Thursday, November 3
USS PEARL HARBOR DELIVERS MORE AID TO PAKISTANIS
| November 1, 2005 KARACHI, Pakistan— The amphibious landing ship dock USS Pearl Harbor (LSD-52) offloaded 16 pieces of heavy machinery Oct. 29 to contribute to the Pakistani led relief effort for the victims of the devastating earthquake that struck the region. Pearl Harbor’s cargo included tractors, heavy trucks, bulldozers and other heavy equipment requested by the government of Pakistan to assist with improving road access to the affected areas in the northern part of the country. Landslides, which resulted from the quake, have wiped out roads, making entire communities accessible only by helicopter or foot. The offloading of the heavy equipment was Pearl Harbor’s third delivery to Karachi in 11 days; on October 18 the ship delivered 13 pieces of heavy machinery and on October 24 the ship returned to deliver 140 tons of food, water, milk and blankets. Pearl Harbor and her sister ship, USS Cleveland (LPD-7) have delivered 66 pieces of heavy machinery, as well as more than 160 tons of relief supplies. The ships’ presence in the Arabian Gulf conducting maritime security operations allowed them to respond quickly, said Rear Adm. Michael A. LeFever, Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group One. “These ships were ideal for this mission,” LeFever said from the Disaster Assistance Center (DAC) in Islamabad. “We were in the right place at the right time, and these amphibious ships provide a heavy lift capability that came in handy. But maybe the biggest assets are the crews of these two ships. Everyone was eager to help the Pakistani people, and they proved it with the speed and efficiency in which these deliveries were made.” ESG-1’s ships remain ready to continue to assist the Pakistani government should further assistance be requested. Weblog LINK |
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