The US currently has 8 Wasp-class and 2 America-class amphibious assault carriers on active duty

[NickB79]

Wasp-class carriers per Wikipedia:

The LHDs can support amphibious landings in two forms: by landing craft, or by helicopter.[6] In the 266-by-50-foot (81 by 15.2 m) well deck, the LHDs can carry three Landing Craft Air Cushion, twelve Landing Craft Mechanised, or 40 Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAVs), with another 21 AAVs on the vehicle deck.[6] The flight deck has nine helicopter landing spots, and can operate helicopters and tiltrotors as large as the Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion and MV-22B Osprey.[6] The size of the air combat element varies depending on the operation: a standard air combat element consists of six Harriers or six F-35B Lightning IIs and four AH-1W/Z Super Cobra/Viper attack helicopters for attack and support, twelve Ospreys and four Super Stallions for transport, and three or four Bell UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters.[4][6] For a full assault, the air group can be maxed out at 22 Ospreys, while a Wasp operating in the sea control or 'Harrier carrier' or 'Lightning carrier' configuration carries 20 Harriers or F-35Bs (though some ships of the class have operated as many as 24 Harriers), supported by six Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk helicopters for anti-submarine warfare.[4][6] Two aircraft elevators move aircraft between the flight deck and the hangar; in order to transit the Panama Canal, these elevators need to be folded in.[6]

Each ship is capable of hosting 1,894 personnel of the United States Marine Corps; almost the full strength of a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).[6] A Wasp-class vessel can transport up to 30,800 square feet (2,860 m2) of cargo, and another 20,000 square feet (1,858 m2) is allocated for the MEU's vehicles, which typically consists of five M1 Abrams battle tanks, up to 25 AAVs, eight M198 howitzers, 68 trucks, and up to 12 other support vehicles.[6] An internal monorail is used to shift cargo from the cargo holds to the well deck.[6]

Each Wasp-class ship has a hospital with 64 patient beds and six operating rooms. An additional 536 beds can be set up in an "Overflow Casualty Ward" as needed.[6][8]

USS Wasp: https://www.stripes.com/polopoly_fs/1.485252.1504156658!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_900/image.jpg

These are perfect for humanitarian relief support in Puerto Rico. Why the hell are all available Wasp and America-class warships not being supplied for San Juan as we speak?

[OkSustainAg]

1. I agree completely.

They are a protectorate and U.S. Citizens. What are they waiting for?

[atreides1]

2. Why waste the assets?

Which is what Trump is being told by his advisers...Puerto Rico isn't important! Voters in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories are not permitted to vote in the presidential election under the provisions set forth in the Electoral College.

I'm sure Mulvaney is pointing out how saving Puerto Rico won't provide any revenue...all the while Kelly has his head i his hands, looking down at the floor of his office!!!

[Me.]

3. If You Have A Twitter Account...Ask that Very Question

[haele]

4. I remember the Haiti quake response. They were making schedules of arrival within hours.

It's been nearly a week, and nary a peep. I'm very concerned; especially since they're in the middle of rattling sabers with NK. Are they saving "assets" for the war they want to be able to protect asses, instead of using those assets the way they were supposed to be deployed to protect hundreds of thousands of American Citizens?

Haele

[hack89]

5. Easier and more efficient to open up the airports

and fly aid in from the mainland.

Btw, the Kearsarge ESG is in the region providing support.

[NickB79]

6. It's not just aid that's needed. Much of the inner parts of the island are cut off

Roads blocked or washed out, ports wrecked. Potentially months before aid can arrive, unless you have a horse to ride or you want to start walking. Opening up airports is great to get in mass quantities of aid for major cities like San Juan, but the small, isolated towns are where the people are going to start dying first.

VTOL aircraft are desperately needed right now, and these carriers have the most advanced ones we have.

[hack89]

7. You can base the helos and Ospreys on land

the air wings are not usually with ships - they are based ashore where they do all their training. They don't actually start working with their assigned ship until they start working up for deployment.

It takes a lot of work before an air wing can operate safely in all weather off a ship. Easier and much quicker to operate them from land.

[unc70]

8. Last I saw, 2 were off Florida, 1 near PR, ....

Plus an aircraft carrier off Florida, maybe another LHC still off Texas. I expect more of these platforms to arrive near PR shortly. Essentially all Atlantic resources are in play.

Military transports are flying many missions into PR and USVI. Including things like field hospitals airlifted out of Bragg. Civilian freighters are bringing in vast quantities of relief, probably limited by available port facilities.

Survival after a massive hurricane is agonizingly slow at best. And this is one of the worst ever