By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

SUMATRAN WASTELAND-Shown above is what greets the eye of any visitor to the island of Sumatra, laid waste by the tsunami.

Families were split apart. Many lost everything they had when the tsunami hit South Asia on Dec. 26. For the survivors, the only source of hope came from the U.S. Navy’s arrival on a mission to help mend shattered lives.

"It’s hard to explain the devastation," said Sean Bascom, a Moorpark High School graduate who’s currently working on a ship in South Asia.

"It’s extremely sad to see how desperate these people are. They’ve lost everything," he said. 

As a Search and Rescue crew chief and Avionics technician flying with a helicopter combat support squadron, Petty Officer 2nd Class Bascom has seen more than most people his age. He’s currently stationed onboard the USNS Rainier, a supply ship supporting the Abraham Lincoln battle group in Indonesia.

A CREW UNITED IN PURPOSE-Sean Bascom joins fists with his helecopter crew during a break from the relief effort.

Bascom joined the Navy in December 2000 and has already been on missions in three unstable corners of the world.

During Operation Enduring Freedom, Bascom provided logistics and search-and-rescue support for the Amphibious Ready group in Djibouti. When he returned from that deployment, Bascom was immediately reassigned to support Operation Iraqi Freedom with the Boxer ARG for the same type of mission.

The Gulf missions mostly involved flying supplies from ship to ship. Bascom now flies supplies to people in Indonesia.

"There’s no better feeling than the smiles on the people’s faces when you give them a bag of rice or a jug of water," he said. 

Bascom’s ship is stationed off the coast of Sumatra, where it arrived three days after the tsunami hit. "My job doesn’t change much between peace and war," he said.

"The helicopter’s role in this relief effort cannot be overstated," said Air Boss Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hayes. Miles and miles of road have been replaced with surf and debris. "The only way to deliver the desperately needed food and water is by helicopter," he said.

When they finish unloading supplies, the helicopters routinely provide air ambulance services to evacuate the injured and sick. "The devastation here is horrific and thorough," said Hayes.

Bascom vividly recalled an assignment during which he had to fly to a remote village in Indonesia to pick up a little boy’s grandmother. "She was all the family he had alive," said Bascom.

Sean is not the only Bascom family member serving his country. His younger brother, Kyle Bascom, also spent some time in the Gulf with the Navy.

When Sean was bringing in supplies by air, he sometimes had to make deliveries to the ship on which his brother was stationed. These were opportunities for the two brothers to catch a few moments together.

Kyle joined the Navy first at 17, when he graduated from Moorpark High School. Both Sean and Kyle are qualified water rescuers.

Kyle just returned from the Navy and is back in Moorpark. Sean will finish his five-year stint, and then, like his brother, plans to go back to college.

"I’ve enjoyed my time here, but don’t see myself making a career out of it," said Sean. 

Ken Bascom, the boys’ father, is happy his sons chose the Navy because Navy personnel are not exposed to danger in the same way as those who serve on the ground.

Bascom believes servicemen often aren’t given the credit due them.

"Servicemen and women are not just out there dodging bullets every day. Oftentimes, they save lives," he said. "These young men and women do so much more than fight," said Ken Bascom.

The Bascom family, including Ken, his wife, Valerie, and youngest daughter, Brooke, have lived in Moorpark for 17 years.