U.S. Pacific Fleet forces continue to sustain efforts in support of Operation Tomodachi. As of March 25, there are 19 ships, 140 aircraft and 18,282 personnel in the area of operation. In the 12 days since Operation Tomodachi started, U.S. 7th Fleet forces have delivered over 260 tons of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief supplies to survivors of the tsunami and earthquake in support of Japan Self Defense Force efforts.
The ships supporting the operation:
USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) | USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) | USS Preble (DDG 88) | USS McCampbell (DDG 85) | USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) | USS McCain (DDG 56) | USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) USS Mustin (DDG 89) | USS Cowpens (CG 63) | USS Shiloh (CG 67) | USS Essex (LHD 2) | USS Tortuga (LSD 46) | USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) | USS Germantown (LSD 42) | USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) USNS Bridge (T-AOE 10) | USNS Matthew Perry (T-AKE 9) | USNS Pecos (T-AO 197) | USSN Safeguard (T-ARS 50) | USNS Rappahannock (T-AO 204) | USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE 7)
According to the Seventh Fleet, the US forces worked together with JMSDF and commercial divers to open the harbor for operations. They took underwater surveillance imagery to detect, mark and move underwater obstacles from the channel and the vicinity of the liquid natural gas pier. The local port captain certified the channel and pier for safe navigation. A LNG tanker will enter the port for the first delivery since the earthquake. After Hachinohe harbor is clear, Navy teams will continue similar efforts in the ports of Miyako, Kamaishi, Ofunato, and Sendai.
CFAY also began transferring fresh water to two empty fuel barges, which will be used to support cooling efforts at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. A total of 500,000 gallons are being distributed between the barges that have been cleaned of fuel to support fresh water. The first Barge YOGN-115 departed Yokosuka March 25 and will be escorted by the JMSDF support ship JS Hiuchi. The second barge is scheduled to leave tomorrow. The water will eventually be used to replace the seawater currently being used in cooling efforts at the plant.
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