US Military Ships Are Working to Build a Pier for Gaza Aid. It's Going to Cost at Least $320 Million

By Jon Gambrell, Associated Press

April 30, 2024

JERUSALEM — A U.S. Navy ship and several Army vessels involved in an American-led effort to bring more aid into the besieged Gaza Strip are offshore of the enclave and building out a floating platform for the operation that the Pentagon has said will cost at least $320 million.

Sabrina Singh, Pentagon spokeswoman, told reporters the cost is a rough estimate for the project and includes the transportation of the equipment and pier sections from the United States to the coast of Gaza, as well as the construction and aid delivery operations.

Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press on Tuesday show the USNS Roy P. Benavidez about 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) from the port on shore, where the base of operations for the project is being built by the Israeli military. The USAV General Frank S. Besson Jr., an Army logistics vessel, and several other Army boats are with the Benavidez and working on the construction of what the military calls the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS, system

Images show US military building floating pier for Gaza aid

By David Gritten, BBC News

April 30, 2024

The US military has published photos showing a floating pier being built in the Mediterranean Sea to help increase humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza.

Logistics vessels and personnel can be seen assembling the pier from steel segments, next to a US Navy ship.

Costing about $320m (£255m), the pier and a causeway attached to the shore should be operational in a week.

The goal is to deliver aid equivalent to as many as two million meals a day to Gaza to help avert a famine there.

U.S. Begins Construction on Temporary Pier to Deliver Humanitarian Aid to Gaza

By Joseph Clark, DOD News

April 25, 2024

U.S. military personnel have begun construction of a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza to deliver critical humanitarian assistance, senior defense and Biden administration officials said today.

Construction of the pier is expected to be completed in early May. Once completed, it will initially facilitate the delivery of an estimated 90 truckloads of international aid into Gaza and scale to up to 150 truckloads once fully operational.

The beginning of construction marks a significant milestone following President Joe Biden's call for the military to conduct the emergency operation during his State of the Union Address last month.

689th Rapid Port Opening Element holds casing, inactivation ceremony

By Julie A Kelemen, 597th Transportation Brigade

April 23, 2024

JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. -- The 689th Rapid Port Opening Element held a casing ceremony here at the U.S. Army Transportation Museum April 23.

“Today we case a chapter of excellence these Soldiers wrote for this unit’s legacy,” said Lt. Col. Paul Reyes, commander, 832nd Transportation Bn., presiding officer for the ceremony.

“For the past two years I was fortunate to witness their abilities. These soldiers maintained a prestigious reputation set forth by all those assigned to the unit previously.”