Crowley brings Marine Corps equipment back from Haiti

Crowley brings Marine Corps equipment back from Haiti    Military equipment used to support the Marine Corps’ recent peacekeeping operation in Haiti returned through Florida’s Port Everglades Thursday morning.
   The shipment of about 150 pieces of equipment was handled by Crowley Liner Service. Crowley used its vessel “Caribe Merchant” for the movement, which originated at Haiti’s Port-au-Prince Monday.
   Crowley began working with the Marines on their withdraw from Haiti in early June. “The planning was continuous and equipment totals were being revised all the time,” said Philippe Biamby, manager of Crowley’s Haitian agent Enmarcolda S.A., in a phone interview with Shippers’ NewsWire Thursday.
   Crowley even dedicated vessel space to the Marines’ equipment that would normally be reserved for commercial cargo.
   Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command officials praised Crowley for its efforts. “This is a splendid example of industry and military partnership. To give up regular scheduled commercial cargo support to the military is a patriotic action that exceeds the normal process,” said John Randt, a SDDC spokesman.
   On the scene in Port Everglades for the military logistics operation was movement control officer Capt. Andrea Robinson from the SDDC’s 832 Transportation Battalion in Jacksonville, Fla. The equipment will be transported by truck back to Camp Lejeune, N.C., Robinson said.
   The Marines arrived in Haiti in late February shortly after the overthrow of the country’s president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Until the United Nations completely took over peacekeeping in Haiti in June, Crowley provided weekly cargo service for the Marines on the Caribbean island.
   Crowley Maritime Corp.’s vice president of government and business development Ed Fortunato said the company’s work with the Marines in Haiti is not over yet. During the next two weeks, Crowley will oversee the return of 51 containers of cargo that were “in the pipeline” just before the Marines pulled out of Haiti, he said.