A Day with the Military

Last week I assisted our Defense Attaché as he hosted his foreign counterparts from the United Kingdom, China, Russia, India, Turkey, and Bangladesh on a visit to the U.S.S. Kearsarge. The purpose of the visit was two-fold. We wanted to demonstrate military transparency as well as showcase our cyclone relief operations.

We flew to Barisal, the staging area for much of the relief effort, on a C-130. Even though this was exciting because it was my first trip on this type of military aircraft, the most entertaining part was seeing how much fun the foreign military officers were having, and the day was only just beginning. From Barisal, we took a helicopter to the Kearsarge. Upon our arrival, we received a briefing on our humanitarian assistance to the cyclone victims up to that point.
We then dined with U.S. military officers in the Officers’ Mess Hall. It was particularly interesting to interact with officers my own age and educate each other on our chosen, and somewhat parallel, careers of service. Following lunch, we toured the ship. We visited the bridge -- where the Captain and his crew steer the ship, the medical unit, the hangar, and the gym.

Earlier in the day, one of the foreign officers asked me why we have women in our military. I explained to him that in the U.S., women and minorities have equal opportunities in the workplace, to include the military. On the ship, we were introduced to “the person in charge” of our relief operations, Admiral Carol M. Pottenger. And throughout the day, our foreign military guests interacted with the impressive U.S. military men and women working together on the ship.

By the end of the day, our group had really bonded and it was as though we were no longer divided by international boundaries and agendas. The exposure to our relief efforts combined with personal encounters with members of our military seemed to reinforce positive perceptions and change negative ones. Even the foreign officer who initially expressed skepticism about women in the military appeared more receptive to the idea. Not only did we accomplish our goals for the day, but we fostered friendships and goodwill too. It was an experience I think all of us will remember for a long time.

Loye H. (Department of State employee)

From Behind the Scenes to the Thick of the Action

Having been just behind the scenes during Operation Sea Angel II I was anxious to view relief efforts on my own. So I jumped at the chance to fly to Barisal from Dhaka to see the operations personally. I was accompanied by a dozen or so local media that were going to the USS Tarawa since this was the last day of Phase 1 of the relief services being provided to the Bangladesh people by the US military. We took a C-130 and I could tell by the reaction of the press that it was the first time they had been on this type of plane for most of us. Some of us were a little scared after we saw how much wind was generated by the plane and I felt like I was in an old military movie. Nevertheless, we had a short safety briefing and had a pleasant trip to Barisal, the staging area for distribution of relief materials. At the Barisal airport, I asked the US military about their impression of the Bangladeshi military’s role in providing relief efforts. They had many accolades about how well organized, prepared and well led the Bangladeshi military was. They said that they had gained a lot of respect for the Bangladesh military.

Then I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I was going to accompany the local press via a CH-53 military helicopter to actually board the USS Tarawa and see the ship for myself. The ship was awesome. There are over 2000 military personnel aboard and they do an amazing job of keeping the transport going to provide relief material delivery to very remote areas of Bangladesh.

I then attended a press conference on the Tarawa. Interestingly enough, the reporters who earlier expressed concern at the US military remaining in Bangladesh too long now were questioning how relief efforts would continue without the US military’s participation. However, the chargé d’affaires, Geeta Pasi reassured the press and Bangladeshi people that help from the US is not finished. We are now entering the medium and long term relief effort operations and as before the cyclone and after the US Embassy – Dhaka and U.S. Aid for International Development will continue to be involved with a multitude of projects to rebuild areas devastated by the cyclone and assist those affected with a new beginning as requested by the Bangladeshi government.

Pamela K. (Department of State employee)

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)

Just Another Day At The Office

As a Consular Officer, I spend most of my work day conducting visa interviews. When the cyclone made landfall in Bangladesh, we all knew that we could be called upon to do anything at any time. As an officer whose area of interest is public diplomacy, I was immediately reassigned to the Public Affairs building to oversee media relations with respect to the Embassy’s relief efforts.

In this role, I was privy to the embassy’s official message regarding our efforts and how local and foreign journalists reported on our efforts. But being in an office, I wasn’t able to form my own opinion on the US Government’s role in helping the people of Bangladesh in the aftermath of the devastating cyclone.

On Thursday, November 29, I was given the opportunity to accompany local and international journalists down to the USS Kearsarge, the Navy ship that serves as the platform for our relief operations.

I, and 18 other people (journalists and diplomats), flew down to Barisal on a C130 plane. I’ve done a lot of traveling in my life but never had the opportunity to be on military aircraft. The C130 looked just like in the movies. Make-shift looking seats, no frills, very loud and very heavy. It isn’t until you see one up close that you see how amazing it is that something so big and so heavy can fly through the air so well.

Once in Barisal we then boarded a military helicopter. This was even cooler than the C130. We had to wear headgear to protect our ears and eyes. It was loud, fluid dripped from the ceiling, and you couldn’t see all that much – but I didn’t care. I was getting out there!

Once aboard the USS Kearsarge, I was amazed. I, like most Americans, didn’t realize all the humanitarian efforts our military does around the world. There were marines filling water bags for distribution to cyclone-affected areas. There were pilots flying helicopters full of the water bags. It was refreshing and uplifting to see our military taking on challenges such as relief efforts. People all around the world and in America as well, have pretty solidified pre-existing notions of the US military. We’re often shown only one side. I was being given a great opportunity to see the other side.

On board, we also saw Bangladeshi military people. Liaisons from the two sides working together, strategizing, operating as one. This was a great opportunity for Americans and Bangladeshis alike to see the other work. It was great to see people coming together: diplomats, aid workers, journalists, and military, to help people so desperately in need.

For someone who sits in front of a computer all day long asking the same questions over and over to visa applicants, this experience was a great opportunity. Seeing so many different factions of the US government working together – and working with Bangladeshis and other NGOs as well – really makes me smile at a time when things are so sad.

Melanie R. (Department of State Employee)

A View From Barisal

Bangladesh authorities are coordinating a large portion of their cyclone relief efforts at the Barisal airfield. The Barisal region is located south of Dhaka, and its southernmost districts were among the hardest hit by Cyclone Sidr. The airfield at Barisal was a logical place to stage aerial relief efforts. The Bangladesh government and military have set up a relief coordination center at the airfield, and the U.S. government has plugged into that operation to stage the drop-off and pick-up of relief supplies.

The U.S. Marines have established a Civil-Military Operations Center (CMOC) at Barisal, and I am part of an Embassy Liaison Office attached to the CMOC. Thanks to combined U.S. – Bangladesh efforts, we are now delivering literally tons of relief materials to cyclone victims. Here’s how it works:

C-130 cargo planes from the U.S. Marines Corps, the U.S. Air Force and the Bangladesh Air Force deliver supplies from Dhaka to Barisal. U.S. Navy and Marine helicopters fly up to Barisal from the U.S.S. Keersarge in the Bay of Bengal. The helicopters pick up the supplies dropped off by the C-130s and deliver the supplies to remote areas of southern Bangladesh that cannot easily be reached by road. In fact, according to an article in a Dhaka newspaper yesterday, more than 1500 km of roads in Barisal will require repair following the cyclone.

While Barisal is a good airfield that is close to the disaster area, it is not big. The Marines and members of the Bangladesh Army running operations at Barisal have quite a challenge to move as many aircraft has possible in and out of Barisal, without endangering people or machinery. They are doing an amazing job of synchronizing some really big planes and helicopters. This afternoon, for example, we had four CH46 helicopters on the apron of the airfield. Privates from the Bangladesh Army, as well as U.S. Marines, were running with bags of clothing and boxes of wheat, rice and sugar and putting the supplies on the helicopters. At the same time, a U.S. C-130 was on the runway, and our U.S. ground crew was off-loading more boxes of food with a forklift. It was noisy and windy, but at the same time exhilarating, to see how well all this was working and to know that we are helping people too.

Heather V. (Department of State Employee)

The Job Changes Daily

Even though I’m a member of the Foreign Service, the ‘diplomatic corps’, I recently found myself surrounded by members of the United States Marine Corps in a helicopter which bore a striking resemblance to the ones you see in Vietnam-era war movies. Instead of weapons, we carried notebooks and cameras, since these Marines are the Humanitarian Assistance Survey Team from the United States Marine Corps’ III Marine Expeditionary Force. Accompanied by Bangladeshi military officers we were on a flight to survey the damage from Cyclone Sidr in the southern portion of Bangladesh, and plan for the delivery of U.S. government humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.





As we flew south out of Dhaka, we all were watching closely for the first signs of destruction. As we progressed south towards the port of Mongla, we began seeing signs of damage: trees down, small structures demolished, and cell phone service (often the only means of communication for remote villages) began to be interrupted. As we progressed further south, into the Sundarbans, a World Heritage Site and home to the rare Royal Bengal Tiger, more and more trees were visibly damaged or even completely uprooted. Turning east to parallel the coast, we crossed Sarankhola and saw real devastation. Homes made of corrugated iron sheets were on their side, upside down, and even one thrown into a rice paddy. As this area is crisscrossed with waterways, there are many boats, often the sole source of livelihood for villagers – and we saw many boats washed up on the banks.

Continuing east from Sarankhola, we crossed into an area which was largely agricultural, primarily growing rice. The rice, about two weeks away from harvest, was almost completely ruined. We were at an altitude of 500 to 1000 feet above the ground, but the rice was flattened as if we were hovering mere inches over it. The winds of Cyclone Sidr had blown down and waterlogged the tall sheaves of rice, and they are now useless. We all recognized that there are certainly immediate needs of the people in these areas, but they are also going to require long-term assistance as it will be at least four months before the next possible crop cycle for them.

We also say signs that there is a strong response to the humanitarian needs of the people in this area. We saw a Bangladeshi Coast Guard vessel at anchor in a river, ferrying relief goods to an orderly crowd ashore on small, local boats. In other locations, we saw Bangladeshi military landing craft loaded with bags of relief goods traveling the waterways, and crowd receiving bags from what looked like likely helicopter landing areas.

We stopped at Barisal, the principal airport in Bangladesh’s central southern region to meet with the regional commander from the Bangladesh Army, coordinating the relief effort there. An artillery commander, his unit was now overseeing the distribution of relief goods brought down from Dhaka by helicopter and aircraft.




While there really aren’t words to describe how you feel seeing the destruction that we saw, it was also clear that the loss of life was substantially lower than in previous, similar storms. It seems that now Bangladesh faces, possibly for the first time, a disaster of this magnitude combined with survivors in these numbers. The immediate storm has passed, but the task of reestablishing of basic hygiene, potable water production/distribution, shelter, and agriculture is just beginning. I was proud to see warriors like these Marines throw their same intensity and dedication into this new mission, of helping Bangladesh face this challenge.

Carter W. (Department of State employee); November 20, 2007

Initial Impressions

I was on the first flyover yesterday. We went over Khulna, Mongla Port, down to Hiron Point and then east over Barguna, Patuakhali and Bhola Districts, north to circle Barisal a couple of times, then returned to Dhaka.

Damage in the Sundarbans greatly exaggerated. Most of the forest is intact, just blown about a bit, lots of mud and water everywhere. Vast areas of the forest look largely unfazed, just a little rattled and shaken up.

That being said, Ground Zero (just off Hiron Point) looks like a Mount St. Helens blast zone: trees leveled, lying in parallel rows or with trunks standing and the canopies snapped off like match sticks. Entire communities were also washed away, only sign of thatched structures once standing is a path visible from the air, leading to an empty clearing where a house or other structure once stood. Occasional bridges were out, also tin roofs lifted entirely off the structure and deposited several yards away, panels ripped up and flung higgledy-piggledy. Preliminary indications are that most if not all thatched and frame structures (that is to say, up to 90% of all buildings in some areas) are gone or severely damaged.

Affected areas quite remote, hard to reach even when transport is good. Logistics will continue to be a problem…every island cut off from the others, docks and wharves are damaged. Too many things needed in too many places.

-Paul S. (USAID Employee); November 19, 2007

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