On 26 December, the worst earthquake in the world in forty years — a magnitude nine — occurred deep under the Indian Ocean off the west coast of Sumatra, triggering massive tsunamis that wiped out villages and resort areas across Southeast Asia. At least 160,000 people were killed and tens of thousands more in seven countries were left homeless. Thailand and Indonesia were the areas hardest hit, but the waves struck as far west as Sri Lanka, India, and Somalia.
The worldwide response was immediate and substantial. “Words cannot adequately describe the physical damage and human suffering brought by this tsunami, one of the worst natural disasters the world has seen,” said Adm. Thomas Fargo, commander of US Pacific Command, during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur in late January. “Yet, with all of the deep sadness brought by this calamity, one does find hope and profound inspiration in the unprecedented outpouring of support for the victims from around the world.
“Nowhere is this outpouring more evident than in the immediate military response from nations in the region and countries around the world,” Fargo added. “The military role is to provide its unique capabilities and significant capacity for immediate relief and for saving lives. This role was especially important in Banda Aceh [Indonesia] where many survivors were isolated by damaged roads and bridges. Many inhabitants simply vanished, along with the landscape, houses, and entire villages. We sent the USS Abraham Lincoln and a large contingent of C-130s immediately to the area. Some of the C-130s are operating from Malaysia. The ability of military forces from the United States and from neighbors in the region to respond with helicopters, cargo aircraft, and other capabilities saved lives.”
By 29 December, the US military formed Joint Task Force 536 and began relief operations in earnest. In recognition of the considerable international military participation, JTF 536 was redesignated Combined Support Force 536 on 5 January. Shortly after that, the US relief effort was named Operation Unified Assistance. Australia named its part Operation Sumatra Assist; and the United Kingdom chose Operation Garron.
Crews flying SH-60 Seahawk helicopters from the Lincoln (CVN-73) and the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) delivering food and water directly to the affected areas were on the news for weeks. First responders also included C-130 crews from Yokota AB, Japan, and Elmendorf AFB, Alaska; MC-130 Combat Talon special operations airlifter crews from Kadena AB, Okinawa; and Royal Australian Air Force crews flying both C-130Hs and C-130Js. The RAAF eventually had fourteen Hercules crews conducting operations in the area. Crews from the US Navy’s VP-8 deployed their P-3Cs to U-Tapao RTAFB, Thailand, assessed damage of the coastlines, and looked for bodies in the water.
The relief effort quickly became the largest delivery of humanitarian aid since the Berlin Airlift. By 31 December, active duty and Reserve C-5 crews (from Westover ARB, Massachusetts; Dover AFB, Delaware; Lackland AFB, Texas; and Travis AFB, California), along with US and Royal Air Force C-17 crews, began bringing in large quantities of equipment, supplies, and personnel for duties ranging from aerial port, to airlift control, to mortuary science. The Royal Air Force also started bringing bulk supplies to the area, using the cargo-carrying capability of its TriStar freighters. Once in theater, the supplies were taken by C-130s directly from Japan or Thailand forward to the affected areas. Helicopters, including US Army and Marine Corps assets, were used to ultimately deliver much of the material to the survivors and aid workers.
The contingent of C-130s in the region eventually grew to more than thirty, including aircraft from Japan, Singapore, and New Zealand as well as KC-130s from the US Marine Corps. Civilian operators also flew L-100s, the nonmilitary cousin of the Hercules, into the region. The four international C-130J operators—the RAF, RAAF, Italian Air Force, and Royal Danish Air Force—all brought Super Hercules aircraft into the areas affected by the tsunamis.
One of the more unusual airlifts came on 9 January, when more than 120 cats and a single dog, whose owners were presumed dead, were flown from the island of Phi Phi in southern Thailand to an animal shelter in Bangkok. The crew of a US Air Force C-130 flying relief missions to the region agreed to return the animals after an appeal from the Thai Animal Guardians Association, whose volunteers had rescued the four-legged survivors.
Department of Defense tsunami relief efforts began to taper off in late January. By 3 February, US officials announced that the remaining US military units in the region would begin redeployment. The overall Combined Support Force 536 headquarters was disestablished on 12 February.
As of 14 February, more than 24.5 million pounds of relief supplies and equipment had been delivered to the region. Of that total, 9.5 million pounds were purely relief supplies. A total of 2,238 people were treated by US medical teams. At the height of the relief effort, twenty-six ships, fifty-eight helicopters, forty-three fixed-wing aircraft, and more than 18,000 military personnel from the US and twelve other nations were involved. The US Air Force component, the 374th Air Expeditionary Wing, composed of airmen from almost 100 units and fourteen bases, helped in the combined effort. Aircraft from sister services and other nations delivered food, water, medicine, and basic supplies.
