Navy Carrier is on station, off the Rockaways, NYC.

[speedoo]

Reporting for duty, as ordered by the Commander in Chief.

[AngryAmish]

1. Rockaways, you behave, or we will bomb you into ...

[Chorophyll]

4. Actually, people are stranded in the Rockaways,

so I'm assuming the carrier is on its way to help.

[JPZenger]

12. THREE helicopter carriers are being deployed off NJ and NY coasts

There are three US Navy helicopter carrier ships being deployed. They are normally designed for helicopter assaults. There also are portable military hospitals (remember MASH) that are now being set up, with additional portable military hospitals on standby if needed, which have been sent to Fort Dix, NJ.

In comparison, during Katrina, the US Navy had ships available to help, but FEMA refused to give them anything to do (in addition to turning away relief flights from other countries and resources from many states and localities). Fortunately, the Coast Guard at the time didn't wait for anyone's permission, and rescued most of the people, in partnership with the state fish and wildlife service.

[jenw2]

13. You are correct

A device made for killing isn't much good when people need saving.

[MineralMan]

14. That's incorrect, actually,

That ship can land and support helicopters. It also has a full-scale, fully-staffed hospital available. When things on land are screwed up, having a safe place for helicopters to stage from is very useful indeed. Think harder.

[Chorophyll]

15. You are ridiculous.

President Obama has not sent anyone to attack Queens, NY. FFS.

[speedoo]

16. You seem to have a problem with the use of military assets to help..

with the recovery from Sandy.

I can assure you that the people of this region will have absolutely no issue with the help they receive from those assets.

[Ikonoklast]

17. Nonsense. My uncle was stationed in the PI at Subic Bay when Pinatubo blew.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Fiery_Vigil
That task force removed American civilian DoD workers, military dependents, and other personnel.




He was tasked with assisting the government of the Phillipines with the evacuation of Filipino civilian refugees from the stricken areas, and stayed behind during the eruption until they were moved to safety...and got one of these for his efforts.

[virgogal]

2. What is it going to do? (Not meant as a smart-ass comment, I really don't know).

[CTyankee]

5. I imagine distribute water, food, dispense medical care. I wonder if they have

personnel who can help people in their homes...

[speedoo]

6. It has lots of helicopters.

They should come in handy for distributing food, water, stuff like that.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. It is not nuclear

If it was it could also power the place.

Water, food, medical...that thing has a heck of a med bay.

[a geek named Bob]

8. A carrier has a lot to offer...

Large machine shops, spare parts, hot food, fuel of various types, a few generators, some helicopters to pick up folks...

and about 5,000 highly motivated people that can fix damn near anything, under rotten conditions.

[HooptieWagon]

9. A landing place for choppers.

Plus huge water-makers. Hospital beds and medical personell. Food supplies. Small boats and inflatables that can access still-flooded areas. Generators. Pumps. Firefighting equipment. Acetylene torches and power saws for clearing debris. Etc.

Edit to add: bunks, food, showers, for Nat Guard or FEMA workers. Plus communications systems (25% of cell towers are down).

[CherokeeDem]

10. I read last night that one of the main functions the...

helicopter carriers were there for was to be a landing platform for Coast Guard and civilian rescue helicopters needed in the region. Not certain if any Navy personnel will be hands on other than to help with the logistics of coordinating all the aircraft as they commenced search and rescue and distributing supplies.

[KittyWampus]

3. I would imagine there is quite a bit a Navy carrier and its crew could do to help right now.

[jody]

11. Has the Governor of New York activated the New York Guard and New York Naval Militia, under federal

law part of the unorganized militia, as well as New York's Army and Air National Guards?

If that is inadequate the Governor can activate any portion of the remaining New York unorganized militia

2. The unorganized militia shall consist of all able-bodied male residents of the state between the ages of seventeen and forty-five who are not serving in any force of the organized militia or who are not on the state reserve list or the state retired list and who are or who have declared their intention to become citizens of the United States, subject, however, to such exemptions from military duty as are created by the laws of the United States.

See http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/nycode/MIL/1/2