Department of Defense

Defense Department Mobilizes to Save Lives and Ease Suffering in Haiti

Secretary of Defense, Robert M. Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

This morning, the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson arrived outfitted with 19 helicopters, 51 hospital beds, three operating rooms, hundreds of thousands of gallons of water per day production capability and a significant capacity to deliver disaster-relief supplies. By the end of the weekend, 9,000 to 10,000 American servicemembers will in Haiti or afloat offshore.

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