Four U.S. military supply ships carrying tons of equipment and steel pier sections headed for Gaza on Tuesday, fulfilling President Joe Biden’s promise to build a pier connecting the war-torn territory to the rest of the world. Sailed from Virginia.
AP report The ship departed from a pier at Joint Base Langley-Eustis and headed into the Atlantic Ocean for what could be a month-long voyage to the Mediterranean Sea.
There, at an undisclosed location along the Gaza coast, ships and troops from the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary Unit) will construct and operate a floating dock courtesy of U.S. taxpayers.
As reported by Breitbart News, Biden used his recent State of the Union address to propose that the U.S. military build a new port in Gaza to connect it with the rest of the world.
This is despite the Israeli government repeatedly pointing out that unrestricted aid is already flowing into the Gaza Strip. The problem is allocation, especially since Hamas steals much of the aid money.
And the White House itself acknowledged at a briefing that trucking aid is a more efficient and effective approach. Nevertheless, his four latest ships are General Frank S. Besson The ship departed from its base in Virginia and is currently headed to the Eastern Mediterranean, carrying construction equipment.
CW3 Jason West (left), LSV SP/4 Captain James A. Lew, 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), deploys to Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Virginia, Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Standing with family in front (AP Photo/John C. Clark)
BG John “Brad” Hinson, commander of the 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Force and assistant commander (supply) of the 18th Airborne Corps, on a military surface aircraft deployed to Gaza to deliver humanitarian supplies, Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Speaking at a press conference regarding the four motorcycles. , at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Virginia (AP Photo/John C. Clark)
The latest Pentagon plan calls for the U.S. military to build what’s called a modular causeway system. The Army plans to build large floating platforms offshore where ships can unload large containers of aid, the Associated Press report notes.
The aid will then be transferred by the Army to a series of motorized steel causeway sections pushed onto the coast.
The pier is expected to be 1,800 feet long and have two lanes, and the Pentagon says it will be able to deliver more than 2 million meals per day to Gaza residents. Officials did not say who would unload the containers and transport the aid ashore.
Biden has said there will be no U.S. military presence in the Gaza Strip.
U.S. warship heading to Gaza to build port, allowing aid shipmentshttps://t.co/5JY1xL9xc1
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) March 10, 2024
Army Col. Sam Miller, the brigade commander, said about 500 soldiers will participate in the mission. Pentagon officials said a total of about 1,000 U.S. troops would be involved.
“The Soldiers here are energized, motivated and excited,” Miller said, adding that the new humanitarian mission “gives them purpose and meaning” and focuses on the Army’s personal watercraft. He added that
The Associated Press contributed to this report
