bRight & Early

Jim Lynch March 2nd, 2006 7:00 am

Back in December I tried to help spread the word about Operation Enduring Service. Yesterday Bob Owens (Confederate Yankee) reminded us that this opportunity could be slipping away.

Here is some background for those of you who are not aware of this project. OES is a program which will utilize obsolete military ships to provide emergency relief and disaster response at no cost to the taxpayers and a savings to the government of at least $100 million. From Bob’s post:

[Ward Brewer] The former emergency responder is the CEO of Beauchamp Tower Corporation, a non-profit organization with a bold and brilliant idea: convert obsolete, scrapyard-bound military vessels into a fleet of state-of-the-art disaster response ships that can be on-site after a major natural disaster like last year’s Hurricane Katrina in a matter of hours instead of days. Many of the challenges Beauchamp Tower Corporation have been document Operation Enduring Service on the OES Project Weblog.

Retired Navy veterans such as Mars-class combat stores ships and other obsolete but still-capable cargo ships will be refitted to provide complex emergency communications support that can replace cell phone and radio towers lost in a hurricane, so that on-shore first responders can answer rescue calls even if the local phone and radio systems are destroyed.

These same ships, crewed by the Coast Guard Auxiliary and supported by disaster-aid groups, can bring in hundreds of emergency-response personnel to a disaster zone and provide them housing so that lodging on-shore can be dedicated to the victims of the storm, while bringing thousands of tons of supplies. Each ship will also be capable of distilling, bottling, and shipping thousands of gallons of water and over 100 tons of ice to shore each day.

This humanitarian fleet—this Salvation Navy—will have far more disaster-response capability than anything currently in use by either FEMA or the military, and—here’s the kicker—it actually saves taxpayers the tens of millions of dollars it would have taken to turn these ships into scrap.

But to do this it is going to take a literal Act of Congress.

For want of a “germaine” bill between now and the end of March to which they can attach a rider giving these obsolete ships to his non-profit Beauchamp Tower Corporation, the entire program could be sent to the bottom.

The U.S. Navy has been holding these ships, but if legislation does not come through soon, other interests and indeed other countries will be allowed to potentially scrap or salvage these ships, ships that could be saving American lives in coming hurricane seasons. We gripe about foreign nations controlling our ports, even as we give away our ships. This must not stand.

The only way it will not stand is if we get involved. Bloggers, writing a post about this and drawing needed attention to this project would be a good place to start. Everyone, you need to contact your Congress members.

Email this information to your friends, talk about it with your co-workers, send letters to the editor of your local paper. In short, don’t let this fine idea die for a lack of action on our part.

UPDATE: I’ve written to my Congress members. Have you?

Here is the letter I sent. Please send yours today.

I want to make you aware, if you’re not already, about Operation Enduring
service. Ward Brewer is the CEO of Beauchamp Tower Corporation, a
non-profit organization with a bold and brilliant idea: convert obsolete,
scrapyard-bound military vessels into a fleet of state-of-the-art disaster
response ships that can be on-site after a major natural disaster like
last year’s Hurricane Katrina in a matter of hours instead of days.

However, a bill or rider is needed to give these obsolete ships to this
non-profit group before they are scrapped. Won’t you step up and support
this idea that can save tax payers money and provide an invaluable service
in times of disaster.

Sincerely,
Jim Lynch

Linked with TMH’s Bacon Bits Bacon Break — Temptation edition, Don Surber’s Thursday’s Best, and basil’s blog picnic.

• Congress , Good Ideas , Politics
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