The U.S. Navy surface force's necessary capabilities and force structure for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) operations

The U.S. Navy has become a first-responder for several of the worst natural disasters over the past decade. Rather than complain about this role, the Navy embraced their participation in humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HA/DR) by incorporating it as a core competency in their 2007 maritime strategy. This thesis explains the naval capabilities useful in conducting HA/DR and the relative strengths and weaknesses of current and future naval platforms in performing HA/DR.