US Response to Haiti (used links from Wiki)
1/13 - 2 Coast Guard Cutters and a Navy Destroyer show up to evaluate the harbor. Looks like total of 4 C-130s show up to drop off Special Tactics personnel and supplies as well as evacuate others (2 CG and 2 AF but could be only two showed up).
1/14 - The Special Tactics guys get the airport operating 24/7.
1/15 - USS Carl Vinson (yay) shows up. 19 helicopters (there you go PJ), trained medical personal, 5000 crewman, and the ability to distill 400,000 gallons of water per day. Not sure how they will deliver this water, but hey. Looks like 2 more CG cutters showed up as well.
Downside so far, many are on their way and yet there are the difficulties with fuel for planes, the airport, the harbor (huge frigging problem), and frankly anyway to get the materials distributed once they arrive in Haiti or the Dominican Republic (another huge frigging problem).
Other ships are on the way. The most notable IMO is the USNS Comfort (super yay) with its 12 operating rooms, 1000 patient beds, and the ability to distill 300,000 gallons of water per day (see above for distribution). Downside, the one article I read that projected a date of arrival is 1/22. WTF? I read one blurb that seemed to suggest it was because of the ships speed (17 knots or so), but the main issue is the ship is docked as usual, with a 5 day prep time to get ready to sail. It should be noted that the same ship left the same condition to help in NO in two days. Curious to see how this one plays out.
The second most notable ship IMO is the USS Bataan. It is a helicopter carrier essentially. Last I read it had 40ish helicopters aboard. The latest article suggests it will deploy with the Comfort (tt should have been able to be there faster IMO based on it's location).
There are Army elements being deployed, but those articles seem very vague. Some are already criticizing the speed of this operation, most notably:
Feel free to correct me wherever I am wrong. I am curious to see how this plays out and if I am wrong will amend the Wiki article. My gut feeling is this is proceeding a bit slow.
Oh and for those who wish to criticize the 100 million in aid: Katrina Ice