Ok translating what the rep from the UN just told David Shuster

[nadinbrzezinski]

when she said that they had a logistics nightmare at the airport... and that they need to coordinate this, ok translation for civilians, this is rescue services speak for a secondary disaster, one that is common and everybody knows about it. One that happens almost always... grrrrr.

Usually this is how it goes. You get more stuff than you can move... and it piles up. Yes it is that simple... and it becomes a mess all on its own.

And I actually feared this, but not this damn early. I am sure that now that there is a working tower, and some heavy lift equipment, that they can work through this little problem. If need be, and I am not kidding, flatten large areas of terrain for temporary storage of pallets to be loaded on trucks to be moved, trucks that need to be brought in since the country does not have that capacity.

Why I have been saying this is a worst case scenario... in all kinds of sick ways.

[MadMaddie]

1. I agree with you

They are going to have to get the tower up and running because their have been near misses with helicopters. It can't be good with the big C5 type planes.

[Captain Hilts]

2. I read they got one of the towers going.

Fat Albert takes up a lot of room but can turn on a dime:

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. AF speci Ops, (FACS most likely)

have an emergency tower going on a C-130 cockpit

[Cleita]

3. I'm going to ask something really stupid, but I can't help but think of it.

Considering that Haiti has the infrastructure of an empty egg shell to begin with, why didn't they move our aircraft carriers in there to receive supplies and transport them as they can to the piers and then to the city when they had some distribution organized? Or, is all our whole fleet on the other side of the world?

[alfredo]

5. Planes are faster. They can start the effort and ready the area for a huge

influx of supplies when the ships arrive.

[Pirate Smile]

7. MSNBC or CNN reported that there is a blockage in the port which is

eliminating that option for bringing in relief supplies that way. That leaves by air or land from Dom Republic but roads suck and many are blocked.

[Cleita]

9. And yet in WWII, we had no problem delivering divisions of Marines

and weapons on primitive and tropical islands. Something is wrong.

[Pirate Smile]

13. I believe a lot of stuff is arriving tonight and tomorrow. WWII had long term planning.

Some of the ships take a little time to move there.

This wasn't like a hurricane where everything was ready to fly in as soon as it hit because we had days to prepare.

[MrsBrady]

17. not to change the subject...

my my grandfather fought in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska, including the Battle of Attu, Army 4th infantry.

They were often undersupplied.
They went hungry more than once, and early on did not have proper winter gear.
The Army was not prepared for the bitter cold and difficulty of the terrain.

He suffered with gout for over 60 years from exposure to the cold in the 3 years he was there.


Having said that, I think they did a stand up job then, and now.

[SidDithers]

24. In 24 hours?...

There's a reason all that equipment is stored at Diego Garcia, you know.

Sid

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. A carrier battle group is on the way

so are ships from other navies, but it takes a while to get them there. No matter how fast you steam those ships in.

And no, it is not a stupid question. Usually you do not expect navy to show up, unless they are actually based there, for 24 hours at the earliest.

Here you go, from Time today

Pentagon officials said an initial team of 30 people arrived in Haiti on Wednesday to join the 63 U.S. soldiers who are permanently stationed there. The team includes military engineers, operational planners, communication specialists and a command and control group. They'll work with U.S. embassy staff as well as Haitian, U.N. and other officials on the ground to assess the situation and coordinate rescue and recovery efforts. The Navy aircraft carrier U.S.S. Carl Vinson is on the way and is expected to arrive off the coast of Haiti on Thursday, where it will be joined by additional Navy vessels that are under way.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1953445,00.html?xid=rss-topstories#ixzz0cZ2Wpmzd

[Cleita]

15. Thank you.

That's a good report.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. You welcome

Those ships will be a blessing, but hell, the ships leaving Veracruz tomorrow (with cargo up to the rafters) will not get there before Friday either... best case scenario.

And the Canadian ships will not get there before Friday either.

[malaise]

19. You really understand this logistics of disasters

You're a genuine asset here.

[SidDithers]

25. +1...

nadine's posts have been a calming voice of reason amonsgst all of the WHY AREN'T WE RESPONDING FASTER crap being thrown about.

Sid

[gateley]

4. I saw a clip of Bill Clinton asking for money, and not to send THINGS -- but this

sounds like the relief supplies, right? Just choked up at the airport?

[alfredo]

6. Food water rescue personnel and medicine at first.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Right, they have no local lift capacity

I suspect that those 2000 Marines will be bringing in trucks.

[JCMach1]

12. infrastructure was a problem before the quake... What now?

:(

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. There is a bright side, assuming the funding comes in

the city will need rebuilding. In some ways some sections look like they will need to be bulldozed. So they can start from ground zero and actually build the infrastructure.

Of course this assuming a lot.

[JCMach1]

18. Maybe? Will locals get the jobs or companies like Halliburton and Bechtel?

Call me suspicious on that count...

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. If it is done right

would be run like Marshall... which means locals.

If I was in charge I would go... Ok International Red Cross, YOU are in charge of recontruction. They are extremely good at this, and have done it in the past, oh like EL Salvador after one of the hurricanes.

They offered to do this after Katrina... you and I know why that could not be done, now don't we?

[tavalon]

20. You mentioned a relief agency yesterday and then I got called away from the computer

Could you repeat that information?

Thanks.

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. Yeah I sugest the International Red Cross

boots on ground already

http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/haiti-update-140110

Or of course doctors without borders or UNICEF

[DevonRex]

23. And the airport has ONE runway. So even with a working tower now

the flights can't land like they could in even a small city airport in the US. So there is staging from other islands that are relatively close.

And that's why logistics are so important. Some people were upset that we were flying mapping missions over Haiti yesterday. Well, the mapping had to be done to see how and where to direct heavy equipment, which routes could be used, which ones had to be cleared, or even if new ones had to be carved. It's a nightmare for sure.