Because We're Americans

And I don't care what anyone says, we're still a great country, and we're still the only country that can do this sort of thing:

The first significant international aid since Typhoon Haiyan hit started flowing Thursday with the arrival of the USS George Washington aircraft carrier. Helicopters began ferrying in food and clean water for regions that have seen little help in days....

All day, four U.S. Air Force C-130 cargo planes flew aid and personnel to Tacloban, where four tilt-rotor Osprey planes, able to land like helicopters, were loaded with goods for delivery to remote areas.

The U.S. planes "are a big help, as there are only three C-130s from the Philippine government," said Corazon "Dinky" Soliman, secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in the Philippines, as she oversaw relief efforts in central Tacloban.

The U.S. aircraft carrier, which carries a fleet of boats and helicopters, "is going to be a game-changer," Marine Brig. Gen. Paul Kennedy, commanding general of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade in Japan, said....

Off the coast, one could see the massive silhouette of the George Washington, which began serving as a floating staging area for U.S. and other helicopters to resupply and refuel before lifting loads to Tacloban airport, said Lt. Cmdr. James Stockman, public affairs officer for the ship.

The ship is part of the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet and is accompanied by seven other ships that make up the George Washington Strike Group. The aircraft carrier has a crew of 5,500 and brings with it 21 helicopters, which can be used to access hard-to-reach areas.

"(The ship) has distiller plants on board that can make 400,000 gallons of fresh water every day," Stockman said. "Some of this water will be put into containers to be airlifted to those Philippine communities in need. We will also airlift pallets of bottled water that we will take on via underway replenishment — where we connect to a supply ship and transfer cargo at sea."