Analysis of United States Marine Corps operations in support of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief
Authors
Gastrock, Jared R.
Iturriaga, Juan J.
Subjects
Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR or HADR)
Marine expeditionary unit (MEU)
Bangladesh Cyclone Sidr
Operation Sea Angel II
Haiti earthquake 2010
Operation Unified Response
Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami
Operation Tomodachi.
Marine expeditionary unit (MEU)
Bangladesh Cyclone Sidr
Operation Sea Angel II
Haiti earthquake 2010
Operation Unified Response
Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami
Operation Tomodachi.
Advisors
Apte, Aruna
Date of Issue
2013-12
Date
Dec-13
Publisher
Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
In order to improve the effectiveness of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) response to future international humanitarian assistance/disaster relief (HA/DR) missions, an analysis of the demands created by such disasters as well as the capabilities of the USMC is necessary. This research focuses on the primary response organization within the USMC, the Marine expeditionary unit (MEU),and those resources available to the MEU to conduct HA/DR operations. Recent HA/DR events will be examined to determine how common demands were met by the USMC as well as any gaps that may exist that should be addressed to improve future effectiveness. In this research, we explore the capabilities of the USMC MEU that satisfy demands arising from natural disasters. We follow the humanitarian and military core competencies framework for studying the USMC capabilities to match the supply with the demand from certain past disasters. Compiling and analyzing data from multiple USMC publications, historical records of disasters, and the USMC response to those disasters we identify those capabilities provided by the USMC that are the most critical and unique with respect to the conduct of HA/DR missions. We have collected data for the 2007 cyclone on the southwest coast of Bangladesh, the 2010 Haiti earthquake and the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami. We selected these disasters due to their impact and the level of involvement of the USMC in relief operations.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Graduate School of Business & Public Policy (GSBPP)
Organization
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.