U.S. Air Force Is Maintaining Airport Operations

ANN Realtime Update 01.15.2010 1008 EST:  The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson arrived off the coast of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, Friday to begin humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

"Our initial focus is to concentrate on saving lives while providing first-responder support to the people of Haiti," said Navy Rear Adm. Ted N. Branch, commander of the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group and of the sea-based portion of the Navy's humanitarian-support mission in the earthquake-stricken nation. "Our assistance here reflects our nation's compassion and commitment to those impacted by this tragedy."

The carrier arrived with a robust airlift capability, picking up extra helicopters while in transit that will prove essential during the mission.

"When tasked to support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in Haiti, we immediately headed to Mayport, Fla., at more than 30 knots and loaded 19 helicopters, personnel and support equipment from five different East Coast Navy squadrons in less than eight hours," said Navy Capt. Bruce H. Lindsey, Carl Vinson commanding officer. "There is no other platform that can do all of that so quickly."

Original Report: U.S. Air Force special force operators in Haiti have rescued seven survivors of the massive Jan. 12 earthquake that continues to wreak havoc on the country in its wake, according to Air Force officials.  News of the rescues represents a small victory in the face of what some have described as one of the greatest humanitarian emergencies in the history of the Americas.

Air Force Special Operations Forces have been manning the airport in the capital of Port-Au-Prince since about 2000 EST Wednesday, conducting airfield operations in addition to recovery and rescue efforts, said Air Force Lt. Col. Brett J. Nelson. "Within hours of our arrival last evening, we established airfield control and have maintained that control conducting 24-hour operations at Port-Au-Prince airport," Nelson, the commander of the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, 720th Special Tactics Group, said during a conference call with reporters today.

Air Force personnel have been engaged in operations to rescue potential survivors from collapsed buildings, he said. The colonel added that a number of Americans have been evacuated via the airport, but declined to provide an exact figure.

Nelson also clarified that the airfield has power and is able to sufficiently light the premises to conduct night air operations.

Flanked by his national security team Thursday, President Barack Obama elevated the humanitarian response in Haiti to the top of his priority list, enlisting the aid of government agencies and imploring Americans to extend compassion to those in need. "I've made it clear to each of these [U.S. government] leaders that Haiti must be a top priority for their departments and agencies right now. This is one of those moments that calls out for American leadership," Obama said in remarks at the White House.

The FAA instituted a ground stop at the airport for much of Thursday due to the number of airplanes already on the ground.  That order was lifted late in the day. CNN reports that U.S. Military personnel are working to assure that planes arriving at Port-au-Prince have enough fuel to depart again, because refueling is still a major problem. Officials have considered bringing supplies into the airport at Cap Haitien, but the runway there is half the length of the airport at Port-au-Prince, and ground transportation of supplies from the northern coast to earthquake victims would be problematic.

The airport is the critical link for humanitarian relief because the country's main sea port is severely damaged. "The airfield provides capacity for immediate relief, lifesaving, life-sustaining capability, but as we look at recovery as we look at down the road, the real number and mass of supplies comes from the maritime dimension, and it comes through the ports, over the shore,"  Gen. Douglas Fraser, the head of the U.S. Southern Command,said at a press conference in Florida on Thursday.

FMI: www.defense.gov