On 26 December 2004 , a massive submerged earthquake and ensuing tsunami waves swept across the Indian Ocean basin , causing widespread devastation and killing over 230,000 people in fourteen countries . The military element of humanitarian and relief effort was designated Operation Unified Assistance under the direction of Combined Support Force 536 ( CSF-536 ) . On 28 December 2004 , Carrier Strike Group Nine set sail from Hong Kong and arrived off the coast of Indonesia near Banda Aceh , Sumatra , on 1 January 2005 . Rear Admiral William D. Crowder , was designated as commander , Combined Support Group Indonesia , as part of CSF-536 . '' Abraham Lincoln '' s Air Transportation Office coordinated the flow of supplies into the region , and the carrier provided air traffic control for the relief effort . SH-60 helicopters Seahawks from squadrons HSL-47 and HS-2 ferried supplies from collection points in Sumatra for trans-shipment to disaster victims in the vicinity . The intensive nature of the support missions drove the Seahawks to log over 1,000 hours , more than three times the expected wear-and-tear of standard deployments . HSL-47 itself logged over 600 hours during the month of January 2005 . Strike group ships , such as the destroyer '' Benfold '' , served as re-fueling stations for helicopters involved in relief efforts . '' Benfold '' provided 155 gallons ( 586.7 liters ) of fuel a day , accounting for more than 14,500 gallons ( 54,888.47 liters ) of fuel since this disaster relief operation began . '' Benfold '' also served as a mothership for Naval Oceanographic Office team conducting safety of navigation surveys of the altered Indonesian coastlines that had been affected by the tsunami at the request of the Indonesian government . The fast combat support ship '' Rainier '' provided underway replenishment support to 32 American , British , and Australian warships involved in Operation Unified Assistance . Also , sailors and Marines from Carrier Strike Group Nine went ashore to provide humanitarian assistance . Sailors from the '' Abraham Lincoln '' s Engineering Department Repair Division designed a potable water manifold to help bring fresh water to Aceh Province , Sumatra , with the system beginning to ship the much-needed fresh water on 4 January . Also , teams from the strike group , including the destroyer '' Benfold '' , flew into Banda Aceh daily to work at the Sultan IskandarMuda Air Force Base to unload humanitarian aid from trucks to waiting helicopters that deliver the aid to survivors in remote locations
massive submerged earthquake and ensuing tsunami waves
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
Carrier Strike Group Nine 2004–09 operations