An Analysis of United States Naval Participation in Operation Tomodachi: Humanitarian and Disaster Relief in the Tsunami-Stricken Japanese Mainland

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has engaged in many humanitarian efforts over the years, such as the 2004 Indonesian tsunami and the 2010 Haitian earthquake relief efforts. As military personnel are deployed around the globe, the DoD is in a good position to respond when called upon. The 2011 National Military Strategy focused on maintaining a global presence to protect our national interests. The strategy further stressed the importance of force preparedness to support and respond to humanitarian crises. On March 11, 2011, this ability was tested when Japan was struck by a 9.0-magnitude quake and subsequent tsunami. This project analyzes the U.S. naval response to the humanitarian crisis that resulted from the Tohoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami as part of Operation Tomodachi.