HS-11 Haiti relief diary

In a matter of hours, 65 men and women of the NAS Jacksonville-based helicopter squadron loaded their gear on two SH-60F and two HH-60H Seahawks destined to the Vinson.

"At first I thought they were kidding when I got the call. Still, I packed as quickly as I could," said aircrewman AWR3 Jacob Steinmetz. "I was really excited. Being one of our junior guys to participate in the humanitarian mission was a good feeling."

American soldiers load water and supplies Jan. 20 into Dragonslayer 611 near Port au Prince for distribution to Haitians affected by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake Jan 12. MC3 Erin Oberholtzer

As the Carl Vinson steamed south to Haiti, the squadron sent its Seahawks filled with passengers and cargo. After a few runs between NAS Jacksonville and the carrier, the entire detachment was on board and ready to support the Haiti Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HA/DR) effort - now designated as Operation Unified Response.

Haiti, with a population of 9 million, was devastated by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake on Jan. 12. Already one of the poorest nations in the western hemisphere, vital infrastructure necessary to respond to the earthquake was severely damaged or destroyed. The estimated death toll was over 150,000 people in the capital alone, with thousands more in the countryside.

Other helicopter squadrons embarked on Carl Vinson were the HS-15 "Red Lions" flying the SH-60F/H, HSC-9 "Troubleshooters" and HSC-26 "Chargers" flying the MH-60S, plus, the HM-14 "Vulcans" and HM-15 "Hurricanes" flying the MH-53E.

An SH-60F assigned to HS-11 lands on USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) to refuel after flying relief missions to landing zones in Haiti, in support of Operation Unified Response. Photo courtesy of HS-11

The carrier arrived off the coast of Port-au-Prince, the capital and largest city in Haiti, and flight operations began at dawn Jan. 15 with 19 helicopters on board.

The first crews to survey the areas brought back descriptions of the devastation. There were crumbled buildings all over the city as well as displaced and homeless people in the streets still in shock. The main goal for the day was to survey the damage and find suitable landing zones (LZs) large enough for helicopters to offload supplies. Focusing on Port-au-Prince, approximately 10 LZs were chosen, based on their size and location. Meanwhile, medical supplies, food and water began to arrive at Haiti's international airport.

While aircrews flew long sorties over Haiti, the Dragonslayer maintainers put in long days and nights on the carrier keeping all the aircraft fully mission ready.

U.S. Marines from USS Bataan (LHD 5) move meals-ready-to-eat (MRE) from an HS-11 Seahawk helicopter Jan. 24 at a remote landing zone in Haiti. Bataan, USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and Carrier Air Wing 17 are conducting humanitarian relief operations as part of Operation Unified Relief. Photo by MC2 Adrian White

AT3 Andrew Gaither and the Dragonslayer Line Division spend their time launching and recovering helicopters on the flight deck. "It's long hard days and nights but it's worth it to see a difference being made," said Gaither. "It's nice to tell stories to our families about doing something worthwhile, even as they watch it unfold on the news at home."

On the second day, helicopters began to bring water to all the LZs. At first, the people stood off in the distance watching the helicopters, unsure of what to think. But as the crewmen began to unload cases of bottled water, more and more people started gathering around and taking the water, some even drinking from the bottles right away.

The Sailors of Carl Vinson were also taking part in the HA/DR. Every morning, work parties were flown ashore to help with the loading and unloading of supplies at the airport. Spending long days under the hot sun, the volunteers organized tons of food and water at the airport into smaller groupings, preparing them for delivery to the LZs.

Pilots and crew members of SH-60F Seahawks from HS-11 and HS-15 prepare to load water and other supplies Jan. 16 for delivery to landing zones outside of Port au Prince, Haiti. Photo by MC2 Daniel Barker

Another major focus of the HA/DR was evacuating severely injured people to medical facilities. The USNS Comfort arrived near Port-au-Prince and opened its facilities to thousands of injured Haitians. Hundreds of medical emergency evacuations (MEDEVAC) occurred in the first week of the relief effort. It was not uncommon for Dragonslayer crews to drop off food and water - and then pick up a MEDEVAC for transport to a hospital or the Comfort.

Navy personnel from all over the country flew down to assist the relief effort. Dragonslayers PS3 Chrislet Nau and AM3 Adrien Vertil, along with PRAN Duvenson Maneau of HS-10 in San Diego, volunteered to fly to Carl Vinson. Born and raised in Haiti, Nau, Vertil, and Maneau speak fluent French and Creole.

"I volunteered to help out with the relief effort. Right now, I help out in the ship's medical department by translating for the Haitian patients," said Maneau. "The first day, I was heartbroken to see so many desperate people with critical injuries. It was hard to watch. When I translate for the patients, they are usually asking for help because they are in a lot of pain. Sometimes, I have dreams that I'm the injured one crying out in pain."

In regards to the HA/DR, Maneau says, "I think we are doing our best everyday, making sure the people get food and water. We are doing a good thing and I'm proud to be a part of the relief effort."

As Operation Unified Response entered its third week, an additional 30 members of the Dragonslayers flew out to the carrier. As the long days started to fatigue the detachment, it was a welcome relief to see the additional pilots, aircrew and maintainers.

Two weeks into the detachment, HS-11 alone flew 257 flight hours and 54 sorties. The Dragonslayers hauled 79,230 pounds of water, 43,730 pounds of food, and 23,190 pounds of additional cargo. The Dragonslayers also HS-11 flew 117 MEDEVAC patients, 120 members of the media and 918 other personnel.

HS-11 is part of Carrier Air Wing 1 and deploys on the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65).