CARACAS, VENEZUELA -- Following two earthquakes off the northern coast of Venezuela on June 24 the United States mobilized a humanitarian response at the request of the Venezuelan government. To support U.S. Southern Command’s rapid deployment of personnel and specialized equipment into the disaster zone, Littoral Combat Force 24 transitioned from scheduled regional security missions to support the U.S. government’s disaster response operation.
On the evening of June 24, twin 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes struck west of Caracas, causing immense destruction in coastal cities like Catia La Mar and the state of La Guaira. The U.S. response mobilized massive aid and dispatched a specialized Disaster Assistance Response Team. Operating from Puerto Rico, Camp Lejeune, and amphibious transport dock USS Fort Lauderdale (LDP 28) in the Caribbean Sea, the disaggregated Marine Air-Ground Task Force pivoted rapidly from its scheduled regional security missions to directly support the Department of State for humanitarian assistance.
"In a disaster of this magnitude, the first 72 hours are a race against the clock. Roads are destroyed, airports are damaged, and infrastructure collapses," said Col. Ryan Lynch, commanding officer of LCF-24. "LCF-24 brings the ability to bypass those obstacles. By operating from the sea and forward nodes, we can insert experts, equipment, and medical support directly into the hardest-hit areas, providing the combatant commander and our interagency partners with the flexible options they need to save lives."
With the airports near Caracas initially closed due to severe earthquake damage, the U.S. response relied heavily on the organic aviation and logistics capabilities of the LCF. This reliance was demonstrated immediately at the highest levels of command.
As U.S. Southern Command coordinated Department of War efforts on the ground in Venezuela, LCF-24 provided the critical transport. MV-22B Ospreys from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 (Reinforced), the Aviation Combat Element for LCF-24, launched from their shore-based headquarters at Jose Aponte De la Torre Airport in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. They inserted Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Kevin J. Jarrard and his command element directly into the disaster zone, immediately establishing a U.S. military Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Center ashore in Venezuela.
To sustain the operational tempo, LCF-24 aviation assets quickly established forward flight operations out of Curaçao, just off the Venezuelan coast. From this strategic staging area, the MAGTF’s MV-22B Ospreys are continuously pushing heavy logistics and personnel into the country, which is further supported via its tethered KC-130J Hercules provided by 2d Marine Aircraft Wing. Simultaneously, the squadron's UH-1Y Venom helicopters are conducting aerial surveys of destroyed infrastructure and swiftly moving DoW, DoS, and Search and Rescue personnel between heavily affected, hard-to-reach areas.
Ashore, Reconnaissance Marines from the LCF’s Maritime Raid Force are working shoulder-to-shoulder with Venezuelan SAR teams and U.S. Urban SAR units deployed from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles, California. LCF-24 provided heavy-lift support necessary to get the Marines and those civilian experts to the front lines of the rescue effort safely.
"The rapid pivot of Littoral Combat Force-24 from scheduled security operations to active lifesaving missions demonstrates their operational flexibility," said Lt. Gen. Calvert Worth, commanding general of II Marine Expeditionary Force. "Being deployed forward to Puerto Rico as an expeditionary advanced base, operating from an Amphibious Warship—USS Ft Lauderdale and with remaining elements postured for rapid deployment, LCF-24 bypassed damaged infrastructure to insert critical leadership and rescue assets exactly where the Combatant Commander needed them. We’ve proven yet again that Marines—partnered with the Navy—are uniquely equipped to deliver hope and critical relief alongside our interagency and international partners when disaster strikes."
LCF-24 is a forward-deployed Marine Expeditionary Unit capable of executing missions ranging from security operations to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR). The Marines and Sailors of LCF-24 remain at hand to support ongoing joint and interagency recovery operations along the Venezuelan coast.