Operation Tomodachi
Encyclopedia
is a United States Armed Forces
assistance operation to support Japan
in disaster relief following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
. As of March 22, 2011, twenty U.S. naval ships, 140 aircraft, and 19,703 Marines and Sailors were involved in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts in and around Japan. By 29 March 2011, the operation, including relief supplies provided to victims of the disaster, was expected to cost a total of $80 million.
quickly moved 10 naval vessels closer to Japan to provide aid. The aircraft carrier and its battle group were moved to the east coast of Honshu
. As well as the group's own helicopters, the Ronald Reagan served as a refuelling platform for Japan Self-Defense Forces
helicopters.
Yokota Air Base was used in the aftermath of the earthquake as a landing field for commercial flights as Tokyo Narita Airport was closed. The Navy helicopters based at Naval Air Facility Atsugi
and elsewhere were made available for search and rescue immediately after the tsunami, including searching off-shore debris fields and later assisted with food drops. P-3 Orion
aircraft were used to do damage surveys. Amphibious landing craft and utility landing craft were used to deploy U.S and Japanese troops and supplies to areas where docks were damaged. Japan electrical company trucks were also moved by U.S. LCUs from , notably to Oshima Island.
The destroyers and , which were off the Bōsō Peninsula
at the time of the earthquake, and their helicopters were made available for search and rescue. The landing ships and , with the embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit
, were moved from the Sea of Japan
to the east coast of Japan.
, which had just arrived in Singapore
at the time of the earthquake, was loaded with relief supplies and prepared to sail for Japan.
, an amphibious dock ship embarked two MH-53E Heavy Lift Helicopters assigned to HM-14 DET 1 stationed in Pohang South Korea. The entire Det was onboard Tortuga less than 18 hours after the earthquake and tsunami hit. Tortuga transported 300 Japanese civil defense workers from the island of Hokkaido
to Honshu with 90 vehicles.
Military Sealift Command
ships also took part in the operation by transfering relief supplies and fuel to other supporting ships. The ships that took part in the operation were: USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE 7), USNS Pecos (T-AO 197),USNS Rappahannock (T-AO 204), USS Matthew Perry (T-AKE 9), USNS Bridge (T-AOE 10)
, which was stationed at U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo, arrived at Hachinohe, Japan with Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5 and Underwater Construction Team 2 to clear wreckage from a local commercial channel.
During the operation the 7th Fleet flew 160 search and relief sorties for 1,100 flight hours, delivered 260 tons of relief supplies, and helped clear the ports of Hachinohe, Aomori
, Miyako, Iwate
, and Kesennuma, Miyagi
.
In total 130 aircraft, 12,510 personnel and over 15 american naval ships took part in Operation Tomodachi including USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), USS Chancellorsville (CG-62), USS Cowpens (CG-63), USS Shiloh (CG-67), USS John S. McCain (DDG-56), USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62), USS McCampbell (DDG-85), USS Preble (DDG-88),USS Germantown (LSD-42), USS Tortuga (LSD-46), USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49), USS Essex (LHD-2), USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), USNS Safeguard (T-ARS-50).
after experiencing rotor icing and exposed some Australian and New Zealand search and rescue team members to low levels of radiation.
Radiation precautions were taken at U.S. bases including USS George Washington leaving port at Yokosuka after very low levels of radiation were detected there. Part of its air complement moved to Misawa Air Base to support relief operations.
facilities in Japan escaped major damage, with no reported casualties. This intact infrastructure allowed Marines from III Marine Expeditionary Force
and Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler
to mobilize aid quickly.
Marines based at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma
moved command and control teams and systems to NAF Atsugi. Eight KC-130Js
from VMGR-152
and eight CH-46E transport helicopters from HMM-265
, all from MCAS Futenma, were made available to transport rescue teams and equipment, as well as provide search and rescue.
The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit
responded to Northern Japan from Maylasia and Indonesia, where the unit was conducting Theater Security Cooperation exercises. The 31st MEU delivered relief supplies to five cities, one island and one Japanese ship. More than 164,000 pounds of food and relief supplies were delivered, along with thousands of gallons of water. Elements of the 31st MEU, including Combat Logistics Battalion 31
, 2nd Battalion 5th Marines
, and a special unit from 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
went ashore on Oshima Island to deliver critical supplies and assist in debris removal.
MV Westpac Express
, a civil-registered fast ferry chartered by the Marine Corps, was made available to transport equipment from Okinawa to Honshu
.Westpac Express made two sorties in support of Operation Tomodachi. The ship moved 450 tons of cargo, including 7-ton trucks, fuel tankers, generators and water tanks from Okinawa to Iwakuni, Japan, arriving March 15. On March 20, Westpac Express loaded 226 pallets of bottled water at Pohang, ROK, off-loading at Iwakuni the next day.
KC-135 Stratotanker arrived at Misawa Air Base
on March 14 with the first batch of relief workers and 50 civil engineers from Kadena Air Base
.
Two C-17A Globemaster cargo aircraft from Joint Base Lewis-McChord
were made available to transport rescue teams and equipment. A Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle was deployed from Guam for damage assessments.
He repeatedly asserted that the situation is "eminently controllable" in part due to highly experience personnel available for various contingencies. US military personnel stationed at the Air Base expressed interest in making cash donations – in dollars or yen – to the American Red Cross and other organizations working in the Japanese relief effort.
has a brotherhood with a local Japanese pack called Kiyose. The boys of Kiyose have asked Pack 49 to gather donations to help out the children impacted by the tsunami, needing simple school supplies, pencils, rulers, scissors etc.
helicopters from the U.S. Army Japan Aviation Detachment have been made available for relief efforts. A disaster assessment team from I Corps (United States) Forward departed Camp Zama
and arrived in northeastern Japan on March 14 to assist in relief and humanitarian operations as well as set up a forward logistics base for supplies. A 59-member logistics team from Sagamihara General Depot helped reopen Sendai Airport.
sent Urban Search and Rescue California Task Force 2
and Virginia Task Force 1
. Two urban search and rescue teams arrived at the pending merger with a 60 member/two-dog team from the UK.
On 3/16, a RAAF C-17 Globemaster III landed on Kadena's flight line. USAF personnel assisted Royal Australian Air Force and Japan Ground Self Defense Force to load supplies and fly to mainland Japan.
Two US urban search and rescue teams arrived from Fairfax County, Virginia and Los Angeles County, California with a total of 140 rescuers and 14 rescue dogs. The teams merged with a 63 member search and rescue team from the UK. The combined US-UK operation deployed to the town of Sumita, Iwate
to set up a base of operations. The teams performed daily search and rescue missions in the cities of Ofunato
and Kamaishi
for five days until departing for home.
Members of the U.S. Navy Reserve Detachment 105 were joined by six members of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) Liaison (LNO) and Consequence Management Advisory Team (CMAT). These two elements formed the initial core of the United States Forces Japan (USFJ) Radiological Consequence Management Team (RCMT) whose mission was to advise Lieutenant General
Burton Field Commander USFJ on matters related to the nuclear fuel cycle, potential hazards, and potential mitigation of a radiological incident.
HM-14 DET 1 rapidly deploys to assist in relief efforts onboard USS Tortuga.
18th Civil Engineer Squadron also arrived at Misawa Air Base for Operation Tomodachi.
to take air samples, which aircraft had formerly been used as a sniffer with regard to North Korean nuclear weapons testing.
Carrier Air Wing-5 was relocated from NAF Atsugi to Andersen Air Force Base
in Guam
temporarily, what the Navy calls a "force posture adjustment" for Operation Tomodachi. The air wing's SH-60 helicopters from HS-14
and HSL-51
and C-2 Greyhound from Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 30
Det. 5 remained behind in support of the operation. As a precaution, the navy has also stopped moving its personnel to Japan as well.
According to NPR, unmanned Global Hawk drones and old U-2
were also deployed and along with a planning team from the U.S. Northern Command in Colorado.
the ship received. While the radiation did not pose any significant health risk, “it needed to go away,” Cmdr. Ron Rutan, chief engineer for the Reagan.
forces joined those from Kentucky and Guam to assist with Operation Tomodachi.
500,000 gallons of fresh water has been provided from the US Navy to support cooling efforts at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
reported that the "coordinated relief activities at the disaster sites are expected to deepen the Japan-U.S. alliance."
On 4 April 2011, Japan's minister of defense, Toshimi Kitazawa
, accompanied by US ambassador to Japan John Roos
, visited the Ronald Reagan
to thank its crew for its assistance as part of Operation Tomodachi. Said Kitazawa, "I have never been more encouraged by and proud of the fact that the United States is our ally."
On 10 April 2011,Japan's Prime Minister, Naoto Kan
, visited Camp Sendai to talk to U.S. service members. The prime minister spoke of the immediate response of the U.S. military and expressed his belief that the joint efforts between the U.S. military, and the JGSDF will only strengthen the bonds between the Japanese people and the United States.
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
assistance operation to support Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in disaster relief following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
. As of March 22, 2011, twenty U.S. naval ships, 140 aircraft, and 19,703 Marines and Sailors were involved in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts in and around Japan. By 29 March 2011, the operation, including relief supplies provided to victims of the disaster, was expected to cost a total of $80 million.
Bases and commands
Many if not most of the American military bases in Japan are involved in some manner in Operation Tomodachi.- Yokota Air BaseYokota Air Base, is a United States Air Force base in the city of Fussa, one of 26 cities in the Tama Area, or Western Tokyo.The base houses 14,000 personnel. The base occupies a total area of and has a runway...
in FussaFussa, Tokyois a city located in western Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 59,761 and a population density of 5,840 persons per km². The total area was 10.24 km²...
, western Tokyo, is the Operational Command center, and furthermore functions as the aviation hub due to the washout of the Sendai airport by the tsunami. - Kadena Air BaseKadena Air Base, is a United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Kadena Air Base is the hub of U.S. airpower in the Pacific, and home to the USAF's 18th Wing and a variety of associate units.-Units:The 18th Wing is the host unit at Kadena...
, Okinawa is the hub of airpower in the Pacific. - Marine Corps Air Station FutenmaMarine Corps Air Station FutenmaMarine Corps Air Station Futenma or MCAS Futenma is a United States Marine Corps base located in Ginowan, northeast of Naha, on the island of Okinawa. It is home to approximately 4,000 Marines of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and has been a U.S. military airbase since the island was occupied...
- Marine Corps Air Station IwakuniMarine Corps Air Station IwakuniMarine Corps Air Station Iwakuni or MCAS Iwakuni is a United States Marine Corps air station located in the Nishiki river delta, southeast of the Iwakuni Station in the city of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi in Japan.-Tenant commands:...
, operated as an aviation hub for many aircraft traveling to northern installations. - Camp FujiCamp FujiCombined Arms Training Center Camp Fuji is an installation of the United States Marine Corps and the Japan Ground Self Defense Force. It is located near the town of Gotemba in the Shizuoka Prefecture of Japan, at the base of Mount Fuji...
- Misawa Air BaseMisawa Air Baseright|thumb|A US Navy C-2 at Misawa is a United States military facility located northeast of the railway station in Misawa, west of the Pacific Ocean, northeast of Towada, northwest of Hachinohe, and north of Tokyo, in Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region in the northern part of the...
, AomoriAomoriAomori may refer to:* Aomori Prefecture, Japan** Aomori, Aomori, the capital of Aomori Prefecture* Aomori , a novel by Dazai Osamu* Aomori a meteorite which fell in 1984 in Tohoku, Japan...
Combined services and JDFJapan Self-Defense ForcesThe , or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the JSDF was confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed... - Naval Air Facility AtsugiNaval Air Facility Atsugiis a naval air base located in the cities of Yamato and Ayase in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is the largest United States Navy air base in the Pacific Ocean and houses the squadrons of Carrier Air Wing 5, which deploys with the aircraft carrier...
, Kanagawa PrefectureKanagawa Prefectureis a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
home of CVW-5 and Fleet Air Wing 4 of the JDF - Camp ZamaCamp Zamais a United States Army post located in the cities of Zama and Sagamihara, in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about southwest of Tokyo.Camp Zama is home to the U.S. Army Japan /I Corps , the U.S. Army Japan Aviation Detachment "Ninjas" , the 500th Military Intelligence Brigade, the Japan Engineer...
also known as "Sleepy Hollow," is the home of I Corps FWD and USARJ
Joint operations
Col. Stephen Bissonnette, deputy commander of the 353rd SOG stated that "[T]he devastation caused by the earthquake is truly heartbreaking...As part of coordinated relief efforts, the group will work tirelessly with our Japanese counterparts and other relief organizations to help the people affected by the earthquake recover..." The US aid efforts are conducted under the direction of Japanese government or military authorities.Navy
The United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
quickly moved 10 naval vessels closer to Japan to provide aid. The aircraft carrier and its battle group were moved to the east coast of Honshu
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
. As well as the group's own helicopters, the Ronald Reagan served as a refuelling platform for Japan Self-Defense Forces
Japan Self-Defense Forces
The , or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the JSDF was confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed...
helicopters.
Yokota Air Base was used in the aftermath of the earthquake as a landing field for commercial flights as Tokyo Narita Airport was closed. The Navy helicopters based at Naval Air Facility Atsugi
Naval Air Facility Atsugi
is a naval air base located in the cities of Yamato and Ayase in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is the largest United States Navy air base in the Pacific Ocean and houses the squadrons of Carrier Air Wing 5, which deploys with the aircraft carrier...
and elsewhere were made available for search and rescue immediately after the tsunami, including searching off-shore debris fields and later assisted with food drops. P-3 Orion
P-3 Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner. The aircraft is easily recognizable by its distinctive tail stinger or...
aircraft were used to do damage surveys. Amphibious landing craft and utility landing craft were used to deploy U.S and Japanese troops and supplies to areas where docks were damaged. Japan electrical company trucks were also moved by U.S. LCUs from , notably to Oshima Island.
The destroyers and , which were off the Bōsō Peninsula
Boso Peninsula
thumb|Locationthumb|Landsat image with high-resolution data from Space Shuttle is a peninsula in Chiba prefecture on Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It forms the eastern edge of Tokyo Bay, separating it from the Pacific Ocean....
at the time of the earthquake, and their helicopters were made available for search and rescue. The landing ships and , with the embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit
31st Marine Expeditionary Unit
The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit is a Marine Air Ground Task Force with a strength of about 2,200 personnel...
, were moved from the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
to the east coast of Japan.
, which had just arrived in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
at the time of the earthquake, was loaded with relief supplies and prepared to sail for Japan.
, an amphibious dock ship embarked two MH-53E Heavy Lift Helicopters assigned to HM-14 DET 1 stationed in Pohang South Korea. The entire Det was onboard Tortuga less than 18 hours after the earthquake and tsunami hit. Tortuga transported 300 Japanese civil defense workers from the island of Hokkaido
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
to Honshu with 90 vehicles.
Military Sealift Command
Military Sealift Command
The Military Sealift Command is a United States Navy organization that controls most of the replenishment and military transport ships of the Navy. It first came into existence on 9 July 1949 when the Military Sea Transportation Service became solely responsible for the Department of Defense's...
ships also took part in the operation by transfering relief supplies and fuel to other supporting ships. The ships that took part in the operation were: USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE 7), USNS Pecos (T-AO 197),USNS Rappahannock (T-AO 204), USS Matthew Perry (T-AKE 9), USNS Bridge (T-AOE 10)
, which was stationed at U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo, arrived at Hachinohe, Japan with Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5 and Underwater Construction Team 2 to clear wreckage from a local commercial channel.
During the operation the 7th Fleet flew 160 search and relief sorties for 1,100 flight hours, delivered 260 tons of relief supplies, and helped clear the ports of Hachinohe, Aomori
Hachinohe, Aomori
- Neighbouring municipalities :Aomori Prefecture*Sannohe District**Hashikami**Gonohe**Nanbu*Kamikita District**OiraseIwate Prefecture*Karumai-History:...
, Miyako, Iwate
Miyako, Iwate
is a city located in Iwate, Japan.It was founded on February 11, 1941.The city lies along the coast where the flows into the Pacific Ocean. It is connected to Morioka by an east-west train line and highway and the coastal highway also goes through the town...
, and Kesennuma, Miyagi
Kesennuma, Miyagi
is a city located in the extreme northeast of Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, founded on June 1, 1953. It wraps around the western part of Kesennuma Bay, and also includes the island of Ōshima...
.
In total 130 aircraft, 12,510 personnel and over 15 american naval ships took part in Operation Tomodachi including USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), USS Chancellorsville (CG-62), USS Cowpens (CG-63), USS Shiloh (CG-67), USS John S. McCain (DDG-56), USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62), USS McCampbell (DDG-85), USS Preble (DDG-88),USS Germantown (LSD-42), USS Tortuga (LSD-46), USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49), USS Essex (LHD-2), USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), USNS Safeguard (T-ARS-50).
Radiologic incidents
The US Navy dispatched aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and other vessels which flew a series of helicopter operations. A spokesman for U.S. 7th Fleet naval personnel stated that monitoring equipment indicated that the warship had been exposed to radiation. Separate hand-held equipment also picked up the contamination on 17 crew members, who had participated in rescue operations. Commander Jeff Davis said that the exposure was low enough that after the crew washed with soap and water, follow-up tests were negative. Davis characterized the exposure as comparable to routine civilian activities and reiterated the US Navy's commitment to the relief operation. As a precaution the aircraft carrier was repositioned farther offshore, away from the downwind direction of the plant and decontaminated. Several helicopters were also decontaminated after returning from flights. One helicopter made a landing at Fukushima AirportFukushima Airport
, is an airport serving Sukagawa, a city in the Fukushima Prefecture of Japan. The airport is located southeast of Kōriyama Station in Kōriyama.A popular TV drama, Crying Out Love, In the Center of the World, was filmed there.-Airlines and destinations:...
after experiencing rotor icing and exposed some Australian and New Zealand search and rescue team members to low levels of radiation.
Radiation precautions were taken at U.S. bases including USS George Washington leaving port at Yokosuka after very low levels of radiation were detected there. Part of its air complement moved to Misawa Air Base to support relief operations.
Marine Corps
United States Marine CorpsUnited States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
facilities in Japan escaped major damage, with no reported casualties. This intact infrastructure allowed Marines from III Marine Expeditionary Force
III Marine Expeditionary Force
The III Marine Expeditionary Force is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force of the United States Marine Corps that is forward-deployed and able to deploy rapidly and conduct operations across the spectrum from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to amphibious assault and high intensity combat. III...
and Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler
Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler
Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler is a United States Marine Corps base located in the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa. It was named for legendary Marine Smedley D. Butler.-Installations:...
to mobilize aid quickly.
Marines based at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma
Marine Corps Air Station Futenma
Marine Corps Air Station Futenma or MCAS Futenma is a United States Marine Corps base located in Ginowan, northeast of Naha, on the island of Okinawa. It is home to approximately 4,000 Marines of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and has been a U.S. military airbase since the island was occupied...
moved command and control teams and systems to NAF Atsugi. Eight KC-130Js
Lockheed Martin KC-130
The Lockheed Martin KC-130 is the basic designation for a family of the extended-range tanker version of the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft modified for aerial refuelling. The KC-130J is the latest variant operated by the United States Marine Corps, with 38 delivered out of 47 ordered...
from VMGR-152
VMGR-152
Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 provides aerial refueling service to support Fleet Marine Force air operations; and provides assault air transport of personnel, equipment, and supplies. The squadron, known as the "Sumos", flies the fixed-wing KC-130J aircraft...
and eight CH-46E transport helicopters from HMM-265
HMM-265
Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265 is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of CH-46E Sea Knight transport helicopters...
, all from MCAS Futenma, were made available to transport rescue teams and equipment, as well as provide search and rescue.
The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit
31st Marine Expeditionary Unit
The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit is a Marine Air Ground Task Force with a strength of about 2,200 personnel...
responded to Northern Japan from Maylasia and Indonesia, where the unit was conducting Theater Security Cooperation exercises. The 31st MEU delivered relief supplies to five cities, one island and one Japanese ship. More than 164,000 pounds of food and relief supplies were delivered, along with thousands of gallons of water. Elements of the 31st MEU, including Combat Logistics Battalion 31
Combat Logistics Battalion 31
Combat Logistics Battalion 31 is a logistics battalion of the United States Marine Corps. It is task organized combat service support element capable of providing a wide range of combat related support to all elements of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit...
, 2nd Battalion 5th Marines
2nd Battalion 5th Marines
2nd Battalion 5th Marines is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps consisting of approximately 800 Marines and Sailors. They are based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and fall under the command of the 5th Marine Regiment and the 1st Marine Division...
, and a special unit from 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion ' is a mechanized infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Their primary weapon system is the LAV-25 and they are part of the 1st Marine Division and I Marine Expeditionary Force...
went ashore on Oshima Island to deliver critical supplies and assist in debris removal.
MV Westpac Express
MV Westpac Express (HSV-4676)
MV Westpac Express is a high-speed catamaran built in 2001 by Austal Ltd. of Henderson, Western Australia. Chartered for the Marine Corps Logistics Prepositioning Ship Program by Military Sealift Command , the ship provided extensive logistics support to "Exercise Cobra Gold 2002". Cobra Gold...
, a civil-registered fast ferry chartered by the Marine Corps, was made available to transport equipment from Okinawa to Honshu
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
.Westpac Express made two sorties in support of Operation Tomodachi. The ship moved 450 tons of cargo, including 7-ton trucks, fuel tankers, generators and water tanks from Okinawa to Iwakuni, Japan, arriving March 15. On March 20, Westpac Express loaded 226 pallets of bottled water at Pohang, ROK, off-loading at Iwakuni the next day.
Air Force
A United States Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
KC-135 Stratotanker arrived at Misawa Air Base
Misawa Air Base
right|thumb|A US Navy C-2 at Misawa is a United States military facility located northeast of the railway station in Misawa, west of the Pacific Ocean, northeast of Towada, northwest of Hachinohe, and north of Tokyo, in Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region in the northern part of the...
on March 14 with the first batch of relief workers and 50 civil engineers from Kadena Air Base
Kadena Air Base
, is a United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Kadena Air Base is the hub of U.S. airpower in the Pacific, and home to the USAF's 18th Wing and a variety of associate units.-Units:The 18th Wing is the host unit at Kadena...
.
Two C-17A Globemaster cargo aircraft from Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....
were made available to transport rescue teams and equipment. A Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle was deployed from Guam for damage assessments.
Air base
Yokota Air Base is the hub for air operations from which cleanup crews were dispatched to clean up Sendai airport. At a Town Hall meeting, the Commander of the 374th Air Wing USAF presented an overview of joint forces operations in support of the Japanese and emphasized teamwork between various players. He stated that "we are very blessed" to be in the nation of Japan because it has a highly sophisticated set of technologies to minimize the damage but that the personnel, logistic and financing problems were formidable.He repeatedly asserted that the situation is "eminently controllable" in part due to highly experience personnel available for various contingencies. US military personnel stationed at the Air Base expressed interest in making cash donations – in dollars or yen – to the American Red Cross and other organizations working in the Japanese relief effort.
Cub Scouts
Cub Scout Pack 49 of Yokota Air BaseYokota Air Base
, is a United States Air Force base in the city of Fussa, one of 26 cities in the Tama Area, or Western Tokyo.The base houses 14,000 personnel. The base occupies a total area of and has a runway...
has a brotherhood with a local Japanese pack called Kiyose. The boys of Kiyose have asked Pack 49 to gather donations to help out the children impacted by the tsunami, needing simple school supplies, pencils, rulers, scissors etc.
Army
Several Sikorsky UH-60 Black HawkSikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk
The UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-bladed, twin-engine, medium-lift utility helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted the S-70 design for the United States Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System competition in 1972...
helicopters from the U.S. Army Japan Aviation Detachment have been made available for relief efforts. A disaster assessment team from I Corps (United States) Forward departed Camp Zama
Camp Zama
is a United States Army post located in the cities of Zama and Sagamihara, in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about southwest of Tokyo.Camp Zama is home to the U.S. Army Japan /I Corps , the U.S. Army Japan Aviation Detachment "Ninjas" , the 500th Military Intelligence Brigade, the Japan Engineer...
and arrived in northeastern Japan on March 14 to assist in relief and humanitarian operations as well as set up a forward logistics base for supplies. A 59-member logistics team from Sagamihara General Depot helped reopen Sendai Airport.
Operation Pacific Passage
Over 7,000 family members of U.S. service members in Japan were voluntarily evacuated in March to Seattle Tacoma Airport and Travis Air Force Base in the U.S. during Operation Pacific Passage. Concerns over the uncertainty of the radiation situation and reducing the burden of supporting families while conducting relief operations and the related troop movements lead to the relocation program.Interagency collaboration
With Yokota Air Base available, US Office of Foreign Disaster AssistanceOffice of Foreign Disaster Assistance
The Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance is an organizational unit within the U.S. Agency for International Development that has delegated responsible for directing and coordinating U.S. Government relief assistance overseas. Within USAID, OFDA resides within Bureau of Democracy, Conflict,...
sent Urban Search and Rescue California Task Force 2
Urban Search and Rescue California Task Force 2
Urban Search and Rescue California Task Force 2 or CA-TF2 is a FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force based in Los Angeles County, California...
and Virginia Task Force 1
Urban Search and Rescue Virginia Task Force 1
Urban Search and Rescue Virginia Task Force 1 or VA-TF1 is a FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force based in Fairfax County, Virginia. VA-TF1 is sponsored by the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department....
. Two urban search and rescue teams arrived at the pending merger with a 60 member/two-dog team from the UK.
On 3/16, a RAAF C-17 Globemaster III landed on Kadena's flight line. USAF personnel assisted Royal Australian Air Force and Japan Ground Self Defense Force to load supplies and fly to mainland Japan.
March 12, 2011
Four Marine KC-130J Aircraft from VMGR-152 deployed from MCAS Futenma to the Japanese Mainland to support relief operations. About a hundred airmen and three MC-130P Combat Shadows, with 19 maintenance personnel, from the 353rd Special Operations Group deployed on March 12, one day after the earthquake. Col. Stephen Bissonnette, deputy commander of the 353rd SOG stated that "[T]he devastation caused by the earthquake is truly heartbreaking...As part of coordinated relief efforts, the group will work tirelessly with our Japanese counterparts and other relief organizations to help the people affected by the earthquake recover..."March 13, 2011
Four additional Marine KC-130J aircraft from VMGR-152 deployed from MCAS Futenma along with nearly 80 maintainers, effectively relocating the squadron to the Japanese Mainland. Eight Marine CH-46E helicopters from HMM-265 deployed to NAS Atsugi to begin relief operations. A USAF KC-135 Stratotanker arrived at Misawa Air Base on Sunday with the first batch of relief workers and 50 civil engineers from Kadena Air Base.Two US urban search and rescue teams arrived from Fairfax County, Virginia and Los Angeles County, California with a total of 140 rescuers and 14 rescue dogs. The teams merged with a 63 member search and rescue team from the UK. The combined US-UK operation deployed to the town of Sumita, Iwate
Sumita, Iwate
is a town located in Kesen District, Iwate, Japan.As of 2008, the town has an estimated population of 6,196 with a density of 18.5 persons per km². The total area is 334.83 km².-External links:*...
to set up a base of operations. The teams performed daily search and rescue missions in the cities of Ofunato
Ofunato, Iwate
is a coastal city located in Iwate, Japan.It was founded on April 1, 1952.On November 15, 2001, the town of Sanriku, from Kesen District, was merged into Ōfunato....
and Kamaishi
Kamaishi, Iwate
is a small, historic city located on the Sanriku rias coast of Iwate, Japan. As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 41,022 and a density of 92.9 persons per km². The total area is 441.42 km². It is famous in modern times for its steel production and most recently for its promotion...
for five days until departing for home.
Members of the U.S. Navy Reserve Detachment 105 were joined by six members of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) Liaison (LNO) and Consequence Management Advisory Team (CMAT). These two elements formed the initial core of the United States Forces Japan (USFJ) Radiological Consequence Management Team (RCMT) whose mission was to advise Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Burton Field Commander USFJ on matters related to the nuclear fuel cycle, potential hazards, and potential mitigation of a radiological incident.
HM-14 DET 1 rapidly deploys to assist in relief efforts onboard USS Tortuga.
18th Civil Engineer Squadron also arrived at Misawa Air Base for Operation Tomodachi.
March 14, 2011
The Yokota Town Hall Meeting was conducted in which personnel and their families were reassured that the problems, though formidable, were manageable given the highly qualified Japanese, US, and international personnel on the scene. There was an assurance that there would be daily monitoring of radiation levels. Many of the service men and women expressed interest in making financial contributions through the Red Cross.March 15, 2011
Work continued to re-establish a workable landing strip at Sendai Airport. Kadena AFB personnel restored power at Misawa. The USS George Washington was docked for maintenance in Yokosuka, about 175 miles (280 kilometers) from the plant, when instruments detected the radiation at 7 a.m. Tuesday (6 p.m. ET Monday).March 16, 2011
Rear Admiral Wren, the Commander, US Naval Forces Japan, sent out a letter advising personnel to limit outdoor activity at Fleet Activities Yokosuka and Naval Air Facility Atsugi due to newly developing, low level radiation.March 17, 2011
The Pentagon said Thursday that it was sending more specialized aircraft to evaluate nuclear contamination at and around the Fukushima site including a WC-135, Constant Phoenix from Offutt Air Force BaseOffutt Air Force Base
Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation near Omaha, and lies adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S...
to take air samples, which aircraft had formerly been used as a sniffer with regard to North Korean nuclear weapons testing.
Carrier Air Wing-5 was relocated from NAF Atsugi to Andersen Air Force Base
Andersen Air Force Base
Andersen Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately northeast of Yigo in the United States territory of Guam....
in Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
temporarily, what the Navy calls a "force posture adjustment" for Operation Tomodachi. The air wing's SH-60 helicopters from HS-14
HS-14
Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Fourteen is a U.S. Navy helicopter squadron permanently forward-deployed on NAF Atsugi, Japan and aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington...
and HSL-51
HSL-51
Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Light Five One "WARLORDS" is a United States Navy helicopter squadron based at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Ayase City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Honshū Japan...
and C-2 Greyhound from Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 30
VRC-30
Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 30 , also known as the "Providers", is a United States Navy Fleet Logistics Support squadron based at Naval Air Station North Island consisting of 5 detachments.-History:...
Det. 5 remained behind in support of the operation. As a precaution, the navy has also stopped moving its personnel to Japan as well.
According to NPR, unmanned Global Hawk drones and old U-2
Lockheed U-2
The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady", is a single-engine, very high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency . It provides day and night, very high-altitude , all-weather intelligence gathering...
were also deployed and along with a planning team from the U.S. Northern Command in Colorado.
March 23, 2011
Navy officials halted air operations from USS Ronald Reagan temporarily on Wednesday so they could decontaminate the ship from the radiationRadiation
In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
the ship received. While the radiation did not pose any significant health risk, “it needed to go away,” Cmdr. Ron Rutan, chief engineer for the Reagan.
March 25, 2011
Mississippi and Alabama National GuardNational Guard
The term National Guard originally referred to a French citizen militia . The term is now used in many countries. Depending on the country in question, "national guard" may refer to an organized militia, a military force, a paramilitary force, a gendarmerie, or a police force:- Americas :* National...
forces joined those from Kentucky and Guam to assist with Operation Tomodachi.
500,000 gallons of fresh water has been provided from the US Navy to support cooling efforts at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
May 1, 2011
US troops will begin to withdraw from the Tohoku coastline and return to their bases, and the US-Japan Joint Cooperation Center in Sendai has closed down. While it will continue to airlift personnel and supplies as needed, the work on the ground will be handed over to the Japanese Self-Defence Forces.May 4, 2011
Marines from the Consequence Management Support Force return to Okinawa from mainland Japan May 4, representing the departure of the last major element of the III Marine Expeditionary Force deployed to mainland in support of Operation Tomodachi.Clean-up efforts
US troops assisted Japanese government workers in cleaning up debris and rubble left by the tsunami.Effect on Japan–US relations
The disaster may have also brought a diplomatic opening to Japan. The support provided by the US illustrated the value of the relationship between the two countries. It was commented that the level of support provided by the US for relief operations will probably assuage tension over base relocation disputes between the governments of the two nations. The Yomiuri ShimbunYomiuri Shimbun
The is a Japanese newspaper published in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and other major Japanese cities. It is one of the five national newspapers in Japan; the other four are the Asahi Shimbun, the Mainichi Shimbun, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, and the Sankei Shimbun...
reported that the "coordinated relief activities at the disaster sites are expected to deepen the Japan-U.S. alliance."
On 4 April 2011, Japan's minister of defense, Toshimi Kitazawa
Toshimi Kitazawa
is the current Japanese defence minister. He is a politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet . A native of Nagano, Nagano and graduate of Waseda University, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 1992 after serving in the...
, accompanied by US ambassador to Japan John Roos
John Roos
John Victor Roos is the United States Ambassador to Japan. Before accepting the ambassadorship from President Barack Obama, Roos was the CEO of Silicon Valley-based law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati....
, visited the Ronald Reagan
USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76)
USS Ronald Reagan is a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier in the service of the United States Navy. The ninth ship of her class, she is named in honor of former President Ronald Reagan, President of the United States from 1981 to 1989...
to thank its crew for its assistance as part of Operation Tomodachi. Said Kitazawa, "I have never been more encouraged by and proud of the fact that the United States is our ally."
On 10 April 2011,Japan's Prime Minister, Naoto Kan
Naoto Kan
is a Japanese politician, and former Prime Minister of Japan. In June 2010, then-Finance Minister Kan was elected as the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan and designated Prime Minister by the Diet to succeed Yukio Hatoyama. On 26 August 2011, Kan announced his resignation...
, visited Camp Sendai to talk to U.S. service members. The prime minister spoke of the immediate response of the U.S. military and expressed his belief that the joint efforts between the U.S. military, and the JGSDF will only strengthen the bonds between the Japanese people and the United States.
See also
- Humanitarian response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunamiHumanitarian response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunamiFollowing the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Japan received messages of condolence and offers of assistance from a range of international leaders. According to Japan's foreign ministry, 116 countries and 28 international organizations had offered assistance to Japan...
- Fukushima I nuclear accidents
- International reaction to Fukushima I nuclear accidentsInternational reaction to Fukushima I nuclear accidentsThe international reaction to the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster has been diverse and widespread. Many inter-governmental agencies are responding to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, often on an ad hoc basis...
External links
- Amidst Trial, Ties That Bind: Enduring Strength in the U.S.-Japan Alliance - An updated account of U.S. Armed Forces activities currently supporting Japan in disaster relief.
- The Military Foundations of U.S. Disaster Assistance in Japan, an interview with Admiral Thomas B. FargoThomas B. FargoAdmiral Thomas Boulton Fargo served in the United States Navy during the late 20th century and early 21st century. He served as Commander, United States Pacific Command, at Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii from May 2, 2002 to February 26, 2005...
on U.S. military aid to Japan - Q+A: What's the U.S. military doing in Japan?