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US Navy Ship USS Iwo Jima Heading to Haiti

Tropical storm Tomas is coming to Haiti and so too is the amphibious US Navy ship USS Iwo Jima. Find out why...

Tomas killed at least 14 people in St Lucia and forecasters fear tent cities will be wrecked in Port-Au-Prince this weekend.

So why deploy USS Iwo Jima to Haiti?

Well in one short sentence... The ship's platform is ideal to support humanitarian-relief missions on short notice

Here is a clip from a press release from the U.S. Southern Command

... U.S. Southern Command directed the amphibious ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) to steam toward Haiti today in preparation for the forecasted arrival of tropical storm Tomas later this week....

... Large amphibious ships, like Iwo Jima, resemble small aircraft carriers and include the ability to support helicopter and landing craft operations to quickly move personnel and cargo, making it an ideal platform to support humanitarian-relief missions on short notice...

... A crew of 1,600 military and civilian medical, engineering, aviation, logistical and other support personnel are embarked aboard Iwo Jima, including U.S. Navy engineers, a contingent of 500 Marines with logistical-support expertise, volunteers from the U.S. Public Health Service and various non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as medical, dental and engineering professionals from Europe, North America and South America...

Read more here: USS Iwo Jima deploys to Haiti as tropical storm approaches

We all remember the presence of the USNS Comfort in the shores of Haiti the days following the earthquake.

By the time Tomas hits Haiti, they say it will be Category 2 hurricane

Hmmmm...

What's on your mind?

Reply with your comments.

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All Comments (8)

Maria says...

my question was never answered, are the boys on the Iwo Jima coming home for the

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Maria Gonzalez says...

My son is on the Iwo Jima and headed home, we later find out that they were sent back to Haiti, how long will they be there and will they be home for the

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Glenn says...

Josy,

Sorry, my intentions were not to offend you but as your are aware here in the US we get our news second handed, I'm should you are right that the US are protecting their interests that they been allowed to have by Haiti.Any country should help another when they been granted pivileges to have interests in their country.

Again I'm sorry but I was focused and still on the present problem and hope the US and other countries will provide the much more help needed by Haiti.

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Josy says...

I am going to assume you did not read my comment properly, and let it go for now. "You question what my interests are" I beg your pardon?

My interests are to survive first in this hard world, and to support the organizations who are helping Haitians without any interests in the country.

"You assure me lives have been saved" I am very much aware of the lives who have been saved, and the ones who have also been taken away over the centuries.

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Glenn says...

I question what your interest are. Even if the US has interest in Hait is their part of saving lives the most important.

I assured you lives have, been

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Harold Fleurine says...

Everything bad are in the Haiti corner, is it ok for the haitians people combind together and sue the UN for those lives

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Sergo Jean says...

I support this topic rezon paske Haiti pa gen gouveneman.

an reyalite ninpot sa ki pase gouveneman Ayisyen se yo li rele, mwen panse pep ayisyen pa ta bezwen peye moun sa yo ki chef an Haiti ou byen si yo gen yon bagay yap fe nan peyi pou yo ta banou explicasyon kisa li ye.Tout bagay ki pase nan peyi a yo bezwen ed kisa yo fe pou ede tet yo.yo selman konte sou tax moun lot peyi kap travay di .mwen panse an tan ke Ayisyen bagay sa yo revoltan e yo desan nou kom si nou pa moun epi nou san vale.kote respe nou ye.mwen panse le yon moun bezwen respe pou fanmi ou ou dwe viv avec sa ou genyen epi ou pa planifie sou lot moun pou pran yon fi sou responsabilite ou.mwen konpare haiti tan kou yon fi ki bezwen yon bon gason pou li marie tout neg li jwen yo se yon pil mandian san vegoy ki pa janm konnen inpotans yon fi genyen.

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Josy says...

US deployed the ship to also protect its interests in the region, and does not want to be caught off guard.

Chaos is the perfect time to take advantage of Haiti's vulnerability, and use it to conduct illegal activities.

The USA must remain vigilant 24/7, and 365 days a year. The majority of the world wants what we have here in this country, and looking for opportunities to hurt

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