Return to Sea

Yesterday, I left Yokosuka and flew out to USS Ronald Reagan via COD (Carrier Onboard Delivery aircraft), and upon arrival I was checked for contamination.  So far, so good.  The detectors made a couple-clicks as nearly every inch of me and my belongings were checked for radiation contamination, but the individuals checking me said I'm "good to go."  Considering I have no other real recourse, I'll take that at its face value.

Since my return, I came across two emails as I was cleaning out my email inbox that I wanted to share with you, one from the Commanding Officer of USS Ronald Reagan, and one from a Japanese citizen who wrote the ship to thank us for what we're doing.  Here they are, unedited...

A letter from Captain Burke, Commanding Officer of USS Ronald Reagan:

From USS Ronald Reagan Commanding Officer:

Family & Friends of USS Ronald Reagan:

I want to take this opportunity to personally assure you that first

and foremost all personnel aboard the USS Ronald Reagan are safe and healthy.

During our mission to assist our close allies of Japan, we were operating near the radioactive plume from Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant.  As you may have already heard, radioactivity was detected on 17 personnel from our ship, however, we promptly took the proper precautions and the radioactivity was easily removed by using soap and water. The levels that were detected were very low levels.

To put this into perspective, the maximum radiation dose received was equal to the amount of natural background radiation one would receive in one month from sources such as rocks, soil and the sun.

Ronald Reagan has since repositioned away from the Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant.

As a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, we have extensive technical expertise onboard to properly monitor such types of risks, and if necessary, rapidly resolve the situation.

We have taken all the necessary precautions to ensure that everyone is safe. We have closely monitored spaces, evaluated everyone who has flown or worked on the flight deck and cleaned the aircraft.

I have not seen any levels of radiation or contamination that would cause me to have any significant concerns at all.

As we continue to assist Japan in this terrible catastrophe, our Sailor’s—and your loved ones’—safety will remain at the top of my priority list.

Capt. Thom Burke

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

An email from a Japanese citizen to the Sailors of Ronald Reagan Strike Group:

Dear Ronald Reagan captain and all crew

I am just one of the citizen of Japan live in Saitama　prefecture.
I and all Japanese really appreciate you USN's help for Japanese people in
damaged area by earthquake and tsunami.
I really admire at the regardless of your own safety, because I believe
that all you know about nuclear power plant trouble is very serious now.

I hared from my American friend who live in So.CAL. that his cousins is one of
the crew of USS Ronald Reagan.
I don't know the name of him but I want to to say great thanks not only to
him but also you all crew of Ronald Reagan and all USN crew.

Some of my friend still missing in this area.
Please keep helping with Japanese self defense force.

Again, thank you very much and great appreciation for you all.

Best regards

Masahiro Miki

Excellent Website to Get Latest Updates

Homepage of website: https://community.apan.org/hadr/japan_earthquake

I just received this web address today, and it is the only open, unrestricted, collaborative site for all government, non-government, and multi-national partner organizations and agencies.  Lots of good, informative reports are collected here.  If you're interested in finding out what's going on separate from what the news is reporting, check this out.

Note: if you do not work for a government organization or NGO, you will not be able to get an APAN login for the site.

An Email From a Co-Worker

I wanted to share this email a coworker of mine, LCDR Shelby Baecker, sent back to our Strike Group, because he gives insight into perceptions of the work that is being done by our Strike Group ships' Sailors and aircrewmen.  I could not upload the picture he mentions, but it depicts a Japanese individual hugging a helicopter pilot after goods have been delivered.

From: Shelby Beacker

Date: March 17, 2011 4:44:18 AM PDT

Subject: Front Page News

99,

Wanted to share an article from a paper that was on the front page of
the special section covering the Tsunami.  Apologize if the scan is a
bit rough, but the area with the dark boarder around it is the article.

The headline basically says JMSDF and USN participating in largest
humanitarian effort.

RONALD REAGAN and HYUGA are specifically mentioned - there is a vertical
line next to each ship name in the lower left quadrant of the article

The picture is of a USN air crewman delivering relief

The 'comic' in the upper left is a file photo of RRN an Hyuga and it
shows how they are working together to bring aid ashore.  And how the
helicopters sometimes go between ships to move aid, etc.

I don't get into town very often but every citizen that is out takes the
time to bow to me and says "THANK YOU" for what they believe I'm doing.
I can not take any credit for that but wanted to make sure you know how
much this entire country feels indebted to what you are doing out there.

With great respect,
Shelby

Candlelight Vigil for the Citizens of Japan

A candlelight vigil will be held on base on the 19th of March for the people of Japan.

On-the-Record Briefing with Under Secretary of State Patrick Kennedy and Deputy Secretary of Energy Dan Poneman

March 16, 2011
Via Teleconference

UNDER SECRETARY KENNEDY: Good evening. As a result of the tragic earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan on March 11th, the nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant were badly damaged and have experienced a series of failures that pose a serious hazard in the vicinity of the plant and a potential health hazard to a broader region.

The United States continues to support the strenuous and heroic effort by Japanese responders to address this nuclear emergency and is making available all relevant expertise, assets, equipment, and technology at our disposal. Our commitment to our Japanese ally is unshakable, and as President Obama said, we stand by the Japanese people in this time of trial.

Despite the best efforts of responders, the situation remains very serious. Given the situation, we recommended the evacuation of American citizens to at least 50 miles, in keeping with the guidelines applied in the United States. Since the continued or increased release of windborne radioactive material cannot be ruled out, American citizens in Japan are advised to take prudent precautions against potentially dangerous exposure. As a general matter, residents in areas further from Fukushima Prefecture face less risk of significant exposure, but changing weather conditions and wind direction means that radiation levels in the future might become elevated.

The Department of State urges American residents in Japan to take prudent precautions against the risk of sustained exposure, including relocating for potentially affected areas in northeastern Japan. The Department of State has authorized the voluntary departure, including relocation to safe areas within Japan, for family members and dependents of U.S. Government officials who wish to leave northeast Japan. The U.S. Government is also working to facilitate the departure of private American citizens from the affected areas - that is a 50-mile radius of the reactor - and a Travel Warning containing detailed information has been issued at travel.state.gov.

For full transcript, go to: http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/p/tp-20110317-09.html

More Screen Shots from the Local TV Station

Latest Update From 7th Fleet's Facebook Page

A resident of Wakuya, Miyagi Prefecture, hugs an aircrew member from HS-4 after a supply delivery.

The USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group to include the cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), the destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88), and the combat support ship USNS Bridge (T-AOE 10) along with the guided-missile destroyers USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62), USS John S. McCain (DDG 56), USS McCampbell (DDG 85), USS Mustin (89) and USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) continue operations off the east coast of Honshu.

The cruiser USS Cowpens cancelled its scheduled return to Yokosuka and instead transited north to rendezvous with the USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group.

USS Ronald Reagan conducted three helicopter sorties today delivering some seven tons of food and water. Helicopters from other ships in the strike group were also able to fly 12 total sorties, delivering more than eight tons of supplies including food, bottled water, milk, juice, Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), fruits, clothing, medical supplies, and blankets. A total of 40 tons of aid has been delivered to date.  Additionally yesterday aircraft also conducted 3 sorties for coastal search and rescue.

USS Tortuga (LSD 46), with two heavy-lift MH-53 helicopters embarked, in Tomakomai, Hokkaido, had to suspend onload operations overnight due to visibility concerns but was able to resume around this morning.  Throughout the day personnel loaded 93 vehicles and 273 Japan Ground Self Defense Force troops and equipment for delivery in Onimato on the island of Honshu tomorrow. 

Naval Air Crewman 2nd Class Brian Fox carries supplies to Japanese aid workers in Takihana, Japan.

USS Essex (LHD 2), USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) and USS Germantown (LSD 42) with the embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit entered the Sea of Japan. In the coming days they will take position off the coast of Sakata on the western coast of Honshu to begin conducting disaster response operations.  The west coast affords greater access to undamaged ports and roads, fewer navigational hazards, and prevailing winds that are upwind of the Fukushima power plant. Once on station, one of the ARG/MEU’s primary missions will be to assist in the reopening of Sendai airport for operation.

USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), flagship for the United States Seventh Fleet, continued to steam north and will arrive in the vicinity of Okinawa tomorrow.  It will remain there for a few days so that reserve and other augmenting personnel can embark via helicopter. 

High-pressure water pumps were offloaded from USNS Safeguard in Yokosuka last night and delivered to Yokota Air Force Base for further transfer to the Government of Japan for employment at the Fukushima power plant. Four additional pumps were delivered from Sasebo this afternoon.

We continue monitor the winds closely, moving our ships ships and aircraft as necessary to avoid the windline from the Fukushima Power Plant.  Aircraft and aircrews returning from missions ashore are being monitored carefully for contamination, and are conducting decontamination procedures as necessary when it is detected.

U.S. Navy P-3 "Orion" aircraft from VP-4 in Kadena AFB, Okinawa, flew two missions yesterday to survey and assess the debris field at sea.

Providing Context: A Brief Introduction of Pat

This is me on graduation day from Department Head School in 2009.

Now that I have provided a few posts to this blog, I realize I have not given any sort of context for the blog.  That is to say, you may have no idea who I am or why I’m writing in this blog other than the fact I’m in Japan at the moment.

My name is Patrick Drain, or Pat, or Draino, and I’m originally from Cleveland, Ohio.  I spent four years in Massachusetts for college, and I have been living in San Diego over the last 10 years since I graduated.  I’m a lieutenant in the United States Navy, and I am what we call a Surface Warfare Officer, or SWO for short, which means I work on ships.  I am a Department Head (Combat Systems Officer) on a guided missile cruiser homeported in San Diego, CA, and my ship’s Strike Group is on deployment as we speak.

“What am I doing on the ground in Japan while my ship is at sea?” you might ask.

I came out to Japan a couple weeks ago to take part in a planning conference here on the Yokosuka, Japan US Naval Base.  My Captain is the Air Defense Commander for the Strike Group, and I came here to act as his representative for the conference.  When the conference was over, my group decided it made the most sense to stay here and continue planning for other future events that would be occurring in the Far East, but all this changed when the earthquake and tsunami occurred.

The night of Friday, March 11^th, the day the earthquake occurred, the guys I’m working with and I were just about to head out into town.  We had been planning on taking the train to Yokohama that day, but all trains had been shut offline as soon as the earthquake occurred, so in our minds at the time we were thinking - we can’t really go anywhere else, so let’s go to the Honch or Blue Street, local downtown areas where restaurants, bars, and clubs are located.  Although we had seen some of the damage of the earthquake and tsunami, we did not yet appreciate the extent of the damage to this amazing nation.  Before we left to go out we received an email from our Strike Group to report to the local Task Force commander, and start assisting in the relief efforts that had just started to get underway.

We established a watchbill, and we have been providing 24/7 assistance to the local Task Force Commander since then, aiding in the planning of the recovery efforts by the US Navy here in Japan.  It has been a highly educational experience for me, as it is the first time where I have been able to see some of the highest levels of our government in action, and I have learned a lot about how we make decisions in our nation.

A night out in Tokyo before the earthquake occurred.

Japan's emperor in historic speech: 'Never give up hope'

Powered by    * Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.       "An address by a sitting emperor is usually reserved for times of extreme crisis or war. Emperor Akihito's direct appeal to the public is considered exceptional in Japan and marks the first time that the emperor has spoken to the public after such a crisis."             Click the following to access the sent link:       Japan's emperor in historic speech: 'Never give up hope' - CNN.com*                 Get your EMAIL THIS Browser Button and use it to email content from any Web site. Click here for more information.   *This article can also be accessed if you copy and paste the entire address below into your web browser. http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/16/japan.disaster/index.html?hpt=T1

Concerns about radiological plume from Fukushima

To see a display of the radiological plume, click on the picture above.

Bottom line, the levels of radiological elements in Yokosuka are extremely low. The radiation levels here, although detectable, pose no danger. There is always some radiation out there - we get it from the sun everyday - and the level they recorded thus far is so small that you would get more during an X-ray. The Navy records anything above 0, and every single one of us and our exposures is being tracked. We are taking precautionary measures consistent with our guidance, and if something changes we are poised to react.

Continue to pray for the citizens of Japan as they struggle through this tragedy.

So Where is Pat Again?

For the time being, I'm living and working on the Naval Base in Yokosuka, Japan. Some people have asked me, "Hey man, tell me what's it's like working on the front lines." I can't exactly tell you that - I'm admittedly not handing out supplies to folks on the ground, however I am involved in the coordination of all these efforts.

You could say the "vortex" of the planning and coordination of these efforts are happening right where I am, and from this standpoint, I'm in a very exciting place to be. There are three of us in my group - we are liaison officers from the Ronald Reagan Strike Group, or Carrier Strike Group 7 (CSG-7), and we liaise with the staff on Carrier Strike Group 5 (CSG-5), which is based out of Yokosuka, Japan. For the time being, CSG-7 works for CSG-5, and CSG-7 is at sea doing the actual work while CSG-5 remains ashore planning and coordinating the efforts with higher headquarters. My groups helps CSG-5 work with CSG-7, if that makes any sense. Basically, since we know the people in CSG-7, it makes it a lot easier for us to pass information back to the ships to get things rolling than if CSG-5 were doing it without us.

To give you an idea of my daily routine: my work day has been starting at around 9:00-10:00 PM, and it goes to about 8:00-9:00 AM. I'm the night shift guy. Work doesn't really stop just because most normal people go to bed. Planning and execution, especially for a situation like this, continues 24-7, and my presence here helps ensure we can keep things going around the clock. When the morning rolls around, and the more senior people return, we attend a number of briefings and video teleconferences between the various commands doing the work, and for me this has probably been the most interesting aspect of the whole situation - to see the decision makers go through the thought process of how we are going to get from Point A to B. After these teleconferences are over, I pass all the information I've got from the meetings, on the "muscle movements" we have made, and everything else that may have transpired through the night, and I give it to the day-time crew who continues with the work.

And then I go to bed.

Facebook Banner that I Cannot Remove

When I open up Facebook, I get this banner that is there no matter where I go on the website:

Photos from Base TV Channel in Yokosuka

First posting in this blog. People have asked me what I have seen and heard here. Since I spend much of my time on the Navy base here in Yokosuka, I have gathered my news both from reports we get through our command, but also (and to a great extent) through the news outlets on TV and on the internet.

One thing most people I talk to probably do not see are the postings on the local base TV station. Here are some screen shots from today: