San Diego-Based Aircraft Carrier Heads to Japan

The San Diego-based aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan and seven Navy ships were headed for Japan Saturday to help as the country recovers from the 8.9-magnitude earthquake.

"People are in trouble and frequently countries look to us for assistance," Capt. Jeff Breslau told The San Diego Union-Tribune. "It's second nature for us when there is a crisis to switch to that mindset."

Along with three members of the Reagan Carrier Strike Group, the Essex, Harpers Ferry, Germantown, Tortuga and Blue Ridge are traveling to the disaster site, Breslau said.

All the warships are scheduled to reach Japan within about 24 hours.

Naval personnel may help with logistics, moving people and supplies, medical assistance, creating communications systems, search-and-rescue operations and building shelters. They may also help provide fresh water as watermakers aboard the Reagan can produce up to 400,000 gallons of water daily, Breslau said.

The warships on their way to Japan were in the western Pacific on other missions when the quake struck at 9:46 p.m. Thursday Pacific time.

City News Service contributed to this report.