now,” said Cmdr. Sara “Nitro” Santoski, officer in charge of HM-15 Detachment 2. If the weather continues to cooperate I believe it won’t be much longer before we will have doubled our numbers,” explained the 37-year-old native Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.

The heavy lifting capabilities of the Navy and Marine Corps were specifically requested by the Pakistani government. As a result, 15 U.S. helicopters were sent to augment already existing relief efforts in the region from Marine and Navy helicopter squadrons HMM-165 (Rein) and HM-15 Detachment 2.

“It’s taken the combined efforts of everyone here to do this and it’s not just about the pilots either,” said Lt. Wesley Passons, a Sea Dragon pilot. “If it weren’t for the efforts of each maintainer, crew chief, and avionics tech here, these aircraft would never get off the ground. This is why we are all so proud of what we have been able to accomplish,” explained Passons.

For the Marines of HMM-165, this represents yet another milestone in its historic final deployment. Once the, “White Knights” return to their home base at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., it will transition from the CH-46E to the V-22 Osprey, concluding over 45 years of service with the CH-46E.

“Even amidst the devastation here I am amazed at what I am seeing,” said Sgt. Christopher Johnson, a CH-46E Sea Knight crew chief. “The natural beauty of the landscape is unbelievable,” said Johnson. “I never thought in a million years I would be flying a 46 in the Himalayan Mountains. It just goes to show how different each deployment in the military can be,” explained the 26-year-old native of Sutton, Neb.

“I am extremely proud of all of the hard work these Marines and sailors have done during this relief effort,” said Lt Col. Todd “One-Two” Oneto, commanding officer of HMM-165 (Rein) and Sea Knight pilot.

“The combination of long hours, challenging weather and flying conditions have made it difficult at times but the Marines and sailors are getting the job done,” explained the 47-year-old Wallingford, Conn., native.

The 15th MEU is currently deployed with the Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group performing training and security operations-missions as part of their routine deployment across the Western Pacific. HM-15 Detachment 2, Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 15 is a permanent forward deployed detachment located in Bahrain.

- Story by Capt. Paul Duncan, August 29, 2010

 

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An aerial view from a U.S. Marine Corps CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter shows flooding in Kohistan, Pakistan, Aug. 27, 2010. The helicopter is assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 165E, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit. U.S. Marines are conducting humanitarian relief efforts in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Capt. Paul Duncan

A U.S. Marine Corps CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter flies over the Tarbela Dam enroute to Kohistan, Pakistan, during humanitarian relief efforts in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, Aug. 27, 2010. The CH-46 crew is assigned to HM-165, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Capt. Paul Duncan



Pakistani Flood Waters Just Beginning to Recede

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 30, 2010 – Flood waters are just beginning to recede in Pakistan, but it will be months before the full extent of the damage can be assessed, U.S. officials said.

Between 15 million and 20 million Pakistanis have been impacted by the flooding and about 1,500 have been killed. The United States immediately pledged its support and the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad began coordinating missions with the Pakistani government. American humanitarian assistance for Pakistan has come at the request of its government, officials said.

Overall, the United States is providing $200 million in flood-relief aid to Pakistan – including $10 million in operations costs for aircraft.

Heavy monsoon rains produced an influx of water that began overflowing the banks of the Indus River and its tributaries at the end of July. Since then, U.S. military personnel have been working continuously to provide aid and relief to Pakistanis stricken by the flood, Defense Department officials said. Six U.S. Army helicopters and crews based in Afghanistan began the aid effort in Pakistan on Aug. 3. American military aircrews flew across Khyber-Pahtunkhwa province and rescued thousands of people stranded by flood waters as unusually heavy monsoon rains pummeled the northwestern portion of Pakistan.

On July 31, U.S. military began airlifting Halal - religiously permitted - meals to a Pakistani air base located near Islamabad, the country’s capital city.

Nineteen helicopters from the USS Peleliu began flying missions in support of Pakistani efforts soon after, allowing the Army helicopters to return to missions in Afghanistan. Air Force C-130s also began shuttling immediate humanitarian goods and U.S. Agency for International Development supplies around Pakistan.

Yesterday, the Pentagon announced that 18 helicopters from Alaska – 10 Chinooks and eight Black Hawks – will deploy to Pakistan and begin operations in mid-September. The USS Kearsarge has deployed early and will relieve the Peleliu sometime at the end of September.

Today, U.S. helicopters rescued 625 people and flew in 114,000 pounds of supplies. Afghanistan-based C-130s delivered about 55,000 pounds of goods.

Overall, U.S. helicopters have rescued 9,433 people and flown in 1.7 million pounds of goods. C-130s have delivered 985,000 pounds of supplies since operations began, said Pentagon spokesman Marine Col. Dave Lapan.

U.S. support will continue as long as the Pakistani government needs – and requests – the help.

“We've responded immediately to Pakistan's requests for support as they've come in,” Lapan said. “With regard to the arrival of our helicopters, it's been the plan all along to bring these aircraft into Pakistan in a phased approach to ensure base infrastructure is ready to support the additional helicopters and associated personnel.” Four U.S. Marine helicopters are slated to arrive in Pakistan later in the week to assist with flood-relief operations.

It's important to note that the flooding in Pakistan has been an evolving situation, Lapan said. Unlike the 2005 earthquake, he said, the impact of the current Pakistan floods “was not immediate and assessments of damage and support requirements have taken longer due to the scope and duration of the problem.

“We continue to remain in close contact with the Pakistan government to be responsive to their needs,” he added, “which will likely evolve over time as the flood waters recede and recovery begins.”

The flood waters in Pakistan spread from the northwestern part of the country down the Indus River to the more populated states of Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh. Aside from the loss of life, hundreds of thousands of buildings, miles of roads and railroad tracks, levees, dams and other infrastructure projects suffered damage. Millions of Pakistanis rendered homeless by the floods are camping along the limited high ground that exists in certain areas.

Now the waters are starting to recede. But the floods that washed out bridges and roads have made whole areas of Pakistan impassible. U.S. officials said that the government of Pakistan can count on American support as it begins its long-term recovery.

 

[DV RULES]

We are appreciating the US support to Pakistan in its critical time, I think this cooperation will increase PAK-US mutual understanding & joint working assistance in future.

 

[Super Falcon]

ospray is good man they carry more than chinks and easy to load and faster than chinks

 

[Solomon2]

ospray is good man they carry more than chinks and easy to load and faster than chinks

Do not forget that for all of America's efforts - greater than any similar such effort since the Berlin Airlift - this disaster is so great, it can only be a tiny fraction of the amount required by the flood victims. The U.S. can't do it all, the people of Pakistan must show their mettle and sacrifice if the majority of their afflicted countrymen are to survive.

 

[GentlemanObserver]

Do not forget that for all of America's efforts - greater than any similar such effort since the Berlin Airlift - this disaster is so great, it can only be a tiny fraction of the amount required by the flood victims. The U.S. can't do it all, the people of Pakistan must show their mettle and sacrifice if the majority of their afflicted countrymen are to survive.

Catch the spirit

It is an overwhelming feeling when people unite for a cause. When in an instant, strangers no longer remain strangers.

In the last 10 days, I’ve seen Pakistan come together in ways never seen before. The Pakistani youth has risen and literally stepped out on the streets to help their countrymen affected by the flood. It is exhilarating to think about not what they are doing as volunteers but what they will become.

With as many as 20 million people affected, roadside relief camps have sprouted up by the dozen in Karachi. Students have taken to the streets, donation boxes in tow, physically stopping cars, requesting people to contribute.

Each day brings a relentless and constant chain of support. Where the monetary contributors stop, there is a group of people ready to take over by running to crowded bazaars everyday to buy food supplies, clean drinking water and medicines. From there yet another massive portion of the population is stepping in to pack those supplies and load them into trucks to deliver them to the affected areas.

As Pakistani authorities failed to provide the necessary leadership needed and with no proper coordination in the relief efforts, the civilian population of Pakistan has taken it upon themselves to do what they can in the face of this crisis; in the process, developing a conscientious society that we’re all proud to belong to.

The spirit of volunteerism is a crucial aspect of patriotism, something I realised as I helped Faith Foundation and Help in a Box sort and pack through piles of clothes and endless bags of dry food items. Pakistanis have chosen to treat it as a responsibility rather than a choice. After working long hours, during a fast, rain or shine, volunteers are contributing their time and resources. It is a sacrifice of insurmountable proportions. And their only reply to that it is: who will do it, if I don’t?

Various non-profit organisations are asking for help to sort and pack supplies by advertising on blogs and social websites such as Facebook; making it possible for any and everyone to join in the relief work.

Albeit, their number small and their reach limited, Pakistanis are displaying an extraordinary passion that has easily transcended the government, the bureaucracy and any protocol.

While we’ve slept during bad governance and political disarray, this awakening has been a tremendously gratifying experience and it only reinforces my belief that the spirit of volunteerism will take this country further.

I have realized that schools taking their students to visit SOS villages and Dar-ul-Sakoon can not merely be disregarded as field trips anymore. It is a serious effort in ingraining the values of voluntary work and its impact on our children. The very children who are rising up and reaching out now.

This national catastrophe has given Pakistanis a platform on which to come forward and define their identities. It is also a time for those who are mourning to channel their grief into a productive national effort.

No doubt the death of 1,600 people is an enormous tragedy but perhaps the only greater tragedy is how we can only come together during drastic times.

Zeresh John is a multimedia content producer for Dawn.com.

The Dawn Blog Blog Archive Catch the spirit

 

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U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks with Pakistani Army Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shafqaat and Gen. Parvez Kayani, chief of Army Staff, in Multan, Pakistan, Sept. 2, 2010, after returning from an aerial tour of the Pakistani regions devastated by floods. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks with Pakistani Army Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shafqaat in Multan, Pakistan, Sept. 2, 2010. Mullen toured regions of the country devastated by floods with Pakistani military leaders. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley


Objective in Pakistan is to Help, Mullen Says

By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Sept. 2, 2010 – Though relief efforts may help people in flood-ravaged Pakistan and the rest of the world see the United States in a more favorable light than they had before, the U.S. objective here simply is to help, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen is in Pakistan today to meet with government and military officials and to get a first-hand look at stricken areas and the relief effort with Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the Pakistani army’s chief of staff.

During the first travel leg of an overseas trip that has brought him to Germany, Iraq and Pakistan this week, Mullen said the relationship between the United States and Pakistan suffered for more than a decade. Though a strategic U.S.-Pakistani partnership has re-emerged, he added, it will take time for the United States to rebuild the Pakistani people’s trust, and the flood-relief effort can help in that regard.

“The backdrop of this is 12 years of no relationship and a massive gap of trust,” he said. “It’s just going to take us a while to rebuild it. However long you take to dig a hole, it’s probably going to take you that long to fill it up.”

Mullen noted that the perception of the United States among Indonesians improved as a result of the tsunami relief effort in 2004.

“The goal was to help,” he said. “The effect was that so many changed their minds about their feelings toward America. That’s not why we do it, but the possibility is there. I’m hopeful that many Pakistani citizens can see a different side of America than what is often portrayed.”

The standing of the United States among the Pakistani people isn’t very high, Mullen acknowledged, adding that he hopes the flood-relief effort helps to build good will.

“With this relief and assistance,” he said, “I hope they will see – similar to the earthquake there in 2005 – that this is who we are.”

En route here last night, the chairman said he spoke earlier in the day with Dr. Rajiv Shah, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, about Pakistan flood relief, “because we’re all trying to work this together.”

Mullen told reporters the flood waters have reached the Indian Ocean, so they’re no longer rising. As the waters recede, he added, the extent of the damage will become more evident. The long-term scope of the relief and recovery effort Pakistan will need remains to be seen, Mullen said, but the U.S. commitment to that effort is clear, and a significant, sustained commitment from the international community almost certainly will be required.

For now, the chairman added, the focus is on the near term. Additional U.S. helicopters and ships should arrive in about 10 days, he said. So far, he added, the United States has rescued more than 11,000 people, brought in more than 3 million pounds of relief supplies and provided Pakistan with about $150 million in aid.

U.S. Air Force airmen and U.S Army soldiers remove straps from UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and cargo aboard a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft on Chaklala Air Force Base, Pakistan, Sept. 1, 2010. The airmen are assigned to the the 818th Contingency Response Element and the soldiers are assigned to the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade. Troops will fly supplies throughout Pakistan to aid flood victims. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Andy M. Kin


U.S. Continues to Aid Flood-Stricken Pakistanis

By Elaine Wilson
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1, 2010 – Even as floodwaters begin to recede in Pakistan, the United States is continuing to rush assets there to aid the millions of people impacted by the devastating floods.

Two U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters arrived in Pakistan today as the first elements of the Army’s 16th Combat Aviation Brigade began to arrive from Fort Wainwright, Alaska. The unit and helicopters will work in concert with the Pakistani military in flood-ravaged areas, officials said.

The helicopters were delivered by an Air Force C-17 cargo aircraft that’s on standby pending the arrival of other helicopters and support personnel, officials said.

Along with the 16th CAB helicopters, 15 other U.S. military helicopters are now in Pakistan providing support. Another four Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters, from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, are scheduled to arrive later this week, officials said.

To date, U.S. military aircraft have transported more than 3 million pounds of relief supplies and rescued more than 11,000 people within Pakistan, said Air Force Lt. Col. Patrick Ryder, public affairs officer for the Office of the Defense Representative-Pakistan.

"In partnership with the Pakistani military, the U.S. military has provided a unique capability to rapidly deliver much needed aid and humanitarian assistance in support of flood relief," Ryder said.

The United States also is assisting in efforts to improve coordination between Pakistani, U.S. and international organizations. Several organizations, both military and civilian, formed a joint aviation coordination cell Aug. 28 to streamline air operations supporting flood-relief efforts.

The Pakistani-led cell consolidates air operations efforts and closes a communication gap between relief providers and organizations, officials said.

“Until we formed this coordination cell, the [various entities] weren’t able to merge together and bring that requirements and commodities picture to an organized air flow capability,” said Air Force Col. Greg Nelson, director of U.S. mobility forces for humanitarian assistance to Pakistan, based out of Chaklala, Pakistan.

The cell will increase the air delivery efficiency across the country, he said. “It’s all in support of the government of Pakistan through the [National Disaster Management Authority of Pakistan], and this cell puts the whole thing together.”

The first meeting of the JACC in Chaklala, Rawalpindi, brought together representatives from the NDMA, the Pakistan army and air force, the UN Logistics Cluster, the World Food Program and the United States. Participants discussed food and supplies, and the requirements and transportation needs of the country, as well as how to work together to better accommodate the donations, air assets and collaborators, officials said.

“It’s critically important for the flow of information so that all organizations … are led by the Pakistan government, by the National Disaster Management Authority,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Eliot Evans, of the Office of the Defense Representative Pakistan.

The JACC also offers officials an opportunity to look ahead. Until the JACC was established, the air cell was planning delivery requirements for the next 24 hours, Nelson said. “Now we’re starting to look at a week out.”

These efforts are part of overall efforts by the United States to assist Pakistan with the flooding disaster. The U.S. government is providing $200 million to assist with relief and recovery efforts, as well as in-kind and technical assistance in the form of halal, or religiously permitted, meals, pre-fabricated steel bridges and other infrastructure support.

Officials estimate that between 15 million and 20 million Pakistanis have been impacted by the flooding and about 1,500 have been killed.

U.S. officials have pledged their support for as long as the Pakistani government needs, and requests, the help.

"We're very glad to be able to assist our Pakistani friends during their time of need," Ryder said. "We will continue to support Pakistan's relief efforts at the invitation and request of the government of Pakistan as long as they need us."

U.S. Marines walk through water in the well deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge while the ship is stationed off Camp Lejeune, N.C., Aug. 28, 2010. The Marines, assigned to the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, deployed aboard the ships of the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group to support Pakistan flood relief efforts. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Jesse Johnson


U.S. Military Boosts Pakistan Aid Capabilities

By Army Master Sgt. Mark Swart
Joint Public Affairs Support Element

GHAZI AVIATION BASE, Pakistan, Sept. 2, 2010 – The U.S. military is boosting its flood-relief capabilities to Pakistan by deploying more aircraft and increasing the number of aid distribution stations in the flood-stricken nation, the Pakistan aid task force commander said here yesterday.

“We are on the verge of making a substantial change in the composition of our aviation task force,” said Army Brig. Gen. Michael Nagata, Office of the Defense Representative – Pakistan (Forward) commander.

Nagata said the number of U.S. helicopters in Pakistan will almost double in coming weeks, as 18 Army helicopters from the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade arrive. Since early August, U.S. military helicopters have been operating from Ghazi Aviation Base here, providing relief supplies to the remote Swat Valley in northern Pakistan where many bridges on the valley floor were washed away by the flood.

Nagata said the incoming Army helicopters will continue the Swat Valley relief mission. Marine and Navy helicopters from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit currently operating from the aviation base here will be relocated to an aviation base in the south of the country in coordination with the government and military of Pakistan.

“These helicopters will soon begin relief operations in southern Pakistan,” Nagata said. “They will continue the great work they have done up here to help people in a new area who have been devastated by the flood.”

The Army helicopters, predominantly CH-47 Chinook cargo helicopters, are well suited to the high altitudes of the Swat Valley, the general said.

Nagata said the U.S. military has over the past week worked with the government of Pakistan to maximize current assets by selecting several new sites for relief deliveries and distribution.

Marine and Air Force C-130 cargo airplanes are delivering food and fuel into areas of northern Pakistan at airfields in Gilgit and Skardu.

“We hope to increase the volume of these C-130 deliveries at the request of the government of Pakistan in coming days and weeks,” Nagata said.

Additionally, the helicopters based at Ghazi have expanded operations into Kohistan. One stop in Kohistan is the small town of Otero, nestled deep in the mountains and accessible by a single-lane road that was severely damaged by the floods. Although flooding has largely subsided in the northern region of the country, the damage to infrastructure makes continued relief missions vital.

Otero “is completely cut off from the rest of civilization,” Nagata said. “We made five runs into Otero yesterday, delivering on the order of 30,000 pounds of relief supplies and recovering several hundred people out of the town. It’s emblematic of how deep the need is and how devastated these areas are.”

The general credited the U.S. military helicopter pilots for “extraordinarily skillful flying” as they braved challenging landing zones to deliver badly needed relief supplies to Otero.

Nagata said the flight tempo “remains high” since Pakistan relief operations began last month. More than 2 million pounds of relief supplies have been flown into Pakistan, he said, noting 8,000 Pakistanis have been rescued by the helicopters currently at Ghazi. The helicopters are from of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and consist of Navy MH-53 Sea Dragons, Marine CH-53 Sea Stallions and CH-46 Sea Knights.

 

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Members of the U.S. Air Force 818th Contingency Response Element line up their K- loaders and forklifts for cargo off load from a C-5 Galaxy aircraft assigned to the 535th Airlift Squadron, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, at Chaklala Air Force Base, Pakistan, Sept. 2.

A U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter flies over the flood affected area in Pakistan on a return flight from delivering humanitarin assistance and evacuating personnel to the town of Khwazakhela, as part of the flood recovery effort in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, Aug 11, 2010.
U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Horace Murray

Mullen: News Can’t Convey Scope of Pakistan Floods

By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service

KABUL, Afghanistan, Sept. 3, 2010 – Media coverage is inadequate to convey the scope of the floods that have ravaged Pakistan for more than a month, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen yesterday toured flood-stricken areas of Pakistan with Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the Pakistani army’s chief of staff.

During this morning’s flight from Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad to Kabul, Mullen told reporters he was taken aback by the scope and the massive scale of what he saw.

“The pictures [and] reporting just don’t capture it,” the chairman said. Along with his own observations of flooded areas, he added, a briefing slide Kayani showed him helped him to understand the disaster’s magnitude.

“It said that effectively it’s like flooding the entire East Coast of the United States,” he said. “I think it’s going to take a considerable amount of time to recover from that.”

The chairman said Kayani told him 70,000 members of the Pakistani military are engaged in the flood response effort, and no reserve call-up has been necessary. Mullen added that he asked the Pakistani general whether insurgent activity had picked up with the military focusing so much attention on the floods, and that Kayani told him no significant outbreak of insurgent activity has taken place.

“I [also] asked about the support from the charitable-organization fronts for the extremist organizations,” Mullen told reporters, “and he said, ‘Not much.’” The chairman said Kayani explained that while those organizations do a pretty good job of strategic communications, they haven’t had much of an impact.

Mullen said Kayani asked for satellite imagery taken before the flood began so current images and images taken after the waters recede can be put together in a database for purposes of comparison, but that the Pakistani general made no other requests.

Earlier this week, the chairman emphasized the U.S. commitment to provide whatever support or assistance the Pakistani government requests and said he believes a significant, sustained commitment from the international community almost certainly will be required to help Pakistan recover. More U.S. helicopters and ships should arrive in about a week, he added.

 

[BlackenTheSky]

I am sure after this work,Pakistani people's thinking against US army and US gonna change.

 

[DV RULES]

I am sure after this work,Pakistani people's thinking against US army and US gonna change.

It is not simple as you think. It is hard to change the mind of 140 million people. But where efforts are true & honest we always must appreciate & well come, but it doesn’t mean that everything went to change. So......

 

[Solomon2]

The latest U.S. Navy Group left in late August and should arrive off of Pakistan in late September. Clearly U.S. support for Pakistani flood relief is a continuing commitment, not a one-month wonder. I note that these ships are equipped with America's newest vertical-takeoff aircraft, the V-22 Osprey.

While en route, the crew continues its training, battle preparedness, and customary routine. I've included a few such scenes here.

U.S. Marines run on the flight deck aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) on Aug. 29, 2010. The Kearsarge is en route to Pakistan to provide relief to flood-stricken regions of the country. DoD photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Scott Pittman, U.S. Navy. (Released)

Command Element, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Marines in formation before a meritorious promotion and awards ceremony on the flight deck of USS Kearsarge while travelling to Pakistan, Sept. 02, 2010. 26th MEU deployed aboard the ships of Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group in late August responding to an order by the Secretary of Defense to support Pakistan flood relief efforts.

100831-N-2908M-001 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Aug. 31, 2010) Fire controlmen aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) load the forward NATO Sea Sparrow mount. The Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (26th MEU) are deployed supporting ongoing humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations in Pakistan. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Joshua Mann/Released)

Col. Mark J. Desens, commanding officer 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, congratulates Corporal William P. Demjen after being meritoriously promoted during a meritorious promotion and awards ceremony on the flight deck of USS Kearsarge while travelling to Pakistan, Sept. 02, 2010. 26th MEU deployed aboard the ships of Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group in late August responding to an order by the Secretary of Defense to support Pakistan flood relief efforts.

100901-N-7293M-086 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Sept. 1, 2010) Navy Hull Technician 2nd Class Daniel Read prepares to silver braze two lengths of pipe together aboard the amphibious transport dock ship USS Ponce (LPD 15). Ponce is part of the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group bringing food, water, and heavy-lift equipment to support humanitarian relief efforts for flood victims in Pakistan. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Nathanael Miller/Released)

100902-N-7293M-029 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Sept. 2, 2010) Machinist's Mate 3rd Class Sunny Qiu spins the "ahead" throttle on the main throttle board in the main engineering spaces to slow down the number one engine aboard the amphibious transport dock ship USS Ponce (LPD 15). Qiu is also an artist, and painted Ponce's main throttle board to look like the American flag. The Ponce is part of the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group and is bringing food, water, and heavy-lift equipment to support humanitarian relief efforts for flood victims in Pakistan. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Nathanael Miller/Released)