JAMES NACHTWEY—VII FOR TIME

REFUGE: Newly homeless Acehnese in a makeshift camp

America's Mission
	Hearts and Minds
	By Anthony Spaeth

Posted Monday, January 17, 2005; 20:00 HKT
U.S. Airman Mike Stewart's Sierra helicopter flies low over the smashed city of Meulaboh, where an intact tower clock hasn't moved since the earthquake struck on the morning of Dec. 26. Stewart and his crew land to deliver plastic sheeting, but two U.S. Marines on the ground tell them it isn't needed. Up in the air again, Stewart spots a lone Indonesian man in shorts who is waving. The helicopter circles lower: other villagers start smiling and blowing kisses. They clearly aren't desperate. "We'll come back with food and water," Stewart explains above the din of the chopper. The 23-year-old from Nashville enlisted in the Navy midway through an aviation course at Middle Tennessee State University. His reason: the 9/11 attacks. "I just figured it was time to serve my country," he says.

Now Stewart and 13,000 other American members of the military are serving the victims of the Asian tsunami. Although many governments, charities and individuals have rallied fulsomely to help, the American military is the relief operation's backbone, particularly in Indonesia, which happens to be the world's most populous Muslim country. Region-wide, the Pentagon has dispatched an aircraft carrier and an amphibious assault ship, an armada of support vessels and 103 planes and helicopters. It's the largest military operation in Asia since the Vietnam War—and the crews welcome the mission. "This is a great opportunity to show everyone that the military isn't only about war," says Lieut. Marcus Hinckley, the Marine in charge of air-traffic control at a makeshift landing zone in Meulaboh. "It's a chance to show that we aren't against Muslims."

The U.S. bill is expected to reach about $6 million a day, and the Bush Administration expects a long-term payback in gratitude. "There's a lot of talk about how some in the world don't appreciate America," President George W. Bush told reporters after a briefing at the Pentagon last week. "Well, I can assure you that those who have been helped by our military appreciate America." Military brass admit they're relieved that images of sailors distributing water and food from the back of helicopters have crowded out broadcasts from Iraq showing U.S. soldiers breaking down doors in Baghdad. "There's a nice by-product here," says a Pentagon official. "Many parts of the world are seeing a different side to U.S. involvement."

It might not be that simple: American boots and hardware touching down on foreign soil also fuel nationalist fears and suspicions. Last week, volunteers from the Islamic Defenders Front—best known for championing conservative Islamic values by trashing supposedly decadent nightclubs and criticizing sexy television shows—poured into Aceh to help survivors. Its presence raised concerns that anti-American sentiment might flare, but the group's leader, Habib Rizieq Shihab, says: "Our focus is on evacuating corpses and distributing aid." Still, there remains a quiet awareness that something could go awry. Indonesian newspapers reported that a text message was being forwarded around the country reading: "After Iraq, will Indonesia be the next U.S. target?"

Yet at ground zero in Aceh, the survivors are perfectly happy to receive American aid. "We're not looking at who's giving it, so long as we get it," says Mohamad Elde, a farmer who lost his mother, grandmother and two other relatives to the tsunami.

On a visit to Thailand to check relief efforts over the weekend, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said American troops won't be in the region long. "We'd like to be out of this business as soon as we responsibly can," he told reporters. "The U.S. military has a lot of other work to do." In the meantime, Indonesia has insisted on exerting a good measure of control over the movement of U.S. troops, sometimes to the Americans' frustration. Last Thursday, the crew of an Air Force C-17 cargo plane spent nearly three hours loading Humvees, all-terrain vehicles and biscuits into its aircraft for delivery to Banda Aceh. The Marines were strapped into their seats when the flight was canceled. "It was the damn Indonesians," complains an Air Force sergeant who asked not to be named. "They didn't want this stuff in their country." Sighs Lieut. Hinckley: "It's tough when you want to help people and they won't let you move around ... I know I shouldn't say this, but we could use the United Nations in here." Despite the tensions, Hinckley is glad to be there: "Otherwise, we'd be in Iraq."

Reported by Simon Elegant/Banda Aceh, Robert Horn/Meulaboh, Jason Tedjasukmana/Calang and Douglas Waller/Washington

	Language Lessons [Jan. 17, 2005] In the wake of Asia's disaster, the world learns to choose its words carefully Race Against Time [Jan. 17, 2005] An inside look at the rush to beat disease, hunger and the destruction of the tsunami Naming the Dead [Jan. 17, 2005] Relatives and scientists turn to the grim task of identifying victims Global Agenda: Comforting Strangers [Jan. 17, 2005] Lessons to be learned from the world's generosity In the Wake of Tragedy [Jan. 10, 2005] On the morning of Dec. 26, an earthquake off Sumatra was followedby a massive tsunami. Asia's suffering touched the world Europe: Lost In The Waves [Jan. 10, 2005] The tsunami engulfed Europe too, as millions grieved for those caught in its maw and looked for ways to help How To Help [Jan. 10, 2005] A guide to donating and how to contact relief organizations on the ground More Related Items | Search all issues of TIME Magazine