Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

Before the next storm hits, why not base a Navy hospital ship in the Philippines?

So asks my smart friend, Navy Capt. Henry Hendrix. It makes sense the amount of damage caused by storms is increasing (though not necessarily their frequency or intensity). He wrote this in an email exchange Tuesday that I am quoting, of course, with his permission: I have been suggesting for about five years now that ...

By , a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy.
Flickr
Flickr
Flickr

So asks my smart friend, Navy Capt. Henry Hendrix. It makes sense the amount of damage caused by storms is increasing (though not necessarily their frequency or intensity). He wrote this in an email exchange Tuesday that I am quoting, of course, with his permission:

So asks my smart friend, Navy Capt. Henry Hendrix. It makes sense the amount of damage caused by storms is increasing (though not necessarily their frequency or intensity). He wrote this in an email exchange Tuesday that I am quoting, of course, with his permission:

I have been suggesting for about five years now that we ask the Philippines to allow us to dock a hospital ship there with her non-medical caretaker crew. This would allow the ship to cut its response time to the disasters that predominate in the region. The medical crew could be flown out and the caretaker crew could ensure that the ship would not be trapped in port when a storm hits. I also think that we should suggest basing a squadron of unarmed JHSVs there to aide with intra-theater logistical lift. I think we could get the Philippine government to agree to both of these suggestions and would create the core of an influence squadron there in the P.I.

Thomas E. Ricks is a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy. Twitter: @tomricks1

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