(JNS) Some 100 U.S. soldiers in four ships set off from the southeastern coast of Virginia on Tuesday, March 12 for the eastern Mediterranean, where they will construct a temporary pier off the Gaza coast for humanitarian aid.

The vessels are carrying equipment and supplies “to establish a roll-on, roll-off dock capability that allows ship-to-shore humanitarian assistance to Gaza,” according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

The facility to be constructed, which was announced by U.S. President Joe Biden during his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress last week, will consist of an offshore platform to transfer aid from larger to smaller ships, which will then sail to a pier to bring the shipments ashore.

“Once we get fully mission-capable, we will be able to push up to two million meals, or two million bottles of water, ashore each day,” said, U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Brad Hinson, according to AFP.

Biden emphasized during his speech that the project will not involve American “boots on the ground.”

Biden said on Friday that Israel will provide security for the temporary port.