HSV Swift 2 Arrives in Haiti

High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV) 2 unloaded approximately $4 billion of Project Handclasp humanitarian supplies in Cap Haiten, Haiti Feb. 16 during the ship’s final port visit of a four-month mission supporting HSV-Southern Partnership Station 2012 (HSV-SPS 12) in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea.

Project Handclasp is a U.S. Navy program that accepts and transports educational, humanitarian and goodwill materials donated by America’s private sector on a space-available basis aboard Navy ships for distribution to foreign nation recipients.

“The Project Handclasp offload was our first engagement in Haiti,” Cmdr. Garry Wright, HSV-SPS 12 mission commander, said. “There are so many pieces that go into making this program a success, that it really highlights the successful coordination and partnership already happening here.”

Swift unloaded 200 pallets of cargo while in port. The pallets included medical supplies, disinfectant, an ultrasound machine, school books, high-calorie meals and two vehicles. The materials were picked by non-governmental organizations to be delivered throughout the country.

Twenty pallets of supplies were reserved for Ecole de Choix, a donar-funded, tri-lingual school in Mirebalais. The supplies included fluoride and 9,000 textbooks donated by the Town School in California and Lutheran World Relief. The supplies will help 180 children at Ecole de Choix and several other schools in the area.

“The difference these donations make is unbelievable,” Mary Clisbee, associate dean at Nova South East University said. “We work with kids in extreme conditions of poverty, surviving on less than a dollar a day. It is great how Lutheran World Relief, GB group, Nova South East, the Navy and the people of Haiti could come together to make a difference in the future of these children.”

Teams aboard Swift will participate in subject matter expert exchanges with their Haitian peers during the visit. A team of 19 Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 23 and five U.S. Marines worked with a team of Indonesian construction engineers in Caracol. The project will involve renovations at the local school and dispensary, which will benefit 14,000 community members.

A detachment of nine Marines aboard Swift are scheduled to work with a U.N training team from the Haitian National Police academy to provide instruction in martial arts, non-lethal weapons, leadership and pistol marksmanship. The joint training is being held at a U.N compound manned by Chilean marines and will include approximately 40 Haitian national police.

“This is a unique opportunity to be the first Marine unit to train with the Haitian Police in Cap Haitien,” said Gunnery Sgt. David Pearce. “We are hoping that our efforts here will give the Haitians the necessary tools to be successful in their endeavors. We are proud to continue the fine tradition of Marines in Haiti, like Chesty Puller and Smedley Butler.”

A medical and veterinary team from Swift is scheduled to work with local health care providers in the region to discuss basic health care, fundamental treatments and the prevention of disease.

The ship has visited Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Peru and Panama during its mission. Haiti is the last port call before the ship and embarked HSV-SPS 12 personnel return to their homeports.

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. FOURTH Fleet (COMUSNAVSO/C4F) supports U.S. Southern Command joint and combined full-spectrum military operations by providing principally sea-based, forward presence to ensure freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain, to foster and sustain cooperative relationships with international partners and to fully exploit the sea as maneuver space in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions.

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Naval Today Staff , February 22, 2012