United States Pacific Command - Humanitarian Missions

Humanitarian Missions

• Operation Tomodachi in Japan after 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami
• Operation in Southeast Asia after 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami

In Asia, one of the most effective and impressive ad hoc multilateral efforts took place in the wake of the horrific December 2004 earthquake and tsunami that left some three hundred thousand people dead or missing, with upwards of a million more displaced in eleven South Asian and Southeast Asian nations. As devastating as the damage was, it could have been much worse if it had not been for the rapid response by the international community. At the height of the relief effort, some sixteen thousand U.S. military personnel were deployed throughout the areas most affected by tragedy; more than two dozen U.S. ships (including a the aircraft Carrier Strike Group Nine, a Marine amphibious group, and a hospital ship) and more than one hundred aircraft were dedicated to the disaster-relief effort, along with forces from Australia, Canada, Japan, India, and the affected countries.

In May 2008, Commander, Marine Corps Forces Pacific was designated as Commander, Joint Task Force Caring Response, a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief effort for Burma, devastated by Cyclone Nargis. During a delivery by the 36th Airlift Squadron on 19 May 2008 to Yangon International Airport in Burma approximately 15,000 pounds of water, water containers, rations, and mosquito netting were unloaded from the a C-130 Hercules aircraft. Expeditionary Strike Group 7/TF 76/31st Marine Expeditionary Unit also stood by off the Myanmar coast for some time. However it was not allowed to deliver further aid.