Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group:
o    USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76)
o    USS Chancellorsville (CG 62)
o    USS Preble (DDG 88 )
o    USS Cowpens (CG 63)
o    USNS Bridge (T-AOE 10)
 March 17 (JST): Helicopters from the USS Ronald Reagan strike group and Carrier Air Wing
Five (CVW 5) in Atsugi conducted 10 helicopter sorties today, delivering 10 tons of food and
water to relief sites ashore. A total of 40 tons of aid has been delivered to date. Aircraft and
surface ships also continued to conduct coastal search and rescue operations at sea and along
the Miyagi and Iwate coasts.
Amphibious Ships:
o    USS Tortuga (LSD 46)
 March 17 (JST): USS Tortuga (LSD 46) anchored early this morning in Ominato in northern
Honshu, delivering 93 vehicles and 273 Japan Ground Self Defense Force ashore via Landing
Craft Unit (LCU) transfer. The ship transported the soldiers and their vehicles from
Tomakomai, Hokkaido, to assist with the disaster recovery efforts. The ship will also
transport 5,000 bottles of water and 5,000 Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) to Misawa for further
distribution to people in need.
o    USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49)
o    USS Germantown (LSD 42)
o    USS Essex (LHD 2)
 March 17 (JST): USS Essex (LHD 2), USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) and USS Germantown
(LSD 42) with the embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit are in the Sea of Japan and will
arrive off the coast of Akita prefecture tomorrow morning to await further tasking. Marines
of the 31st MEU have established a Forward Control Element (FCE) in Yamagata. The west
coast of Honshu affords greater access to undamaged ports and roads, fewer navigational
hazards, and prevailing winds that are upwind of the Fukushima power plant.
Command Ship:
o    USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19)
 March 17: Conducted personnel and supply transfers in the vicinity of Okinawa this morning
and is continuing north.
Ships Forward Deployed in Yokosuka, Japan:
o    USS McCampbell (DDG 85)
o    USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54)
o    USS McCain (DDG-56)
o    USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62)
o    USS Mustin (DDG 89)
 Continuing to assist Japanese authorities with providing at-sea search and rescue and
recovery operations.
Additional Aircraft
o    Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Force Seventh Fleet (CTF-72)
 March 17: Two P-3 Orion aircraft conducted aerial survey missions today in northern
Honshu. CTF-72 completed a relocation today of these two aircraft and four aircrews from
Kadena Air Base in Okinawa to Misawa Air Base.
o    Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW 5)
 March 17: In addition to helping with the Ronald Reagan strike group’s relief efforts, CVW 5
began the relocation of more than 50 tactical fixed-wing aircraft normally assigned to USS
George Washington from Naval Air Faculty (NAF) Atsugi to bases in Okinawa and Guam in
order to free up more ramp space at Atsugi that might be need to support ongoing
operations.

^{Image via Daily Telegraph}

Can they catch a single break?
^{Operation Tomodachi logo via Chizumatic.}

UPDATE: Meanwhile, although things are indeed bad and the damage is horrific, there is progress being made.
Japanese civil engineers FTW!

^{via (Link NSFW due to ads)}

Three days, 23 1/2 hours later and they've already got the median hedge planted!

The logo is great!  Not only would I like to see it as the shoulder patch ala Pixy, but I think it would make a great campaign ribbon afterwards!

Hopefully Japan rebuilds stronger and better then before.  All the best to them.