Vern Evans
The amphibious assault ship Boxer and elements of the embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit are now operating in the Philippines providing disaster relief assistance in the aftermath of Typhoon Krathon that devastated the islands last month.
The Boxer, which got underway in July from San Diego, is delivering supplies including tarps, shelter kits, and food packets to remote areas in the Philippines to support the U.S. Agency for International Development’s relief operations.
“The primary focus of our mission is helping the people of the Philippines recover as quickly and safely as possible,” Marine Corps Col. Sean Dynan, commanding officer of the 15th MEU, said in a statement. “Alongside the Armed Forces of the Philippines and USAID, our forces will help coordinate and transport relief supplies to those who were most affected in the Batanes Islands. Humanitarian assistance in an expeditionary environment is what we train to do, and it is one of the reasons we are forward deployed as an amphibious force.”
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The Boxer and the 15th MEU are working alongside the I Marine Expeditionary Force’s Marine Rotational Force – Southeast Asia to distribute these supplies.
Other U.S. forces sent to the Philippines following the typhoon include a Marine Corps KC-130J Hercules aircraft from Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, based out of Okinawa in Japan.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin signed off on providing aid to the Philippines, per the request of the island’s government.
Krathon struck the Philippines on Sept. 30 before moving on to hit Taiwan, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of families, the Associated Press reports.
The Boxer initially deployed in April, but was sidelined and returned to San Diego due to damage on its rudder. The ship got underway again in July.
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