U.S. troops, USS Ronald Reagan arrive in Japan

[CountAllVotes]

Source: CNN Wire Staff

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan arrived off the coast of Japan Sunday to support Japanese forces in disaster relief operations, the U.S. Department of Defense said in a statement.

More U.S. aid -- in the form of equipment, staffers and search-and-rescue teams -- was expected to arrive Sunday to address the widespread devastation caused by the 8.9-magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami.

Near Honshu, Japan, the USS Ronald Reagan will support the Japan Self-Defense Force by providing refueling operations for Japanese helicopters and transporting the island country's troops to disaster areas, according to the Pentagon statement.

Accompanying the Reagan are the guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville and the destroyer USS Preble.



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/03/12/quake.response/index.html

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[jaxx]

1. From BBC live twitter

#
2352: The US navy's 7th Fleet is assisting with the rescue operation off the coast. A spokesman, Commander Jeff Davies, outlined the fleet's grim task for the BBC: "We have three destroyers that have joined the other two ships in (USS) Ronald Reagan's battle group and are conducting at-sea searches of the debris field. A tremendous amount of debris was washed out to sea following the tsunami and they're going to go through it very carefully and very methodically to make sure that if there are any survivors out there they are rescued, and likewise if there are any human remains that those are recovered."

[Ian David]

2. "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help." n/t

[Bozita]

4. !

[Phlem]

6. Bazzinga!!

nice one.

-p

[wizstars]

3. They sent the Reagan? Damn, haven't those poor people suffered enough?

[AtheistCrusader]

5. It was the closest.

Aside from the George Washington, which was moored 150 miles from the quake epicenter.

(The harbor it was in lost 7 feet of water in seconds, but no damage to the ship)

[Beartracks]

7. That's a big drop! Where was that? n/t

[AtheistCrusader]

8. Yokosuka Harbor is the USS George Washington's home port.

One of two of our naval bases in Japan. It's just around the bend from where these reactors that are in trouble are. About 90-100 miles down the coastline. But on a southerly-facing coast, so it was in the 'shadow' of the land, so it didn't take a direct hit from the tsunami.