Washington (CNN) -- Humanitarian assistance from the United States began its journey to Japan Friday, as President Barack Obama extended a helping hand to the nation after it was hit by a devastating 8.9-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami.
There are eight warships either near Japan or headed for it. All are attached to the U.S. 7th Fleet, which is headquartered in Yokosuka, Japan.
Navy personnel began loading tons of disaster relief supplies aboard the U.S. 7th Fleet command flagship, the USS Blue Ridge, currently in Singapore The vessel and its crew were scheduled to depart for Japan Saturday morning, according to a statement from U.S. 7th Fleet public affairs.
The USS Essex was scheduled to leave Malaysia Friday evening carrying about 2,000 Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary movement.
The USS Harpers Ferry and the USS Germantown are en route to Japan from the Philippine Sea.
The USS Ronald Reagan, a nuclear-powered carrier, has been pulled from a long-planned exercise off the Korean Peninsula and is now headed for the earthquake area, accompanied by USS Chancellorsville and the USS Preble.
And the USS Tortuga has left its base at Sasebo, a port city in far southern Japan. The ship already has several landing craft on board, but it's heading to South Korea to take delivery of MH-53 cargo helicopters, which it will then carry to Japan. CNN
