US Aircraft Carrier USS George H.W Bush On Standby For Turkey Relief Efforts

On February 8, the US government announced that the naval ship USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) would be in the Mediterranean Sea, near Turkey, to provide any assistance to the country hit by a devastating earthquake in case they ask for it.

So far, the death toll from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake has touched 12000, and along with this ship, the US government is sending other varieties of assistance to Turkey.

Elveda Türkiye! 🇹🇷 ⚓
USS Nitze #DDG94 departs Gölcük Naval Base, Turkey, following a port visit. The ship is deployed to the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied, and partner interests. pic.twitter.com/9gVV79Y13N

— SURFLANT (@surflant) February 8, 2023

Two US rescue and urban search teams have arrived at Turkey’s Incirlik Air Force Base with 170000 pounds of equipment, 12 military dogs and 161 personnel.

The ship George H.W. Bush was last seen in Greece at the Piraeus port while its Destroyer USS Nitze was at the Gölcük Naval Base. It’s unclear if Nitze is part of the team.

Refernces: USNI, Al Monitor