Tag: aid

Earthquake Shakes Chile

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Aid comes in many different forms.
Aid comes in many different forms.
Chile is shaken after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake sent shock waves through the country early Saturday morning, February 27th.  The epicenter was located 70 miles from Concepcion, Chile’s second largest city.  The earthquake is the fifth largest on record in the world and the strongest in almost a century.  The death toll, estimated to be more than 700, does not even compare to the 200,000 killed in Haiti in January. 

 

For Chile, earthquakes are nothing new.  (In schools, children learn to seek shelter from the tremors before they learn to read.) 

 

The earthquake has exposed fault lines of a different kind. 

 

For one, US intervention—whether militaristic or monetary—is not always welcomed in Chile, especially since the Pinochet revolution in 1973.  The recently declassified “Pinochet Papers” show how the Pentagon was extremely influential in overthrowing Chilean leader Allende and was guilty of atrocities in human rights.  Chile, as well as much of Latin America, has not forgotten—or forgiven—the U.S. for meddling in their political affairs.

 

Secondly, the quake exposed Chile’s great economic divide between the rich and poor.  It was the poor communities, living in the margins of society, which were hardest hit by the disaster.  They do not have the financial resources to rebuild. 

 

So what has the US done to help?  Not nearly as much as what they did for Haiti.

 

President Obama pledged “help if they ask for it” and USAID has sent approximately $11 million in relief.    

 

Some U.S. companies have even sent money for the relief efforts:

 

Even so, it appears economic aid from the U.S. to Chile in this crisis has not—and will not—cover over years of unwanted involvement.

A woman holds her child amidst the rubble. A man waits in a makeshift hospital. (inset: US companies that have sent aid)
A woman holds her child amidst the rubble. A man waits in a makeshift hospital. (inset: US companies that have sent aid)

SASO: Winning Hearts and Minds

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Photo courtesy of Major Michael Roddey
Photo courtesy of Major Michael Roddey

“The winning of hearts and minds” is how Major Roddey described his job with SASO.  The goal is to provide aid to help the people in need but more importantly show them kindness and the good that can come out of devastation.

After interviewing Major Michael Roddey in the ROTC Department at Furman, I gained a better understanding of the military’s role with SASO.  Speaking with him and viewing photos, enabled me to become more emotionally involved in efforts that are taking place thousands of miles away. 

Major Roddey brought up several examples of assistance provided.  He explained that the military performs HA drops which stands for humanitarian assistance where supplies such as backpacks, stoves, charcoal, fruit, rice, and other basic necessities are provided.  He stressed to me the importance of giving the credit to the Afghan army for such efforts and the goal is not for the U.S. to take all the credit.  Members of SASO set up perimeters to create safe zones with men still stationed on weapons for safety. Often times SASO is responsible for securing the perimeter and maintaining security so other assistance groups can safely come in and distribute supplies. 

Major Roddey highlighted one event in particular.  He spoke about SASO’s construction of a new road and how they set up a ribbon ceremony which signified great importance to the counsel men in Afghanistan. 

In this brief interview Major Roddey gave me a clear perspective on what the responsibilities and goals of SASO.  He stressed the importance that SASO is not only used during times of war and man-made destruction but with other relief aid from things such as natural disasters. 

Here is what he had to say: Interview with Major Michael Roddey

Check out these images that highlight the reality of the situation.

The Military's Humanitarian Aid

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When we think of war, most imagine deadly weapons, destruction, and death.  Often times the media only shares these stories and images, and fails to inform the public of the humanitarian aid that the military provides.

Stability and Support Operations (SASO), assists with stability operations where the “goal is to meet the immediate needs of designated groups and to transfer responsibility quickly and efficiently to appropriate civilian authorities.”  They are responsible for organizing efforts to allow organizations such as the Red Cross to provide aid and assistance.  It is important to note that, SASO’s job doesn’t just involve war devastation but also trauma that comes from catastrophes such as the recent earthquakes in Haiti. 

SASOs program is two-fold.  The purpose of the support activities often consists of humanitarian and environmental assistance.  This includes:

  • Saving lives
  • Reducing suffering
  • Recovering essential infrastructure
  • Improving quality of life
  • Restoring normalcy

The other half of their duties is stability operations which uses military power to influence the political and civil environment. This includes:

  • Facilitating diplomacy
  • Interrupting specified illegal activities
  • Reassuring allies, friendly governments, and agencies
  • Encouraging a weak or faltering government
  • Stabilizing a restless area
  • Maintaining/restoring order
  • Enforcing agreements and policies

Just reading a brief article did not do justice to the scope and importance of SASO’s impact.  Therefore I delved into this topic deeper and found an individual here on Furman’s campus to help me gain a deeper insight into what exactly SASO’s goals and duties are.  In my next post, experienced active duty Army officer, Major Michael Roddey, who spent time in Afghanistan during 2006 and 2007 with SASO will give his first-hand knowledge of SASO.