The United States Navy’s aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington had arrived in the Philippines to aid an emergency relief operations after the devastation of the central Philippines provinces by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) as confirmed by the US Navy.
According to Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery, the carrier’s commander, it “will go to a position just off the eastern coast of Samar island in order to begin to (–foul word(s) removed–)s the damage and provide logistical and emergency support to include medical and water supplies.” the Admiral stated.
The USS George Washington is just one of the American ships in the Philippines taking part of “Operation Damayan” –Tagalog for “solidarity” — Montgomery added in a statement to the journalists.
According to the commander of USS George Washington, joining them is US cruisers USS Antietam and USS Cowpen located off stricken Samar while the cargo ships USNS Charles Drew was moving water supplies to Guiuan airfield.
The arrival of the aircraft carrier in the Philippines is expected to give the relief effort a much-needed boost, particularly as the US Navy will bring its logistical know-how to bear on a chaotic situation that has left many without help almost a week after the disaster struck.
Aside from the USS George Washington that already arrived in the Philippines, the US Navy is also expecting their hospital ship, the USNS Mercy which will be arriving to the Philippines next month.
