As news about the Haiti earthquake tragedy is relegated to the inside pages of our newspapers, the suffering continues. But so do the humanitarian and reconstruction efforts.
Our troops who were among the first to reach the victims and to provide search and rescue—then, recovery—are still there, albeit in fewer numbers.
As the number of U.S. military in and around Haiti decreases, so have the outrageous allegations of a U.S. “invasion” and “occupation” all but disappeared.
The role of our U.S. Marines in Haiti has been superb and critical. It continues to be so, but their mission is changing.
According to the Washington Post:
Initially the greatest needs were order, food and medical treatment. Order came more quickly than the Marines expected. Haitians didn’t require a show of force, just the knowledge that someone was in charge. With the port in ruins, supplies were delivered on four beaches by landing craft. Long-range heavy lift — the ability to move masses of equipment, supplies and people across the world — is a demonstration of American global influence. It may be the best definition of that influence.
The article, “America’s tenderhearted legions in Haiti,” goes on to illustrate how these tough, battle-hardened Marines are not only providing structure and security, but also “cultivating community institutions that must continue to stand after America leaves.”
Our Marines are displaying cultural awareness, leveraging relationships, winning the Haitians trust, treating trauma cases, dealing with complex cultural challenges—and loving it.
Again, the Washington Post:
No empire of history could boast such tenderhearted legions. The crew of the USS Fort McHenry managed to secure tens of thousands of jars of peanut butter to distribute at schools onshore. On the USS Bataan, a 96-year-old Haitian woman in intensive care is attended like an admiral. The Bataan crew is particularly proud of the Haitian baby they helped deliver aboard. Lacking a proper incubator, they improvised — using a heat lamp normally employed to cure fiberglass.
But, “where in the world did U.S. Marines learn this kind of cultural sensitivity?”
How about from the COIN manual, “the counterinsurgency field manual authored by Gen. David Petraeus, which involved a dramatic shift in military thinking — increasing the focus on population security, cultivating indigenous capabilities and isolating the enemy by improving the lives of the locals. This strategy helped save the American mission in Iraq. Its reach and benefits can now be seen on a Haitian beach.”
Read more about our “tenderhearted legions” in Michael Gerson’s great article.
