4 pm:

Large amounts of emergency food and water have begun flowing into the small Haitian town of Leogane.

Members of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit secured a small pasture for helicopters to land and load relief supplies into United Nations trucks. The trucks carry the loads to a separate staging area for distribution.

All the activity has drawn a curious but peaceful crowd. Two Marine translators speak to the onlookers in a relaxed manner — not only to explain the mission, but to glean information from locals about the situation on the ground.

Originally from Haiti themselves, the translators not only know the language, but also the culture — which seems to have a calming effect on the residents.

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12:30pm:

The first members of  the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit have arrived in Haiti.

Helicopters continue to bring more marines to the small town of Leogane, where they’ve secured a small cow pasture to land helicopters and bring in humanitarian supplies.

A crowd of curious Haitans has gathered around the landing site. Marines have formed a perimeter to keep them at a safe distance from the helicopters.

So far, all seems peaceful.

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8am: The flight deck of the USS Bataan is buzzing with activity as marines prepare to put boots on the ground in Haiti.

It’s not war, but perhaps the worst humanitarian crisis young members of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit will ever see.

“It’ll go far beyond anything I saw in Iraq or anything you have seen in Iraq or Afghanistan,” US Marine Capt. Edmund Clayton told a group of platoon and squad leaders.

Clayton urged leaders to prepare their marines for the emotional impact, so they can stay alert during the mission and hopefully return home without having nightmares or other lingering psychological effects.

That task may be especially difficult for LCpl. Junior Eugene, a Marine translator originally from Haiti. With limited phone service in the aftermath of the earthquake, Eugene has no information on the status of his mother and nine siblings who still reside on the island.

“If I think about it too much, it’s gonna affect the mission,” Eugene said. “So what I do is I try to stay focused… It’s not 100 percent that I’m gonna get a chance to see my family. But as long as the mission gets complete, I’m helping somebody.” Click here to watch a video interview.