A First Hand Account of International Cooperation

On November 29 I had the opportunity to visit the U.S.S. Kearsarge with a group of local and international journalists. Our day began with trip via C-130 to the forward operating base in Barisal. Once on the ground, representatives from State and DOD held a joint press conference to brief the media on relief operations. Many journalists were surprised to learn that the U.S. Military is delivering aid from wide variety of international donors. In fact, looking out the window behind the State and DOD officials were hundreds of cases of rice and water from the government of Saudi Arabia that had just been brought in by the U.S. Marines. The point was well taken.

Later we donned our helmets - complete with ear protection and goggles - and boarded a C-53 helicopter for the journey from Barisal to the Kearsarge. When we arrived on the ship an hour later, we received a warm welcome from the ship's public affairs officers and were treated to a behind the scenes tour of the vessel and its ongoing relief operations. Initially, some of the press were skeptical of the U.S. operation - the first question asked of nearly every officer was "When will the military depart?" or "Is the U.S. Military planning to establish a long term presence in Bangladesh?" The response was always the same: “We are here to help the people of Bangladesh and will remain only as long as our assistance is needed” It was not long before even the most cynical were won over. We watched as seamen and marines worked tirelessly to fill bags of clean drinking water. We saw U.S. and Bangladeshi military officers working together to determine where aid was most needed and how to get it there as quickly and efficiently as possible. We witnessed the amazing site of a hovercraft gliding over the waves to deliver much needed supplies to areas inaccessible by road or even helicopter. It was inspiring to see such manpower, technology and sheer effort brought forth to help people in need.

Aleta K. (State Department Employee)