Operation Tomodachi

The aftermath of the Japanese earthquake and tsunamis presented a plethora of challenges to the commanding officer of the US Navy's Fleet Logistics Center, Yokosuka, two hundred miles southwest of the center of the earthquake. As news of the widening damage of the earthquake became known, the commanding officer must address two key questions: How should he manage requests for help in the absence of required bureaucratic approvals? And, what approach to leading the Japanese labor force would be most effective? As students learn of the officer's responses to the challenges he faced, they are asked to consider the appropriate responses of a leader in a crisis situation.