U.S. Japanese forces meet to develop game plan for natural disaster response
By Greg Tyler, Sasebo
bureau chief
SASEBO NAVAL BASE, Japan – Officers from U.S. and Japanese
amphibious naval forces and representatives from a civilian disaster relief organization
met here recently to discuss how they’d respond to a natural disaster.
Rear Adm. Paul S. Schultz, commander of 7th Fleet’s Amphibious
Group ONE, hosted the first-ever Bilateral Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief
Conference July 10-12.
“If there was a natural disaster, the area affected would need
water, electricity, transportation and security,” Schultz said. “These are all
things the military can provide, so we are trying to translate this wartime capability
into a means of helping our fellow countrymen and civilians throughout the world during a
disaster.”
Thirty-two U.S. officers and 21 from the Japanese Maritime
Self-Defense Force, most of whom are ship commanders, executive officers and operations
officers, participated in the conference.
“It is very important for us to study and learn how to conduct
these operations, because we don’t know when a natural disaster will happen,”
said Rear Adm. Hideki Otani, Chief of Staff for the JMSDF Sasebo District.
“We must prepare ourselves and study how to conduct combined
operations to support humanitarian assistance operations during a natural disasters.”
Two civilian relief operations experts from the Center of Excellence
in Disaster Management, an organization attached to the U.S. Pacific Command, also
participated.
The U.S. Navy asked the COE to participate as a subject matter
expert.
The first day of the conference featured seminars on the amphibious
capabilities of the U.S. Navy and the JMSDF.
Representatives shared information on relief and disaster situations.
“A lot of the time the ‘theory’ is the most important
aspect [of assistance and relief planning], especially on new ventures that haven’t
been done before. But I always feel we provide a thread of realism [to conferences],”
said Jeff Lewis, a training adviser with the COE.
“If someone wants to know what would happen in a certain
circumstance, I can draw upon my experiences, or that of my colleagues, and provide
concrete examples of how and what the outcome would be,” Lewis added.
During the second day, participants divided into focus groups to
discuss humanitarian and disaster relief scenarios in detail and to make plans to improve
cooperation.
Schultz said the two amphibious naval forces are seeking
opportunities to practice the joint relief capabilities discussed during the conference.
Meanwhile, another conference is being planned for early next year.
According to conference presenter Peter Bradford, the COE director,
the United States and Japan will not be the only beneficiaries of their collaboration.
“This conference has begun a process of maritime services
getting specifically involved in humanitarian operations,” Bradford said. “Other
countries in this region will substantially benefit … and they will benefit in the
near term.”
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