Robert Safuto

The recent earthquake in Haiti may end up being the most horrible and destructive natural disaster of our lifetime. The restoration of the structures of the country and the lives of the people there will take many years and billions of dollars. For the moment the focus is still on stabilizing the country and preventing an ongoing humanitarian crisis. Many countries and non-government organizations are lending a hand in the effort to stabilize Haiti. The greatest contribution to the effort is being made by the U.S. military.

U.S. Army Soldier Coordinates A Relief Point In Haiti

According to an account by the U.S. Army there will be 24,000 troops on the ground in Haiti by January 24th. According to the report, "Comprising the force will be the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade and thousands of other troops operating afloat off the Haitian coast and on shore, distributing provisions, assisting in medical operations and helping to maintain security." Contrary to what many people believe helping is what the U.S. military does best. And boy what a job they're doing in Haiti. Never mind that the U.S. hasn't had a good relationship with the country of Haiti for many years. Heck, we almost invaded the place in the mid-1990s. I'm very sure none of that matters now. People need help and the mission today is to deliver assistance.

U.S. Helicopters Deliver Supplies To Asian Tsunami Victims

There are many previous examples of the U.S. military stepping up during a humanitarian crisis. During the Asian tsunami crisis in early 2005 the U.S. dispatched thousands of troops and a myriad of equipment including aircraft and ships during Operation Unified Assistance. In many instances there is a lot of hand wringing and criticism over dollar amounts donated to assistance efforts made by countries around the world. It's impossible to put a dollar value on the benefits of U.S. military assistance during a natural disaster or humanitarian crisis. In addition to security and general organization you also get fantastic medical support and the some of the best engineers in the world.

It's important to call out the accomplishments of the U.S. military in situations such as these because people seem to forget about these sorts of positive interventions when they call for reductions in the size of the military or general cuts to the military budget. The fact is that the U.S. military acts as something of an insurance policy for the free world. Because of the power and reach of our military many countries dedicate much smaller portions of their budget to their military or national defense. That frees up money for social programs, investing or other endeavors as they see fit. The assertion can be reasonably made that a robust U.S. military adds to the safety and security of the entire free world. I concede that despots and countries not otherwise enamored of robust individual freedoms will be, at the very least, wart of U.S. military ambitions. I don't think that such a situation is necessarily a bad thing.

I think it's important to note that in pointing out the usefulness of the U.S. military response to these sorts of humanitarian crises I don't mean to diminish the contributions and effectiveness of other countries and non-governmental organizations around the world. There are always many great contributions in these sorts of situations. Rather, as a former soldier especially, I want to honor a role played by our armed services that is often ignored in the mainstream press.