A Camp Pendleton unit will coordinate disaster response efforts on the ground in Japan. Marines with Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment (2/5) are setting up a command center that will be the base of operations for more than 4,000 Marines and Sailors with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). The MEU arrived off the coast of Japan Friday aboard three ships that comprise Amphibious Squadron 11.
In addition to establishing a command and control center, the 2/5 will use a variety of vehicles ranging from helicopters to hovercraft to deliver relief supplies, medical assistance, and equipment to disaster survivors in areas inaccessible by road. The unit will focus on isolated areas along the northeastern coast of Japan.
The 2/5 arrived off the coast of Japan Friday on Amphibious Assault Ship USS Essex. The unit is part of a force of approximately 4,000 Marines and Sailors that make up Amphibious Squadron 11 which includes USS Germantown and USS Harpers Ferry.
As a precaution Marines and Sailors with the 31st MEU were required to attend classes to teach them how to handle potential hazards with exposure to radiation. The training included how to gather information on radiological threats, exposure guidelines, and decontamination procedures.
The classes were taught by a team of Marine Corps chemical, Biological, radiological and nuclear defense (CBRN) specialists. Radiation exposure is a major concern for those carrying out relief operations in Japan in light of the increasing instability of the Fukushima Nuclear Facility. The U.S. Military has sent in a team of experts to help the Japanese Government assess the situation.
48 CBRN Marines from Camp Pendleton based 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, left for Japan this week to lend their expertise in support of the relief effort.
An estimated 17,000 U.S. troops are currently participating in humanitarian aid operations in Japan.
