Roughly 20,000 U.S. troops will be supporting relief efforts in Haiti by Jan. 24, military officials said, adding to the 13,000-strong American force currently there. Comprising the force will be the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade and thousands of other troops operating afloat off the Haitian coast and on shore, distributing provisions, assisting in medical operations and helping to maintain security.

Approximately 20 medically evacuated personnel from Haiti and USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) arrived on board USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) Jan. 21 and the medical team activated the ship's walking blood bank. Volunteer Sailors on board make up the walking blood bank. Those Sailors are willing to provide blood in the event of a mass casualty or other medical emergency. The medical team put the call out over the ship's announcing system for A-negative and O- negative blood types. Medical team members initially triaged the patients whose injuries range from abdominal pain to fractures.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the new quake, which shook Haiti just after sunrise Wednesday, was centered about 35 miles northwest of the capital Port au Prince. It was the largest of more than 40 significant aftershocks following the January 12th quake. There have been no reports of injuries from the new quake. Meantime, relief efforts continue in the aftermath of last week's earthquake, which killed an estimated 200,000 people.

When disaster struck Haiti, relief and humanitarian agencies around the world quickly looked to see if they could locate ways to provide a clean water supply among other basic life necessities. Jan. 18, members of 3/405th Army Field Support Brigade (AFSB) were quickly putting together pallets of humanitarian aid support of the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) U.S.

The 97th Air Mobility Wing launched six C-17 Globemaster IIIs from the 58th Airlift Squadron Jan. 17 and 18 here to assist with the humanitarian relief effort in Haiti, Operation Unified Response. Altus AFB officials answered the call for help with 50 aircrew personnel who will deliver aid in the form of medical evacuations and life sustaining supplies. Accompanying the aircrew are 13 C-17 maintainers to keep the aircraft readily available for the constant sorties it will take to provide relief to the island nation, which was ravaged by an earthquake Jan.

The role of McChord Airmen in Haiti relief operations continued to grow Jan. 18 with the dispatch of a fourth C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. The aircraft departed for Pope Air Force Base, N.C., to take on specialized teams and relief supplies for immediate transport into Haiti's Toussaint L' Ouverture International Airport. Airmen were then to airlift evacuees back to the U.S. McChord AFB Airmen are contributing to the national effort to alleviate suffering and save lives in the Caribbean nation through efforts that began Jan. 16, when Airmen operating from the U.S.

Amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD-5) received two medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) helicopters at approximately 8:15 p.m. Jan. 19, with three injured Haitians aboard who received immediate medical care from the Bataan medical team. U.S.

A team of Joint Task Force-Bravo medical personnel deployed Jan. 17, in support of disaster relief efforts in Haiti following the devastating earthquake Jan. 12. Twenty-three members JTF-B medical element departed for Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where they will provide critical medical support to Joint Task Force-Haiti in support of Operation Unified Response, the joint U.S. military disaster relief mission there. "The Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen on our medical element team are ready and eager to help Haiti," said Col.

The ships of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and embarked elements of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived off the coast of Haiti Jan. 19 to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief for earthquake survivors and bolster relief operations already underway in support of Operation Unified Response. MEU and ARG leadership met with Rear Adm. Ted Branch, Commander, USS Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group and his staff on board Vinson to discuss future operations. According to 22nd MEU commanding officer, Col. Gareth F.