The Pentagon chief has ordered the USS George Washington aircraft carrier group, with its contingent of Navy cruisers and a destroyer ship, “to make best speed” to the Philippines.
The group, which carries with it 5,000 sailors and more than 80 aircraft, will aid in disaster relief in a country where as many as 10,000 people may have died and tens of thousands are now homeless, according to current US military estimates.
These US sailors will join some 90 US Marines who arrived on the ground Saturday. That number will grow as a Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is generally comprised of some 2,200 Marines, may soon be in route to the region.
Haiyan, which has been designated a super typhoon, has potentially affected more than 4.2 million people across 36 provinces in the Philippines, according to the Pentagon.
The crew of the USS George Washington carrier group was previously on a port visit in Hong Kong, but sailors were recalled from shore leave to speed the carrier group on its way.
The group is expected to arrive in the Philippines within the next 24 to 48 hours, according to Pentagon Press Secretary George Little. These ships and aircraft are tasked with providing humanitarian assistance, supplies, and medical care.
