05/04 Sendai Airport a symbol of U.S. forces' cooperation in disaster recovery

Sendai Airport a symbol of U.S. forces' cooperation in disaster recovery

An aerial view of Sendai Airport from a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance aircraft on March 13. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force)

SENDAI -- Sendai Airport in Miyagi Prefecture, which was devastated by tsunami triggered by the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake, has emerged as a symbol of U.S. forces' cooperation in disaster recovery efforts.

About 250 U.S. forces personnel are working to restore the airport, which serves as a hub for the transportation of relief supplies to the disaster zones, and personnel have dubbed the airport "Camp Sendai."

The U.S. Marine Corps, Army, Air Force and Navy have set up numerous tents on the premises of the airport for their restoration work.

Col. Dwayne Lott, leader of a special unit at the U.S. Air Force's Kadena base, says the mission is one of the best examples of cooperation he has seen in his 22-year career. His unit flew to the Air Self-Defense Force Matsushima base in Miyagi Prefecture on a transportation plane from Yokota Air Base in Tokyo on March 16 -- only five days after the quake and tsunami ravaged northeastern Japan. Thirteen members later traveled to the airport in two multi-purpose vehicles.

When crewmembers of a reconnaissance plane observed Sendai Airport two days after the disaster, its runway and surrounding areas were filled with rubble, mud and hundreds of vehicles. Lott knew it would be a tough mission.

On March 16, his unit confirmed that a 1,500-meter section of the 3,000-meter runway was usable. Later in the day, an A130 transportation plane carrying various supplies and equipment landed at the airport.

About 150 members of the U.S. Marine Corps stationed in Shizuoka and Okinawa prefectures arrived at Sendai Airport on March 18.

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. John Simpson explains U.S. forces' activity at "Camp Sendai." (Mainichi)

Capt. John Simpson, 39, estimated it would take three weeks to reopen the runway because it was covered with rubble, hundreds of vehicles, and mud as thick as 60 centimeters.

However, the restoration work sped up shortly afterwards. U.S. forces prioritized work to clean up the runway and it was fully reopened by March 28, allowing large C17 transport planes to land there. After completing a temporary air traffic control tower, U.S. forces handed over air traffic controlling work to Japanese authorities on March 31.

"It was a miracle," says Ground Self-Defense Force Col. Makoto Kasamatsu, 46. "The roles were divided between us, with Self-Defense Forces (SDF) troops being dispatched to areas where evacuees were taking shelter. We worked in close cooperation with each other. It was an ideal operation under the Japan-U.S. security arrangement."

Maj. Neal Fisher, 39, underscored the significance of U.S. forces stationed in Japan. He said the forces were prepared to quickly respond to the disaster, while it took four days before U.S. forces was dispatched to Haiti after it was hit by a major quake in 2010.

The focus of the "Camp Sendai" servicemen's activity has now shifted from restoration of the airport to removing rubble from quake- and tsunami-hit areas.

While removing rubble from an elementary school in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, 2nd Lt. Breanne Hapken said he firmly believes Japanese people will overcome the disaster.

Click here for the original Japanese story

(Mainichi Japan) April 5, 2011

東日本大震災：仙台空港、米協力の象徴に　特殊部隊ら活動

３月１３日に米空軍特殊部隊が偵察機から見下ろした仙台空港＝米空軍提供

「キャンプ・センダイ」の作戦本部テント内で活動状況を説明する海兵隊のシンプソン大尉＝高橋宗男撮影
　東日本大震災で大津波に襲われ、壊滅的な被害を受けた仙台空港（宮城県名取市）で、在日米軍による復旧作業が進んでいる。同空港は救援物資輸送のハブとなる戦略拠点。海兵隊、陸軍、空軍、海軍のテントが林立し、作業にあたる約２５０人の米兵はここを「キャンプ・センダイ」と呼び、米軍協力のシンボルとなっている。【高橋宗男】

　「２２年間の軍人生活でも、ベストな連携を図れた作戦の一つ」。ドウェイン・ロット大佐（４５）は言い切る。米軍が沖縄県の米空軍嘉手納基地から投入した３５３特殊部隊を指揮する。同部隊は戦時の機動部隊だ。

　特殊部隊が東京・米軍横田基地から特殊作戦用輸送機で航空自衛隊松島基地に乗り込んだのは大震災発生から５日後の３月１６日早朝。隊員１３人が高機動多目的装輪車２台に分乗して現地入りし、３週間近くになる。

　空軍特殊部隊の任務はもともと敵地に乗り込んで迅速な拠点整備をすること。アフガニスタンやイラクなど戦闘地での作戦のほか、０４年のスマトラ沖大地震によるインド洋大津波でインドネシアにも出動した。

　大震災２日後の３月１３日。事前調査で飛んだ偵察機から見下ろした仙台空港はがれきと汚泥、数百台の車両で埋め尽くされていた。ロット大佐は「難儀な仕事になる」と覚悟したという。１６日、３０００メートル滑走路のうち約１５００メートルが使用できることを確認。その日のうちに物資や機材を積んだ輸送機Ｃ１３０の第１便が着陸した。

　１８日には静岡や沖縄の海兵隊約１５０人が到着。戦闘兵站（へいたん）連隊のジョン・シンプソン大尉（３９）には「復旧まで３週間は必要」に見えた。がれきや車両数百台が散乱、最大厚さ約６０センチの汚泥に覆い尽くされていたからだ。だが、復旧は一気に加速化した。滑走路の全面確保を最優先させ、１０日後の２８日までに全長で使用可能になった。大型輸送機Ｃ１７も到着。非常管制塔の運用開始とともに交通航空管制業務も３１日に当局へ引き渡せた。

　「ミラクルです」。現地で調整に当たる陸上自衛隊の笠松誠・１佐（４６）は言う。「自衛隊は被災者の近くに行くべきだと、役割を分担した。大きな連携がうまくできた。日米安保を絵に描いたような作戦」と説明した。

　在日米軍司令部のニール・フィッシャー海兵隊少佐（３９）も「ハイチ大地震（１０年）では準備に４日かかった。だが今回はすぐにリクエストに応えられる態勢が整った」と米軍が日本に駐留する意義を強調する。

　「キャンプ・センダイ」の米兵らは各地のがれき撤去などに力点を移しつつある。同連隊のブリアンヌ・ハプキン少尉（２８）は１日、宮城県石巻市立湊小学校での作業中、「日本の人たちは必ずこの苦難を乗り越えるだろう」と話した。