I was surprised when U.S.  Army Maj. James Lowe told me JAXPORT is the central hub port for relief  shipments to Haiti …

Lowe is a Public Affairs Officer for joint forces U.S. Transportation Command [USTRANCOM] at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. It directs logistical movement of equipment and supplies for earthquake recovery. Usually, USTRANSCOM reports to the Sec. of Defense;  in this crisis  it supported FEMA and State Dept.’s USAID [United States for International Development].

Currently, the U.S. military presence in Haiti is drawing down, Lowe said, as commercial, humanitarian and Haitian response capabilities improve. As mentioned in the previous Haitian earthquake recovery post, Crowley is commercial contractor for USTRANSCOM, and has and will continue to play an integral role in rebuilding Haiti’s infrastructure.

Crowley has been AMAZINGLY responsive and adaptive in meeting USTRANSCOM’s needs in this crisis ~ Maj. Lowe.

Which, in a  roundabout  way, brings us back to JAXPORT.  Crowley is based in Jacksonville, operating out of Jaxport’s Talleyrand terminals, just north of downtown.

JAXPORT (Blount Island and Dames Point) Terminals Director Victoria Robas described  the port’s role following the earthquake:

JAXPORT is designated as member of the National Port Readiness Network: one of thirteen strategic ports (under the Dept. of Transportation) which support the initial surge of military deployments to foreign theaters of conflict (i.e. Afghanistan, Iraq). The day following the earthquake, relief cargo began arriving to be loaded into barges. Within the week, the port was notified it was to be the strategic port of operation for Operation Unified Response. Robas began the immediate coordination with port tenants to accommodate OUR crisis response at its Blount Island terminal ( just east of the Dames Point Bridge at Interstate 9A).

JAXPORT - Haitian-bound cargo awaits transfer from Blount Island to barge in the first day following the earthquake.

JAXPORT has a long-term relationship with the military, and in partnership with our tenant properties, we work together to meet the challenges of strategic port designation. Somebody always steps up to the plate to help ~ Victoria Robas

One significant challenge was coordinating available space for the FEMA semi-trucks arriving daily – their large containers had to be off-loaded and then reloaded into smaller containers because the Port-au-Prince harbor piers were demolished. …

Meanwhile,  in support of U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Task Force – Haiti, the U.S. Army 832nd Transportation Battalion (long-term tenant of Jaxport at Blount Island),  mobilized for duty.

Maj. Frank Ras, the battalion’s executive officer, recounted the 832nd’s mission:

The day following the earthquake, the 832nd recieved a “warning order” from the Army’s Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) to prepare for movement. Four days later, the battalion, along with its Cape Canaveral detachment, was notified of  a “standing order” – it was to be the Army’s “center of gravity” for supply-chain management for the duration of the U.S. military’s involvement in Haiti. Personnel were dispatched to Haiti for on-site coordination and distribution. Over the coming weeks the 832nd processed over 600 vehicles and millions of gallons bottled water and packaged ready-meals.

832nd loaded this barge at JAXPORT and offloaded in Haiti for USAID

The Army’s 82nd Airborne Division also received its deployment orders within 24-hours of the disaster –  approximately 1,000 troops flew into Haiti from Ft. Bragg, N.C. –  its equipment and supply movement was also coordinated through the 832nd at Jaxport and Cape Canaveral.  The 82^nd Airborne Division  was deployed in Haiti for over a month, returning today, Feb. 25th, to the United States. Initially, the division provided security at the Port au Prince Airport and the U.S. Embassy. Other tasks included medical treatment, aid distribution and security for relief organizations.  The distributed or supported distribution of water,  medical supplies, shelters, and more than 20 million pounds of food.  The unit also treated or evacuated 10,310 patients and facilitated the removal of rubble from 25 city blocks.

With its standing mission to Haiti, the 832nd continues supply-chain management for Operation Unified Response. Ras said a limited group of 832nd personnel are on the ground  in Haiti as support.

Note: Further updates possible …

Additional links:

First U.S. paratroopers to return from Haiti [U.S. Southern Command Public Affairs, Feb.24]

Operation Unified Response Joint Task Force  - Haiti [Facebook]

U.S. Southern Command -SOUTHCOM [Facebook]

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Tags | Jacksonville Port Authority, U.S. Army