Today’s column is a very simple one dedicated to conveying one clear, unqualified sentiment to the men and women of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group:

Thank you.

Somebody better say so, because Kofi Annan and Jan Egeland and the Sri Lankan government aren’t going to do it.

Modern super carriers like the Lincoln are amazing American engineering feats. As I note in the column, the nuclear-powered Lincoln has been protested or banned from ports in the past by environuts–though for the moment, nobody seems to be complaining about the energy source that enabled the carrier to mobilize faster in response to the tsunami disaster than any other vessel in the world. Here’s some background:

The carrier’s two nuclear reactors give her virtually unlimited range and endurance and a top speed in excess of 30 knots. Eight steam turbine generators each produce 8,000 kilowatts of electrical power, enough to serve a small city. The ship has enough electrical generating power to supply electricity to a city of 100,000. The ships normally carrys enough food and supplies to operate for 90 days. Four distilling units enable NIMITZ-class engineers to make over 400,000 gallons of fresh water from seawater a day, for use by the propulsion plants, catapults and crew.

The ship carries approximately 3 million gallons of fuel for her aircraft and escorts, and enough weapons and stores for extended operations without replenishment. These ships also have extensive repair capabilities, including a fully equipped Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department, a micro-miniature electronics repair shop, and numerous ship repair shops. Keeping a NIMITZ-class carrier ready at all times requires repair shops to maintain machinery and aircraft, heavy duty tailor shops to repair parachutes and other survival gear, and electronic ships that keep communication, navigation and avionics equipment in good condition. NIMITZ-class carriers boast all the amenities that would be found in any American city with a comparable population, including a post office with its own ZIP code, TV and radio stations, a newspaper, a fire department, a library, a hospital, a general store, two barbershops and much more.

My conclusion:

I wish I had room to print the name of every sailor, pilot, rescue swimmer, technician and engineer who serves in this strike group — and on every other American ship, plane and helicopter on its way to help the tsunami victims. You deserve to be seen and known and thanked and remembered. You make America proud.

At the United Nations, saluting our troops is called jingoism. Where I’m from, it’s called gratitude.

***

A few readers have grumbled this morning that they don’t like seeing these unparalleled military assets used for this humanitarian mission. For heaven’s sake. This wasn’t some minor thunderstorm. And the U.S.S. Lincoln was in port in Hong Kong. Its crew was ready, willing, and able to help. If not for one of the world’s largest natural disasters, when?

Former Abe Lincoln combat engineer Brian O’Kelley passed on the following e-mail he received from a current combat engineer, Master Chief Fire Controlman David Kirk, who is helping with the tsunami effort:

Dude,

You should see this mess. We are sailing 3 miles off the coast in a field of floating debris. Roofs, trees, dressers, millions of coconuts and so many dead bodies in the water all around us. We creep thru the water as to not stir them up too bad. They are bleached white, bloated, faces have no expressions….. They secured the weather decks to shield the crew from the visual trauma. We retrieve Helicopters every night and head for deeper water and kick up speed to make sure nothing is stuck in our intakes.

In the morning, we go back in and launch the Helicopters and refuel them at regular periods. We have Shore parties of 100 volunteers a day. 1,300 volunteered but they expect to only use 300 and just rotate them around because of the pills and various shots required. Basically, we deployed with double the number of Helicopters just because. Turns out it was a good call. We use 12 Helicopters daily.

They fly the Shore detail to the airport in the morning. The working party unloads the cargo from the relief planes, load that cargo onto the Helo’s and they fly the stuff to villages and outer most areas needing help. Work all day and everybody returns at night. The village we are sailing near had 50,000 residents of which only 1,000 are left. All the roads were washed out so our Helo’s are the only way in. Dan Rather flew onboard and stayed the night. It’s good to have a mission. Adds purpose to being away from home.

Autumn Hebert, wife of an Abe Lincoln crew member, writes in:

You personally said what has been on my mind since the begining. My husband is aboard that ship and he is not only my husband he is the father to our sweet little girl. We are both so proud of the job they are doing. [W]e are not just proud of him or his ship, but of this nation for rushing to the
aid so quickly and trying so hard to make life even a tinest bit easier for
those poor souls over there…

A sailor with the U.S.S. Shiloh, assigned to the Lincoln Strike Group, e-mails:

I would just like to thank you for the great words you spoke of the
Lincoln Strike Group in you recent article. I am a sailor onboard the USS
Shiloh and believe me that every person out here is happy to be given the
opportunity to be here so we may help those in need. You article hit it
right on the nose, it isn’t about where you are from or who your political
leader is, but that human lives are in need and we have the resources to
help.

Thank You,
Petty Officer Burnett
USS Shiloh, CG-67

Reader William Schultz adds:

A few of us ex-airdales are in awe that the USS Lincoln is yet again in the right place at the right time and doing the right things. BRAVO ZULU!

Bravo Zulu dittos.

Update: I erroneously referred to Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Joshua Savoy and Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Davy Nugent as “Spcs.” Thanks to all the readers who noted that the correct designation is PO3.

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