U.S. ship wait off the coast, ready to give aid

ON BOARD THE USS ESSEX - The crew of the USS Essex can almost see the coast of Myanmar from their anchor 110 kilometers offshore.

But for now, they are sitting idle in the Andaman Sea. On Friday evening, the 2,200 crew occupied itself with diversions such as film night featuring "Indiana Jones andthe Last Crusade." Others worked out in the gym, made calls home via prepaid phone cards or played Scrabble.

Myanmar's ruling military junta has refused to accept the ship's aid. That's the source of great frustrationon the Essex, a 253-meter-long amphibious assault ship. It is one of four U.S. Navy ships that are part of the American humanitarian response.

The Navy would like to begin flying helicopter and amphibious-landing-craft missions into the Irrawaddy Delta, devastated by Cyclone Nargis.The ship is only a half-hour helicopter flight from the delta, but pilots haven't made a single sortie.

The junta has allowed the U.S. tosend C-130 transporters packed with relief supplies to Yangon. But in a move that has caused consternation world-wide, the junta has declined to allow foreign workers unfettered access to the delta. That includes the U.S. Navy, presumably because the junta wants to control the flow of aid.

The junta's political decision comes at a humanitarian cost. The Essex alone has the capacity to turn 200,000 gallons of sea water into fresh drinking water every day, and there are 50,000 gallons available after the crew's needs have been met. Clean, fresh water is one key to survival for more than one million people displaced by the cyclone.

The Essex, based in Sasebo, Japan, has 12 helicopters and landing craft that could ferry supplies directly to survivors cut off by the patchwork of rivers that make up the delta. Its huge flight deck can operate six helicopters at a time. Its "well deck" under the main deck can fill with water to let amphibious landing craft disembark.

Many on the Essex are veterans of relief efforts for the Asian tsunami in 2004 and the Bangladesh cyclone in November. The ship also helped when a mud slide struck the Philippines in 2006.

The stalled mission stands in stark contrast to the tsunami, when U.S. Navy helicopters flew hundreds of missions into Indonesia's Aceh province. Then, pilots worked around the clock, landing wherever they saw groups of survivors.

It is a strange waiting game for the crew of the Essex. It watches television news and is well aware of the scale of suffering just over the horizon. "We're all ready to go,"said Cpl. Preston McFarland. "I wish they'd allow us the opportunity t oprovide the aid."

The commander of the U.S. Navy's Amphibious Force 7th Fleet,Rear Adm. Carol Pottenger, says the mission can remain here "for a longtime." But sensing Myanmar is unlikely to allow access, Ms. Pottenger talked Friday about flying helicopter missions instead to Yangon.That would mean moving the Essex and its sister ships away from the delta. But it could be the only way these sailors can get involved.