Navy Prepositioning Ship Bound for Haiti

U.S. Navy Maritime Prepositioning Ship USNS 1ST LT Jack Lummus is loading cargo at Blount Island Command, Jacksonville, Fla., Jan. 18-19 in support of international disaster relief efforts underway in Haiti following the Jan. 12 earthquake.

Lummus is loading supplies and equipment from both the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. Marine Corps, as well as cargo from other U.S. government agencies. USAID is providing more than 120 pallets of relief supplies, and more than 400 16-ounce bottles of propane for the shipment. The Marine Corps is providing cargo to support the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit as it gives humanitarian assistance to the people of Haiti. The cargo includes dump trucks, bulldozers and other heavy equipment. The Marine Corps is also providing electrical generators, water purification units, lumber and building materials, and limited medical supplies.

In addition, the Army is providing three containers of port opening equipment, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency is providing four medical resupply vehicles and more than 90 pallets of relief supplies, including kitchenware and plastic sheeting. The U.S. government is also providing containers carrying 24,000 gallons of gasoline and 24,000 gallons of diesel fuel. The ship will also transport Navy lighterage – motorized and non- motorized barges – to transport the Lummus’ cargo to shore.

“The 673-foot Lummus, with 165,000 square feet of cargo-carrying capacity, was ideal for the no-notice mission,” said Mike Neuhardt, Maritime Prepositioning Ship project officer. “Lummus was already in port at Blount Island off-loading its cargo for scheduled maintenance.”