III MEF Marines provide aid in Indonesia

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By Christian Lowe
Times staff writer

A hand-picked group of about 100 Marines and sailors from III Marine Expeditionary Force have set up a field medical facility on a soccer field in the village of Sewon, near Java’s south central coast, in response to the May 27 quake on the Indonesian island.

The force — comprised primarily of medical technicians and logisticians from 3rd Marine Logistics Group and communications Marines from 7th Communications Battalion, is caring for hundreds of villagers who suffered injuries such as broken bones and burns in the quake’s aftermath, said III MEF spokesman, 1st Lt. Eric Tausch, in a phone interview today.

The Japan-based leathernecks and sailors landed on the island on Monday, bringing medical aid and supplies to victims of the worst natural disaster to hit the region since the Asian tsunami in 2004.

On May 27, a 6.3-magnitude quake rocked the Indonesian island, killing about 6,200 — though the death toll continues to rise.

The local hospitals “were completely filled to the brim and overflowing,” Tausch said. “Nothing bad to say about their medical care, but they just have too many people.

“They had people waiting between two and four days for surgeries,” he added.

The death toll rose to 6,234 after officials reported 388 more bodies in remote corners of Bantul, said Andi Hanindito, an official at the Social Affairs Ministry.

The temblor reduced more than 135,000 houses to piles of bricks, tiles and wood in less than a minute, said Bambang Priyohadi, a provincial official.

Tausch said the Indonesian government has not requested any additional help from the Marines aside from the medical assistance and, while no exit date has been set, leathernecks and sailors will stay only as long as they’re needed.

“The [non-governmental organizations] pretty much have a handle on things. But when a crisis strikes, that’s when they call us,” Tausch said. “The signal for us to leave is when all those other organizations say ‘hey guys, we’ve got it under control now. Thanks for your help.’ ”

[USMC Chuter]

What!? Marines providing humanitarian aid to an Islamic country plagued by natural disaster? Again? Hmmm... Where's the MSM onslaught? Seems they're busy painting us as murderers over the still-unknown series of events in Haditha.