Operation Unified Assistance was the American military'shumanitarian response to the2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. On 28 December 2004, elements of the Combined Support Force were deployed toU-Tapao International Airport in Thailand. More than 12,600 Department of Defense personnel were involved in the relief effort.
The United States dispatched numerousC-5 andC-17strategic airlifters and 10C-130 Herculestactical airlifters containing disaster supplies, 9P-3C Orionmaritime patrol aircraft forsearch and rescue support, and several teams from theDepartment of State and theDepartment of Defense to coordinate additional assistance fromUtapao Naval Air Base in Thailand.
Carrier Strike Group 9 was dispatched to the coast of Sumatra to provide support to the Indonesian province ofAceh. It was led by theAbraham Lincoln, with support from theShiloh,Shoup,Benfold, andRainier.
AnExpeditionary Strike Group led by the amphibious assault shipBonhomme Richard, scheduled for a port call inGuam, was dispatched to render assistance. A total of 48 Navy and Marine Corps helicopters were involved. Each ship could produce around 90,000 USgallons of fresh water per day. Other ships in the group were amphibious transport dockDuluth, the guided-missile destroyerMilius, the dock landing shipRushmore, the guided-missile frigateThach, the nuclear-powered submarinePasadena, guided-missile cruiserBunker Hill, and the coast guard cutterDouglas Munro.
TheUS Navy also deployed theMercy, a 1,000-bedhospital ship (initially staffed to support 250 patient beds). Other logistics ships were also employed such as the combat stores shipsSan Jose andNiagara Falls.
In January 2005, 24 Navy ships and oneCoast Guard vessel were in the area. Among those ships was the amphibious assault ship USS Fort Mchenry (LSD43),USS Essex (LHD-2) which relieved theBonhomme Richard, and assumed the duties as the primary rotary wing platform for the operation.USS Essex (LHD-2) also brought helicopter detachments. The last ship,USS Mercy, departed the region in April 2005.
Indonesian public opinion of the United States markedly improved in the year after the tsunami, jumping from 15% in 2003 to 38% in 2005, going against the general trend of less favorable attitudes towards America in that time period.[1] Many Indonesians surveyed indicated that American relief efforts generally improved their view of the United States.[2]