Local Marines Deploy to Japan

March 31, 2011

On Wednesday, a 155-person Initial Response Force comprised of Marines
from Naval Support Facility Indian Head, Maryland, was directed to
deploy to Yokota, Japan, according to Defense Department spokeswoman
Leslie Hull-Ryde.

The force "is specifically trained in areas of chemical, biological,
radiological, nuclear and high yield explosion operations," she said.
"... the IRF can provide capabilities for monitoring support for agent
detection and identification; casualty search, rescue, and personnel
decontamination; and emergency medical care and stabilization of
contaminated personnel." The Marines will arrive in Japan as early as
Friday, she said.

A French nuclear group, Areva, has sent five specialists who are experts
in treating contaminated water, the group said Wednesday.

And the U.S. Department of Energy deployed about 40 people and more than
17,000 pounds of equipment to Japan to help with the crisis, said Peter
Lyons, the department's acting assistant secretary for nuclear energy.

The nuclear plant has been in a state of perpetual crisis since being
rocked by the March 11 earthquake and subsequent tsunami, and there's no
clear end in sight.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110331/pl_afp/japandisasteraccidentnuclearusaidmilitarymarines

http://www.asiaworks.com/news/2011/03/31/us-marines-being-sent-to-japan-for-nuclear-response-afp/

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/31/japan.nuclear.reactors/index.html?hpt=T2