Nearly three weeks after huge waves struck 11 countries in Asia and Africa, the lists of casualties and missing are still rising.

The military task force in charge of the relief operation, formerly Joint Task Force 536, is now called Combined Support Force 536, and is leading the newly dubbed “Operation Unified Assistance.” Lt. Gen. Robert R. Blackman, III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) commander, is heading up the Combined Support Force.

VAQ-142, currently deployed to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni and operationally attached to the III MEF, has already sent one of its officers to Sri Lanka to aid in ongoing relief operations and stands ready for greater tasking in the near future.

Lt. Brian Tadlock left Jan. 3 with a Marine Aircraft Group 12 disaster relief team headed for the most decimated portions of Sri Lanka. The small island just south of India has already reported over 30,000 dead and 1.5 million homeless in the disaster.

“I just hope I can make a difference,” said Tadlock. He is expected to be in Sri Lanka for several weeks.

With almost 12,000 of the approximately 14,500 U.S. service members in the region belonging to the Navy, the flexibility and capabilities of our Naval assets has never been more apparent.

“(United States) forces are moving rapidly to provide the needs and services requested by the governments of the region,” Blackman said in a recent press conference. “Our primary concern is to prevent further loss of life and to conduct sustained disaster relief operations.”

When the tsunami catastrophe unfolded, the Gray Wolves were in the process of preparing aircraft and personnel for a mid-January detachment to Karat Air Base, Thailand in support of a Cope Tiger Multi-national Combined Force Exercise. That detachment has been cancelled as many of the participants now focus on relief efforts.

“Being forward deployed to a region of the world that has suffered a disaster of such magnitude has had a great impact on every Sailor in the squadron,” said Cmdr. James Haugen, Gray Wolf commanding officer, adding, “VAQ-142 is eager to assist in the relief effort and stands by to provide additional personnel as tasked.”