Task Force 'Good Neighbor' Leaves Haiti a Better Place

By Fred W. Baker III American Forces Press Service PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, June 21, 2011 - Army Col. Kenneth Donnelly said he will leave Haiti this week a better man. But not before leaving Haiti a better place. A local priest blesses a new school built by troops with Task Force Bon Voizen in Upper Poteau, Haiti, June 20, 2011. The school will be used to teach adult agricultural vocations. DOD photo by Fred W. Baker III  Donnelly, the commander of Task Force Bon Voizen, handed over the keys yesterday to the two engineer construction projects that the task force set out to complete when it hit the ground here two months ago. Tomorrow, its doctors and dentists will see their final patients, and Donnelly will officially end the exercise in a small ceremony at the airport here. The task force is a Louisiana National Guard-led humanitarian exercise sponsored by U.S. Southern Command. Task force troops have been providing medical, dental and veterinary care, and working on engineering projects in two small villages. "Today is more than just an end to our operations here ... it is a new beginning ... ," Donnelly told a crowd of community leaders and locals gathered for the final ceremonies at a newly built school and medical clinic. "The new facilities you see here today will provide meaningful education and health care to the people in this area, as well as mark significant progress in your efforts to rebuild and expand critical infrastructure in the great nation of Haiti." The results of the task force's work will make a positive impact on the lives of the people here.. Task force engineers built a three-room schoolhouse, a four-room medical clinic with restroom facilities in the small village of Upper Poteau, and also a four-room medical clinic in the nearby village of Bardon Marchan. Health care and education go hand-in-hand in the efforts to better the lives of this impoverished area, local officials said. As the mayor and representatives from the ministries of health and education spoke at both locations, an interpreter was not needed to convey the crux of their message to Donnelly and his troops. "Merci," punctuated all of the speeches. "Please take your hands out of your pockets to applaud the Americans," a local mayor said. "I can't find the words in my vocabulary to thank the Americans for building the clinic," the local health ministry representative said. Since receiving his marching orders for this job more than nine months ago, Donnelly has been a man on a mission. His planning has been methodical and by the book. Preparing for this mission, he said, is the same as for any other deployment. The difference, Donnelly said, is in the outcome. "I felt good coming here. The people of Haiti need our help. I feel like I'm part of the solution for them," he said. "I was able to come here, and not only have a passion about the mission, but have a passion for the people of Haiti. "And I think I'm going to be a better person for it. I think it made me a better man," he added. Donnelly's goal on the ground was to build on the successes of last year's task force and to set the standard for any task force that follows him. "I think we achieved that," he said. Last year's earthquake was the worst experienced in Haiti in the last 200 years, and it generated an estimated $11.5 billion in damages and reconstruction costs, according to the U.S. State Department. U.S. government humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti total over $1 billion. The United States pledged an additional $1.15 billion toward reconstruction efforts in the areas of energy, health, agriculture, governance and security. All totaled, the task force's efforts will cost $40 million, including pay, logistics, local contracts, shipping supplies and equipment here, and the actual cost of the projects. Officials here acknowledge the services they have provided are a "drop in the bucket" compared to the need. But, while the medical services provide some immediate relief, the engineering projects are designed to provide long-term solutions to the problems plaguing the area's health care and education efforts. Health care is nonexistent in these small villages. Pregnant women often ride for miles on the backs of motorcycles along rutted dirt roads to the nearest hospital. A clinic in these towns oftentimes means the difference between receiving care and medicine, or not. The local ministry of health official promised that the clinics would be staffed and stocked with needed medicine and equipment, a condition set by Donnelly before the task force would commit its resources. Besides the local ministries, Donnelly's staff reached out to nongovernmental organizations and the U.S. State Department to fill requests for equipment and medicine. "One of the things I definitely pushed for this year was to make sure the facilities got turned over to the right hands and that it was turnkey -- filled, furnished, ready to be operational when we turned the keys over after the ceremony," Donnelly said. The local ministry of education official promised that the school would be used to cater to adults, teaching them agricultural vocations needed to get jobs and live in this rural area. Although public education is free, the cost is still high for Haitian families who have to pay for uniforms, books and supplies. According to State Department data, only 65 percent of primary school-aged children are actually enrolled, and at the secondary level, the figure drops to around 20 percent. Less than 35 percent of those who enter will complete primary school. This leaves the largest portion of the adult population under-educated and nearly unemployable. It is the long-term impact of these facilities that, officials hope, will help change Haiti's impoverished landscape one community at a time. The Louisiana National Guard, twice called upon to perform these relief efforts since the earthquake, has requested through the National Guard Bureau to formally solidify its relationship with the country by making it an official state partner. Donnelly said a strong foundation for the relationship is set on both heritage and geography similar to both. Both Louisiana and Haiti were once French colonies. Slavery and the struggle for equality are also common between the two. French and Creole are common languages and many of the customs and courtesies are similar, Donnelly said. Also, Louisiana and Haiti are located in the gulf coast region, and both are susceptible to hurricanes. "I think we can communicate with them," Donnelly said. "We can help them and they can help us. We have what it takes to help them." Just over two hours by air from Florida, Haiti's proximity to the United States also makes it an ideal deployment location for training. "I think we'll continue to be able to train our soldiers and do it well in a real-time situation," Donnelly said. "We get training on our end. They get improved infrastructure on their end. I think it's a win-win situation." The deputy task force commander, Army Lt. Col. Michael Pryor, said the relationship also puts the United States on good footing with the rest of the Caribbean community. "They see that we're willing to come here and help out. I think it gives them confidence that, within our capabilities, the United States will help any of our good neighbors that are down here when they need it," Pryor said. Pryor is one of the 160 "duration staff," or those who have spent the entire time here on the ground. The task force is commanded by members of the Louisiana National Guard, but more than 2,300 troops from other states and three countries have joined in for two-week rotations. Nearing the end of his military career, Pryor said this deployment has given him a fresh perspective on his priorities. "I learned again how valuable the little things are. It's the small things in life that are really, really important," he said. "[When] you can eat, and you can sleep safely at night, and you're well and not sick from anything, that's the stuff that's really important." Despite seeing photos and hearing the stories of the poverty here, Pryor said nothing prepared him to see it firsthand. It became real to him on the first day when a boy about the age of his own 13-year-old son came to his car begging for a bottle of water. "I thought I was prepared, but not exactly. When you see that face and it's the face of your child, just in a different country, it's very moving," he said. After driving to each of the sites where the task force would operate, Pryor said he realized that this mission went far past its training value. The Artibonite department, or province, where the task force operated, is about 70 miles northwest of Port-au-Prince. Thousands fled to this rural area after the earthquake to look for jobs, food and water. Haitian officials chose this area for the task force efforts because they would rather improve the infrastructure here than have the displaced return to the already overcrowded inner city that is still struggling to recover. "I could look and see that ... it's all going to be worth it because these people will really appreciate our help," he said. Pryor said as he drove along the countryside, he saw two sides to the locals. On one side they were poor and in need. But on the other, they are hard working and take pride in their work and country. "You pass by the markets and you see that although some just have a little bit of fruit to sell, it's all stacked very nicely because they have pride in what they're trying to do," he said. "It's kind of a strange combination of folks in need and folks who are really prideful of what they do here." Pryor said he hopes that the state's partnership with Haiti becomes official. Despite more than 20 years in the military and a tour in Iraq, he puts this deployment at the top of his career highlights. "I'm going to take home a really good feeling. Of all the things I've done in my career, this -- by far -- has touched more people than anything I've done," he said.

Related Sites: Special Report

Army Col. Kenneth Donnelly turns over the keys of a new school and medical clinic to the residents of Upper Poteau, Haiti, June 20, 2011. The school and clinic were two of the engineer projects built in Haiti by troops of Task Force Bon Voizen. DOD photo by Fred W. Baker III  Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution Some local kids play soccer in front of a newly built school in of Upper Poteau, Haiti, June 20, 2011. The school and clinic were two engineer projects built in Haiti by troops of Task Force Bon Voizen. DOD photo by Fred W. Baker III  Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution Engineers shake hands with locals as they leave a local church adjacent to a new school building site in Upper Poteau, Haiti, June 16, 2011. Engineers with Task Force Bon Voizen used extra materials to lay a concrete floor and repair the church's altar. DOD photo by Fred W. Baker III  Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution

Task Force Delivers 'Human Message' To Haiti

By Fred W. Baker III  American Forces Press Service FORWARD OPERATING BASE MANDRIN, Haiti, June 20, 2011 - Stepping off the Black Hawk helicopter here, the scene is similar to that of many forward operating bases in Afghanistan. Dan Foote, the deputy chief of mission for the U.S. Embassy in Haiti visits Task Force Bon Voizen in the Artibonite department of Haiti, June 17, 2011. The task force is wrapping up its two-month exercise there to provide humanitarian relief. Task Force Bon Voizen is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored joint foreign humanitarian exercise under the command of the Louisiana National Guard. DOD photo by Fred W. Baker III  High mountains peak in the distance, concertina wire separates the space between the troops and the nearby village, and rows of tents stand in formation with the ropes on their window flaps struggling to keep them in check against a gusty wind. Colorful portable toilets flank the tents on all sides, easily visible among a sea of green and tan. But a walk down the makeshift gravel road that cuts through the heart of the site reveals one glaring omission. Weapons. Gone are the big war machines decked out in armor and firepower. And the 400 troops here are not slinging M4 machine guns, grenade launchers and sundry belts of ammunition. Make no mistake. The weapons are here, just not in sight. "We try to minimize the exposure of the weapons," Army Maj. Wynn Nugent, operations officer for Task Force Bon Voizen, said. "It sends a bad message, especially being here on a humanitarian exercise. We still carry them because we need to, but we try not to display them." Perched on high ground in the Artibonite department, or province, the troops deployed here operate similarly in many ways to operations overseas. Almost all of the U.S. military services are combined for a joint mission. Also, a handful of foreign militaries have teams here. They form up under a single command structure to carry out their operations with military precision. And the site is almost entirely self-sufficient. Only local fuel and some transportation are contracted. Satellites and radio antennas jut from the tent tops providing communications locally and to and from the states. Thousands of gallons of water are pumped and purified daily from an on-site well for the troops. Food and vegetables are shipped in and trucked to the chow hall where hot meals are provided daily. Helicopters buzz in and out delivering fresh troops and discharging those returning home. But that is pretty much where the comparisons stop. Task Force Bon Voizen, which translates as "good neighbor," serves as a picture-perfect image of the U.S. military's soft-power efforts, and the task force's only enemies here are time and budget. While the troops call leaving the base "going outside the wire," it is actually a few flimsy strands of concertina, easily infiltrated by guineas, dogs, pigs and the occasional donkey. Its primary purpose is to keep people from walking through the base camp to visit those living in the surrounding community. "When they see it, they don't come through," Nugent said. "It's for their safety more than ours. We have machinery moving through here, big vehicles moving around." The Haitian government chose this region for the task force's efforts, chiefly because of the influx of residents after last year's earthquake. Thousands left the devastated Port-au-Prince area, seeking food, shelter and jobs in the surrounding rural areas. The Artibonite area is about 70 miles northwest of Port-au-Prince, and Haitian officials would rather improve the infrastructure here than have the displaced return to the already overcrowded inner city that is still struggling to recover. Since the task force began its mission at the end of April, it has treated more than 800 dental patients and nearly 23,000 medical patients. That includes delivering a few babies, providing emergency surgery and constructing a mouthpiece for a child born with a cleft palate so that he can eventually learn to talk. Its veterinary technicians treated almost 1,500 area animals. And the engineers will leave here next week after building one school, two clinics and bathroom facilities. For their efforts, the troops here have received "nothing but love," Nugent said. "What we're doing here is a drop in the bucket for what these people need, truthfully. But we're providing them just a glimmer of hope," Nugent said. "We show them, 'Hey, the world's not giving up on you. We're here and we're fighting for you.'" Nugent said the locals are poor by American standards, but they are easygoing and hardworking. Some gather outside the fence, but they are just curious. "You don't see a lot of begging. If they are asking for something, they are asking for a job," he said. "They want to work and earn what they receive. They are not just looking for a handout. "They love America. They love Americans. I think they would be the 51st state if we let them," Nugent added and laughed. But while Nugent joked, it is exactly that sentiment that U.S. officials hope to instill, especially in these years following the earthquake. "The real value is ... we're having incredible positive impact on the lives of disenfranchised Haitians," Dan Foote, deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy said during a visit to the site today. "And in doing so, we're also sending the broader message that the United States is a friend of Haiti, and we are going to be here in the good times and the bad." Foote called Haiti a "great friend" to the United States. Exercises such as these are critical to maintaining that relationship, he added. "This is an on-the-ground example of real, tangible assistance to the population," he said. The task force is commanded by members of the Louisiana National Guard, but troops from other states have joined in for two-week rotations including Florida, Massachusetts, Georgia, North Dakota, Colorado and New York. The Army Reserve provided military police and engineers. Active-duty Marines provide civil affairs support, and the Air Force provides weathermen and medical staff. Foreign countries supporting the efforts as an official part of the task force included doctors from Colombia and Canada and engineers from Belize. Additional support also came from the U.N. peacekeeping force here as Japanese engineers volunteered to help on a project. Policemen from Argentina provided crowd control at medical and dental sites in the cities. And international nongovernmental organizations such as People to People International and Operation International Children donated 2,500 school supply kits for the task force to distribute. This year's exercise launched from a similar operation here last year, put in place to help with earthquake relief. Budget cuts already have tightened the belt of this year's operation as it transitioned from operational funding to an exercise with a different funding pot. An exercise isn't planned for next year, but one is on the books for 2013, officials said. Only a handful of events remain before the closing ceremonies next week. The rest of the month will be spent returning the land that the base now sits on to its original condition. The last task force member is due to leave the first week of July after settling all of the contracts and paying the vendors. But even as task force members prepare to leave, officials agree that the impression made here will last, for many locals, a lifetime. And, as Washington begins it budget battles and senior Defense Department leaders are forced to make hard funding choices, military and civilian officials here hope that this exercise doesn't end up on the cutting room floor. "These are the sort of things that don't create political messages, but create human messages," Foote said. "Our hope here, from my point of things, is that we can continue to do exercises and missions like this into the future, because every time we do that we win a new generation of hearts and minds."

Locals gather outside a site providing medical care by troops from Task Force Bon Voizen in the Artibonite department of Haiti, June 16, 2011. The task force has provided care to nearly 23,000 locals in the two months since they began their exercise. Task Force Bon Voizen is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored joint foreign humanitarian exercise under the command of the Louisiana National Guard. DOD photo by Fred W. Baker III Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution A woman watches from her yard in a rural area of the Artibonite department of Haiti, June 16, 2011. Veterinary technicians from Task Force Bon Voizen provided care to nearly 1,500 animals during the two months of the exercise. Task Force Bon Voizen is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored joint foreign humanitarian exercise under the command of the Louisiana National Guard. DOD photo by Fred W. Baker III  Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution A baby watches as her mother waits to see a doctor at a site providing medical care by troops from Task Force Bon Voizen in the Artibonite department of Haiti, June 16, 2011. The task force has provided care to nearly 23,000 locals in the two months since they began their exercise. Task Force Bon Voizen is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored joint foreign humanitarian exercise under the command of the Louisiana National Guard. DOD photo by Fred W. Baker III  Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution A doctor from the Colombia military treats a patient at a site providing medical care by troops from Task Force Bon Voizen in the Artibonite department of Haiti, June 16, 2011. A handful of foreign militaries participated in the task force providing medical care and engineering expertise. Task Force Bon Voizen is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored joint foreign humanitarian exercise under the command of the Louisiana National Guard. DOD photo by Fred W. Baker III  Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution U.S. military medical professionals provide dental care to a patient in the Artibonite department of Haiti, June 16, 2011. Task Force Bon Voizen saw more than 800 patients for dental care during its two months of the exercise. Task Force Bon Voizen is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored joint foreign humanitarian exercise under the command of the Louisiana National Guard. DOD photo by Fred W. Baker III  Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution Army Col. Kenneth Donnelly, left, and Command Sgt. Maj. Homer Stelly, right, escort Mark Stansberry, chairman of the board of directors of People to People International. The group, along with Operation International Children donated 2,500 school supply kits in the Artibonite department of Haiti, June 16, 2011. The supplies were delivered by the troops of Task Force Bon Voizen, a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored joint foreign humanitarian exercise under the command of the Louisiana National Guard. DOD photo by Fred W. Baker III  Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution

General Keen's Blog: The Power of Partnerships

By Army Lt. Gen. Ken Keen
Commander, Joint Task Force(Haiti) 
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti : My time spent here in Haiti has been a journey to say the least. I have been fortunate to be part of a mission that carries with it a level of importance that I could never begin to describe with words. I've also been fortunate to have a number of teammates with me at every step of the way. I am a firm believer that having strong partnerships in any operation, but particularly in a humanitarian one like Operation Unified Response, is the difference between success and failure.

In October 1984, I was a battalion operations officer with the 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment. I was participating in a one-month airborne exchange program with the Brazil Airborne Brigade in Rio de Janeiro. During my stay, I had the opportunity to meet then-Army Capt. Floriano Peixoto, an infantry pathfinder instructor in the Brazilian brigade. Little did I know that 26 years later he and I would be commanding troops in Haiti. Over the years, we kept in touch and our paths occasionally crossed. The partnership we formed nearly three decades ago was rooted in our understanding of each other's culture, language and operability. And the fact that we are soldiers, paratroopers and brothers-in-arms made the bond between us even stronger. Soon after the Jan. 12, 7.0-magnitude earthquake, I sought out the United Nations' military forces. And knowing Maj. Gen. Peixoto was the commander, I knew I had a friend, ally and partner to assist us in delivering humanitarian relief to the people of Haiti. Since we had known each other for years, we didn't have to go through the standard protocols and introductions that usually occur when military leaders of two nations meet for the first time. He and I both agreed that saving lives and mitigating the suffering of the Haitian people was the goal. We wasted no time and immediately went to work, drafting up a plan to provide immediate relief. From the start, it was clear Joint Task Force Haiti would operate within the envelope of a safe and secure environment. Maj. Gen. Peixoto's force of roughly 4,000 soldiers in Port-au-Prince would provide the necessary security so U.S. forces could support the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission. Having been in command for nearly a year and possessing extensive previous experience in Haiti, Maj. Gen. Peixoto and his staff had the situational awareness and clear understanding of the atmospherics on the ground. Bringing the U.S. and U.N. staffs together on such short notice gave us a common operating picture and assisted us in supporting the delivery of food, water and emergency medical care. This would not have been possible if it wasn't for the trust and partnership we shared. The result was a classic case study in international partnering and how to coordinate and collaborate in a humanitarian crisis. As Operation Unified Response approaches the three-month mark, looking back I can list a number of lessons learned. But one that stands out above the others is that the power of partnerships can never be underestimated. The friendship Maj. Gen. Peixoto and I established 26 years ago is proof that partnerships play an essential role in international operations. It not only strengthened our collective approach to accomplishing the mission here in Haiti, but it ensured success in a very complex and dynamic environment.

Biographies: Army Lt. Gen. P.K. "Ken" Keen  Related Sites: Haiti Earthquake Relief

A U N peacekeeper with children during a patrol in Port-au-Prince, Haiti

A United Nations peacekeeper from Brazil walks alongside children during a patrol in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, March 16, 2010. Service members and nongovernmental organizations are deployed to Haiti in support of Operation Unified Response, a multinational effort to assist Haitians affected by the 7.0-magintude earthquake that struck the region Jan. 12, 2010. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class David A Frech, U.S. Navy/Released)

A U.S. Soldier helping a woman

A U.S. Soldier assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg, N.C., helps a woman carry a 55-pound bag of rice she received from the World Health Organization in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan. 31, 2010. The Department of Defense and the U.S. Agency for International Development are in Haiti supporting Operation Unified Response, a multinational, joint-service operation to provide humanitarian assistance to Haitians affected by the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck the region Jan. 12, 2010. (DoD photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Robert J. Fluegel, U.S. Navy/Released)

Son & Father at Haiti

Army Cpl. Robinson Cadeus, of the 45th Sustainment Brigade out of Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, holds his nine-year-old son in Delmas, Haiti, Jan. 31, 2010. The boy is a survivor of the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti Jan. 12, 2010. The Department of Defense and the U.S. Agency for International Development are in Haiti supporting Operation Unified Response, a multinational, joint-service operation to provide humanitarian assistance to Haitians affected by the earthquake. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Todd Frantom, U.S. Navy/Released)

Logistics Agency Overnights 38,000 Maps for Haiti Relief

By Stephen J. Baker Special to American Forces Press Service

RICHMOND, Va. :  The Defense Logistics Agency's map facility here has been working quickly to supply military and federal agencies with maps essential to the humanitarian relief effort in Haiti since the Jan. 12 earthquake there.

Albert Zamora, Hydrographic/Digital Section chief in Defense Supply Center Richmond, Va.'s Mapping Customer Operations Division, and other team members have shipped 38,000 maps and charts since last week's earthquake in Haiti to military units on scene and en route to support disaster relief efforts there. Courtesy photo by Stephen J. Baker (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Employees at Defense Supply Center Richmond's Mapping Customer Operations Division have processed more than 1,300 orders for nearly 38,000 maps and charts, the center's deputy chief, Kevin Bettis, said.

The maps were sent overnight last night from Richmond to units – mostly Army, Navy and Marines -- on the scene and en route to Haiti, Bettis said.

The supply center always is prepared for emergencies, Bettis said. "We have a philosophy that we need to always be ready because you never know when the next crisis is going to occur," he said.

There was a similar increase in map orders during the 2004 tsunami relief efforts in Sri Lanka, Bettis said, adding that he expects the surge in orders to continue for another two weeks.

"The more troops we send in, the more support we're going to need to provide," he said. "And we'll be ready to do it."

As the Defense Department's combat logistics support agency, DLA is responsible for providing the military, other federal agencies, and joint and allied forces with logistics, acquisition and technical services including fuel, food, clothing, medical supplies and equipment, repair parts for weapons systems and energy services.
(Issued on :Jan. 20, 2010)

(Stephen J. Baker works for Defense Supply Center Richmond.)

Related Sites:
Special Report: Haiti Earthquake Relief
Defense Supply Center Richmond

Haitian citizens reach for water being distributed by U.S. Navy

Haitian citizens reach for water being distributed by U.S. Navy air crewmen in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan. 16, 2010. The air crewmen are from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 9 aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Carl Vinson and Carrier Air Wing 17 are conducting humanitarian and disaster relief as part of the U.S. response after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist  Seaman Aaron Shelley, U.S. Navy /Released)