FORMER MOUNT IDA LAXER PART OF HAITI AID EFFORT
There are more than 300 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division in Haiti to supply much needed aid and supplies to the area devastated by the recent 7.1 scale earthquake. The number of soldiers is likely to grow to about 2,500 by the end of the week as efforts increase to match the ever growing demand.
Among the original troops deployed was Mount Ida College graduate, Tommy Watts '08. Watts, now a Specialist in the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina before being sent to Haiti.
While at Mount Ida, Watts was a four year member of the men's lacrosse team. He was a North Atlantic Conference (NAC) All-Conference selection in 2008 and a two-time NAC All-Tournament Team selection.
Soldiers with the 82nd Airborne Division train for humanitarian missions such as disaster relief, but their focus is usually on counterinsurgency methods. According to the 82nd Airborne Division's mission statement, the objective of the Division is to strategically deploy, conduct forcible entry parachute assault and secure key objectives for follow-on military operations in support of U.S. national interests.
Due to their humanitarian and parachute training, soldiers in the 82nd Airborne Division are often used in disaster relief situations, especially when access to an area is highly limited.
The soldiers in Haiti are handing out supplies don't carry their weapons, or they sling them behind their backs. They don't wear helmets or protective vests, which is a welcomed change from battlefield conditions.
The troops are distributing more than 25,000 bottles of water and nearly 8,000 meals per day. In the few days the troops have been in Haiti they have handed out nearly 400,000 bottles of water, 300,000 rations and 12,000 pounds of medical supplies as part of "Operation Unified Response."
Operation Unified Response is part of a larger U.S. response to a request from the government of Haiti for humanitarian aid. U.S. Southern Command is working closely with the Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development and the international community to aggressively provide life-sustaining services to the people of Haiti.
(news releases from the United States Department of Defense and United States Military contributed to this report)
