Local Logistics Expert Helps Haiti Relief

TYSONS CORNER, Va. (WUSA) -- A Springfield man is praying for the Haitian people, but he and his Tyson's Corner not-for-profit company are doing more than that.
 
Ray Schiable looks out over the Beltway from his office at LMI, a government consulting firm, and thinks, "There's not one highway in Haiti that looks anything like this."

He says if Haiti had a road even half as good as the Beltway, "a lot of the distribution issues would go away."

Schiable specializes in getting supplies and people where they're needed.

"There's only so much you can do by air," he explains.

He's flown into the Haitian Airport repeatedly, sponsors a child at a school in the country, and with his church, helps support the school.

"Luckily, we have not lost any of the people, either Haitians or Americans, that we have down there."

Now Schiable and LMI are helping the U.S. Southern Command figure out how to get relief supplies in.

"The aviation fuel is gone, so the planes have to land with enough fuel to jump off to another location."

Schiable says the roads are so shattered that supplies are stalled at the airport.

"The worst thing you can do is pile everything up and not be able to distribute it."

American troops are trying to set up safe distribution areas. They landed at the Presidential Palace. It's one of the few available spots in a city of more than two million people.

"The only open space is the National Soccer Stadium here, and that's filled with refugees."

Schaible says that is one reason it's critical to get the port rebuilt. 

"Ninety-five percent of your supplies are going to move in by seaport."

Schiable says if people want to help, they should donate money. It's extremely difficult not just to get supplies into the country, but to distribute them to the people who need them once they get there.