SOLLIMS Sampler Special Edition, May 2017 | Page 21

d. TOPIC. “Whole of International Community” for Foreign
Disaster Relief (Lesson #700)
Observation.
During the 2010 earthquake relief operation in Haiti, a myriad of organizations
carried out disaster relief roles, but no collective command and control structure
was in place to manage the whole effort. The U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) served as the lead agent for the United States; however,
it relied heavily on the supporting effort provided by the U.S. military to manage
the effort. The U.S. military's Joint Task Force-Haiti (JTF-Haiti) was the driving
force for planning and delivering relief in the initial/emergency phase of the
operation. Additionally, JTF-Haiti took a lead role in organizing and synchro-
nizing a large part of subsequent (post-emergency) relief efforts through a
number of innovations in partnering, coordinating, communicating, and building
unity of effort among the participating organizations. In a disaster relief operation
of this magnitude, such work to gain a “whole of international community”
approach is invaluable in gaining efficiencies, saving lives, and mitigating
suffering.
Discussion.
The devastation in Haiti resulting from the 7.0 magnitude earthquake of 12
January 2010 prompted the longest and largest U.S. military effort in a foreign
disaster relief operation. At the peak of Operation Unified Response, in February
2010, JTF-Haiti was comprised of over 22,000 service members, 58 aircraft, and
23 ships. Within just two days of the disaster, on 14 January, the headquarters
for JTF-Haiti was established by U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) – to
conduct humanitarian assistance and foreign disaster relief operations in support
of the lead federal agency, USAID.
JTF-Haiti assumed responsibility for all U.S. forces and began directing activities
to assist in providing timely relief. The Department of Defense ordered elements
of the Global Response Force (the XVIII Airborne Corps assault command post,
2nd Brigade/82nd Airborne Division, 58 rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft) and
the USS Carl Vinson, USS Bataan, USS Nassau, and USS Carter Hall to the
JTF-Haiti mission. These forces, along with personnel from the SOUTHCOM
staff, the Joint Force Special Operations Component, and the 3rd Expeditionary
Sustainment Command, provided the crux of JTF-Haiti assets.
In the initial emergency phase, the 2nd Brigade/82nd Airborne, under the
direction of the JTF-Haiti headquarters (the core of which was the XVIII Airborne
Corps assault command post) conducted and supported continual humanitarian
aid distribution missions (interagency missions) in the heaviest impacted areas of
Port-au-Prince. 16 distribution sites were established to provide food, water, and
medical care – for well over one million people. On 20 January, the hospital ship
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