The SIU is actively supporting humanitarian relief efforts for survivors of the Dec. 26 earthquake and resulting tsunami that devastated coastal communities in Sri Lanka, Thailand, India, Indonesia and other Indian Ocean nations.The union last month donated $10,000 to the International Red Cross for use in the devastated region. In addition, more than 100 SIU members — including some from the SIU’s Government Services Division — crewed 13 Military Sealift Command vessels and one ship owned by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd). Collectively, these platforms have been directly involved in ferrying emergency personnel and a myriad of supplies to the distressed region.
Six of the 12 vessels that initially were involved in the relief missions — 1st Lt. Jack Lummus, Maj. Stephen W. Pless, Cpl. Louis J. Hauge Jr., Pfc. James Anderson Jr., 1st Lt. Alex Bonnyman and USNS 1st Lt. Harry L. Martin — are Maritime Prepositioning Ships. Part of MSC’s Maritime Prepositioning Ships Squadron Three, these vessels collectively were laden with enough equipment and supplies to support 15,000 Marines for 30 days. The ships carried food, fuel, medical supplies, construction and road building equipment, electrical power generating equipment, airfield matting and a Navy field hospital.
The squadron also has 43 Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Units, each of which is capable of producing 600 gallons of potable water per hour from sea water. Additionally, five of the ships are capable of making 25,000 gallons of fresh water each day using the ships’ evaporators. The ships can pump water from ship to shore from up to two miles away using an Amphibious Bulk Liquid Transfer System of floating hoses.
Two MSC fleet replenishment oilers — the USNS Tippecanoe and USNS John Ericsson — were diverted to provide fuel to U.S. Navy ships in the tsunami relief area. Two other supply ships — the combat stores ship USNS San Jose and the fast combat support ship USNS Rainier — were sent to the area to provide fuel and other supplies to Navy ships in the theater and to activities ashore as needed.
Two MSC oceanographic ships also were ordered into the affected area to conduct hydrographic surveys of the ocean bottom where the 9.0 magnitude earthquake occurred. The USNS Mary Sears and the USNS John McDonnell sailed from Sasebo, Japan.
The San Diego-based hospital ship USNS Mercy — crewed by members of the SIU’s Government Services Division — set sail Jan. 5 for the devastated region.
The ship’s hospital facility initially was staffed to support 250 patient beds; however, that number could be expanded up to 1,000 with additional medical staff, if necessary. Equipment and supplies were available on the vessel to treat a wide variety of patients from young children to the elderly. The Mercy has 12 operating rooms, but the focus of care for its tsunami mission was on patients suffering from illness or infection.
Also participating in the relief effort was the MarAd-owned and SIU-crewed auxiliary crane ship Cornhusker State. A 610-foot long platform, the Cornhusker State is part of MarAd’s civilian-crewed Ready Reserve Force.
As of press time for the Seafarers LOG, the unofficial death toll from the tsunami had surpassed more than 226,000. Various government agencies’ lists included death tolls of 166,320 in Indonesia, 38,000 in Sri Lanka, more than 5,300 in Thailand and 16,383 in India. There had been 137 deaths recorded in East Africa, 74 each in Malaysia and the Maldives, 59 in Burma and two in Bangladesh.
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