THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH-APRIL 2026 37 Because of the developing nuclear component to the disaster, the DART included technical experts from the NRC and DOE. As in previous earthquake-related deployments, it incorporated urban search and rescue teams from county fire departments. DART personnel arrived in Japan on March 13 and immediately joined Japanese counterparts in surveying damage, searching for survivors, and identifying structurally sound buildings that could be used as temporary shelters. DART leadership joined Ambassador Roos in Tokyo to form a team of U.S. agency representatives; this team would go on to meet regularly with Japanese counterparts led by Goshi Hoshono, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Kan. They jointly reviewed the torrent of requests for information and assistance flowing between the two governments. High-level engagement drove greater interagency coordination and information sharing, particularly on the Japanese side, where important information about the nuclear accident sometimes failed to flow upward. The Department of Defense (DOD) provided the largest and most visible piece of U.S. assistance to Japan. At the time, nearly 40,000 U.S. military personnel were stationed in Japan, and major naval, air, and ground assets were available to participate in recovery operations. Before the earthquake, U.S. military forces already worked closely with Japanese counterparts, sharing procedures and equipment. The United States was therefore well prepared to stand up a cooperative military response, “Operation Tomodachi,” to support relief activities led by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. U.S. ships and helicopters brought tons of food, drinking water, and other emergency supplies to isolated survivors, while Japanese helicopters refueled onboard U.S. aircraft carriers. A specialized Marine Corps unit led efforts to clear debris and reopen Sendai Airport, and salvage experts helped open debrisclogged seaports. U.S. Air Force and Navy aircraft surveyed tsunami-damaged terrain, while a Global Hawk drone and a U-2 spy plane safely overflew the damaged Fukushima reactors. Success was possible because the U.S. had on hand both extensive, well-trained technical teams and a flexible interagency management system that was able to mobilize and deploy assistance on an unprecedented scale.
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