Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Operation Unified Response, The 377th TSC leaves for Haiti




At 11 in the morning on Jan 25th I got a call for Shaun Clark, the public affairs officer for the 377 TSC (Theater Sustainment Command), asking me how fast I could get ready to go to Haiti. I was told to be ready to leave by that evening, but later learned I had till the next morning. Everything time-related remains fluid when traveling with the military.


I arrived at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Belle Chasse, LA, on Jan 26th . Shaun filled me in on the role the 377th TSC will play in Operation Unified Response. They will be the logistical support for all US soldiers in Haiti. They are relieving the 3rd Support Command Expeditionary, who have been surveying and analyzing distribution sites since Jan 19th. I am accompanying 19 soldiers, an early entry module detachment, who will be met by a much larger group once they are operational. This unit and the larger one deploying are prepared to stay at least a year.


We boarded a bus for Miami in the late morning, taking with us everything needed to sustain them for the start up period, from MREs (meals ready to eat) to cots. After a 16 hour ride on a chartered bus that included two fast food stops ( I confess to having McDonald's and Burger King on the same day) and a couple of smoke breaks for the night driver, we arrived at an airbase in Miami shortly after 5 AM to find out we might have to wait 2-3 days for our flight out. I write from a large waiting room in an airbase outside Miami where we are prepared to hunker down, if need be. We could still get out today, but no one knows for sure. Though the unit does logistics, they are not responsible for the logistics of getting themselves to Haiti. Overall everyone is in good humor.



The rest of the day our plans remained fluid .I got a little sleep in the afternoon. Early evening we were waiting for the plane we dined on Popeyes friend chicken and had a surprise visit from professional cheerleaders taking part in the Pro Bowl Game. The flight meant to leave at 10 pm was delayed till 12:15am, and then got cancelled. We end up checking into a Comfort Inn Hotel. Hopefully in the morning we will be on our way. The start of this trip is a forecast of what to expect in Haiti. Haiti was no longer the top headline in the news when we departed, but the story is far from over. From where I sit, it's getting more interesting by the minute.









Update - shortly after falling asleep, i was woken up and told to come to the lobby to catch a bus back to the airbase to fly out.
We all got on a C-130 for Haiti and landed as the sun came up. I arrived in Haiti tired, but ready to take it all in. A logistical nightmare that is being tackled moment by moment, is one way to describe the situation here.

17 comments:

  1. Ha ha ha! I love where you put yourself. Fucking cheerleaders? Didn't we see them in Iraq? They are ubiquitous for sure. I want to see a picture of cheerleaders with your sneakers in the foreground.

    Great to see the pictures after hearing the stories...Hope you get out tomorrow! I'm not easily impressed, but I'm a huge Dermansky fan. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. by the way, my icon pic is me out of the turret of a military rig on my only embed to date with the National Guard as we go through St. Bernard Parish in early Sept. 05. They brought MREs and ice to folks that braved the storm.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It is not surprising that you have managed to make your way to Haiti....it makes sense...you are amazing JSD, and I look forward to reading your posts and seeing your photos.....Julie

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous11:36 AM

    Genial brief and this post helped me alot in my college assignement. Thanks you as your information.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous2:39 AM

    Opulently I assent to but I about the collection should acquire more info then it has.

    ReplyDelete
  6. There are plenty of wonderful lv handbag available for sale at a fraction of the cost of an original. Again, there's nothing wrong with packing around a replica louis vuitton handbags as long as you know it's a replica and have paid a replica price.
    If you enjoy watching the Star fact sheets, you'll also enjoy watching which stars pack around which lv. It really is rather fun as the stars battle it out for the latest Louis Vuitton.
    And then there are those who enjoy Louis Vuitton Speedy 25, and have found a louis vuitton handbags that is up to 30 years of age that is still in quality shape. This starts a retro Louis Vuitton fad very quickly, so keep your eyes open for those older Louis Vuitton bags as well.
    Remember, in order to get the latest Louis Vuitton Speedy 25 you're going to have to order ahead of time. There is usually a waiting list, and you can often find these bags very inexpensively in the used market, and of course as a replica.
    In order to know the latest fad when it comes to louis vuitton bags, you're going to want to watch the Star fact sheets. There are plenty of celebrity and Star magazines that are available that track who is carrying which Louis Vuitton, and of course, that louis vuitton trend as to what type of bag everyone else carries.
    So if you enjoy staying up with the latest, keep an eye out on the stars and the type of purse or handbag they are carrying. If you can, shop for an original, if you're on a budget shop for used, and if you're even on more of a budget, check out the replica handbags.

    ReplyDelete
  7. We have the Breitling
    style resembles the extremely popular Breitling Windrider
    . The Breitling Avenger
    with a self-winding chronograph was specially designed for aviation. The Breitling Aeromarine
    developed in 1952 has an operational navigation computer.

    The art and craftsmanship of the original designs are evident in Tiffany and co
    . Tiffany necklaces
    is the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of quality reproductions and silver necklaces
    . Based on the original colored art glass designs originated and made popular by Tiffany pendants
    .

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous10:24 PM

    It was very interesting for me to read that blog. Thank you for it. I like such topics and everything that is connected to this matter. I would like to read more soon.

    Joan Simpson

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous7:11 PM

    It was extremely interesting for me to read this post. Thank you for it. I like such themes and everything that is connected to this matter. I definitely want to read more on that blog soon.

    Kate Swenson

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous5:53 PM

    It was extremely interesting for me to read that article. Thanx for it. I like such themes and everything that is connected to them. I would like to read a bit more on that blog soon.

    Avril Kuree
    suisse escort geneve

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous6:46 AM

    Pretty nice place you've got here. Thanks the author for it. I like such topics and everything connected to them. I definitely want to read more soon.

    Anete Simpson
    girls kiev

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous4:43 PM

    Nice article as for me. I'd like to read something more concerning that topic. The only thing I would like to see here is some pics of any gadgets.

    John Watcerson
    jammer device

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous9:03 AM

    Those photos looks great, it's fabulous to know how many people helped with Haiti. As a matter my husband who likes to get Generic Viagra went there to help kids.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous9:37 AM

    I would like to read a bit more soon. By the way, pretty good design this site has, but what do you think about changing it every few months?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous12:36 PM

    It is rather interesting for me to read this article. Thanx for it. I like such topics and everything that is connected to them. I definitely want to read a bit more on that blog soon.
    What do you think about changing it every few months?

    Avril Swenson
    oriental escort

    ReplyDelete
  16. This is a really good read for me, Must admit that you are one of the best bloggers I ever saw.Thanks for posting this informative article.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous8:20 PM

    need to check

    ReplyDelete