The United States is sending an additional 4,0000 troops to Haiti, diverting them from scheduled deployments to Europe and the Middle East, the Navy said Wednesday. “More than 4,000 sailors and Marines… received orders January 19 to deploy to Haiti to conduct Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Response missions,” the U.S. Second Fleet said in a statement. The move to redeploy thousands of troops from a Navy amphibious assault group (ARG) and a Marine expeditionary unit (MEU) came as Haitians struggled to find food, water, and medical care eight days after a devastating earthquake. Admiral Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made the decision to divert the personnel “based on continuing urgent needs in the Haiti relief effort,” the fleet's statement said. “The ARG/MEU will provide an array of helicopter and amphibious landing craft assets, significantly increasing the ability to provide relief supplies where they are most needed.” The amphibious group departed Norfolk, Virginia on Monday for its original deployment, but it was ordered to proceed to Haiti after picking up more Marines in North Carolina. The move brings the total number of U.S. troops due to be assisting in Haiti above 15,000.
