GULFPORT, Miss.(Sept. 9, 2005) -- A detachment of Marines and a sailor from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Camp Pendleton, Calif., helped members of the American, British and Spanish Red Crosses to salvage a warehouse decimated by Hurricane Katrina here. The warehouse will be used as a distribution point for food, water and other essential supplies to be distributed by the relief organization.
The detachment came from the MEU Service Support Group-11, who are part of a larger contingent of approximately 400 Marines and sailors who came to help in the Gulf Coast.
The Marines and sailors were working to restore the luster to Gulfport and local cities by helping local public works personnel in repairing plumbing and damage to broken water, gas and electrical lines in homes.
The 11th MEU, along with elements of the 24th MEU, Camp Lejeune, N.C., and elements of the Marine Corps Reserve Forces are part of a Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force, operating under Joint Task Force Katrina, which is tasked by United States Northern Command to support the Mississippi National Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other local authorities with logistical and operational support.