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Tandem Thrust 03 means teamwork

7th Fleet News Release

Release Date: 09 May 2003

By Journalist 1st Class Bruce Cummins, 7th Fleet public affairs

ABOARD USS BLUE RIDGE AT SEA -- Nearly 59 years ago, on a tiny island that would later play a significant role in the history of modern warfare, U.S. military forces launched what has long been considered one of the defining offensives of World War II.

Tinian, viewed by U.S military strategists at the time as vital in the march toward Japan after U.S. forces captured Saipan in July 1944, proved to be an area the allied forces thought necessary to construct a landing strip, enabling U.S. bombers to get within range of Japan.

The successful amphibious assault on Tinian centered on a fake landing staged near what is today known as San Jose village. While the 2nd Marine Division pretended to ready an attack on the southern part of the island, even going so far as to lower boats and men into the water, the 4th Marine Division was launching a full-blown invasion on Tinian's north side, a narrow beach that seemed an unlikely spot for an invasion, catching the Japanese forces by surprise.

Then-5th Fleet commander Adm. Raymond A. Spruance would later comment, The Tinian operation was probably the most brilliantly conceived and executed operation in World War II.

Fifty-nine years later, elements of the armed forces of different countries were once again on Tinian, this time with new concepts, a different mission and a battle scheme that would integrate elements of the Navy, Air Force, Army and Marines into a cohesive fighting force during one of the largest exercises in the Western Pacific.

More than 8,000 personnel participated in Exercise Tandem Thrust 03, a U.S. Pacific Command-sponsored biennial exercise designed to test the 7th Fleet commander's staff's ability to effectively plan and execute crisis contingency response operations as a joint task force commander. Although service members from the United States were the primary participants, forces from Australia and Canada also took part in the nearly three-week exercise, which ran from April 14 - May 5.

According to Vice Adm. Robert F. Willard, commander of 7th Fleet, and the commander of the joint task force that led the exercise, Tandem Thrust epitomizes the direction in which defensive strategies, warfighting capabilities and military operations are headed.

I think Tandem Thrust was very, very successful, Willard said. Very basically, we don't operate in the real world as just a naval force any longer. Virtually everything we do, and this is especially true of the [forward deployed naval forces], is either joint, with other services involved, or combined, with our allies. The tenets of joint warfare are also applied to combined warfare, and essentially we don't do anything else. That's the way we operate in the real world.

Tandem Thrust 03 has traditionally centered on U.S. forces working with other countries' militaries. This year's exercise, however, featured only a small number of Australian and Canadian personnel, particularly in maritime air patrol operations. According to Willard, with the exercise being held in the Marianas, the presence of foreign military participants was decreased.

The word Tandem comes from our joint, combined operations with the Australians, which is where the genesis of TT comes from, he said. Typically we don't have the same level of Australian participation when we're up here as opposed to when we're in the southern hemisphere. When we are down in the Australian environment, the Australian army, navy, air force and marines play in a very large way.

Fighting in a joint warfare environment is a new experience for Electronic Warfare Technician 1st Class (SW) Ted Szynski of the 7th Fleet information operations cell aboard the fleet's command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19). The Buffalo, N.Y., native was responsible for electronic warfare frequency coordination and spectrum management during the exercise, enabling all participating units to maximize training and maintain equipment readiness.

I learned a great deal about task group and task force organization, and how well all four branches of the armed forces can work as a team during joint operations, he said. When we are tasked with a joint operation from now on, I feel confident, from my part, we will be better prepared for any contingency, having completed this exercise.

Aerographer's Mate 2nd Class Christoper Blake, a forecaster serving aboard Blue Ridge, also said the exercise provided an invaluable look at the methods of conducting joint warfighting.

The area I was tasked with forecasting was much larger than anything I had previously done, the Shreveport, La., native said. (The area) also had to be discussed in greater detail, and I was tasked with reporting what impact weather could have on the mission. I learned how weather can really have a great impact on operations and planning. This exercise was the most challenging event that I have had to face since I've been a forecaster, but was a great learning and training experience that has surely prepared the staff for any future engagements or conflicts.

The first seven days of Tandem Thrust 03 were devoted to a command post exercise (CPX). The CPX involved a scripted scenario with component commanders being judged on their warfighting decisions.

The second phase, a field training exercise (FTX), had Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Army units conducting actual training operations on Tinian, Saipan and Guam. Some of the evolutions included a full-scale amphibious landing, strike bombing runs using live munitions, a medical/dental outreach program and a non-combatant evacuation operation.

Tandem Thrust 03 was a large-scale exercise, particularly for the maritime components, with 17 ships and submarines participating, including the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and the Essex Amphibious Ready Group. Among those participating naval forces, a new concept was initiated, the advent of the Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG), a theory from Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vern Clark's Seapower 21 model which integrated an Amphibious Ready Group with a cruiser, destroyer and submarine.

According to Amphibious Squadron 11 Tandem Thrust action officer, Lt. j.g. Matthew Shenkman, one of the challenges the ESG must face is getting people who have never worked together before, to understand what everyone else is bringing to the fight.

USS Essex (LHD 2), an amphibious assault ship forward deployed to Sasebo, Japan, served as the Expeditionary Strike Group command and control ship during the exercise.

The cruisers and destroyers might see (the ARG) as a strictly defensive platform, but AV-8B Harriers and AH-1 Cobras have offensive capabilities, Shenkman said. We are learning each other's strengths and limitations.

During another aspect of the exercise, Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), deployed from Essex, along with soldiers of the 25th Army Infantry Division conducted an airfield seizure.

The 25th ID played the enemy on Tinian who were defending the airfield, while Marines from the 31st MEU were inserted in the area via CH-53 Super Stallion helicopters to head up the assault. According to 31st MEU Company E Platoon Sergeant, Staff Sgt. Sau Moana, cooperation and communication between the Marine elements proved crucial to the mission's success.

It takes all parts of the MEU to conduct this operation, Moana said. The aviation combat element, ground combat element, command element and the support element all play a significant part.

During this portion of the exercise Marines swept the northern end of Tinian from east to west and then pushed south, suppressing any opposition forces. After the airfield was secure, a perimeter was set up.

The effort involved in protecting the airfield was a worthwhile training opportunity, according to Master Chief Constructionman Bob Evans, command master chief for Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 28, a reserve unit based at Barksdale AFB, in Shreveport, La.

In general, it was a great joint exercise. In the process of working together, we established a lot of friendships, he said.

Possibly the biggest lesson learned was in the tremendous amount of communication and interoperability between the combined elements that, and constant vigilance, knowing all of the details, especially in tracking our support.

From invading and protecting territory to pulling back out of it, other members of the 31st MEU along with Essex Sailors spearheaded a non-combatant evacuation operation at U.S. Naval Forces Marianas Support Activity, Guam.

A NEO trains servicemembers in evacuating U.S. citizens and others from one country to a friendly territory whenever the U.S. State Department believes the lives of its citizens are threatened.

The MEU was the main body of the ground combat element for the NEO, according to 31st MEU spokesman Marine Capt. Neil A. Peterson. The NEO, he said, also provided the MEU the opportunity to visualize an operation as it would really occur.

The way we run a mock NEO is exactly the way it would be run in a real-world situation, he said. Performing scenarios such as this is what makes the 31st MEU a special operations capable unit.

The NEO breaks down into several elements. The battalion landing searched for any non-combatant U.S. citizens and escorted them to the processing station. Once there, other Marines searched them and began the in-processing paperwork. Corpsmen were also on hand, setting up medical stations to treat simulated injuries or disease.

Three of the MEU's CH-53 Super Stallion helicopters were also used to transport evacuees from the field to Essex or the local airport.

While most Tandem Thrust exercises involved warfighting scenarios, another aspect of the exercise involved a more humanitarian approach. A team of about twenty medical personnel from all branches took part in a medical civilian aid program at the Tinian Health Clinic. According to the program's manager, Lt. Jonathan Forsburg, a doctor assigned to the 31st MEU, this portion of the exercise serves two purposes.

We're training the clinic personnel to be more capable and more self-sufficient, Forsburg said. Although we'll have a limited impact in the direct patient care that we provide, the long-term benefit will be training of their personnel.

Forsburg also said that aside from the care they would provide Tinian residents, the training for military personnel involved in the medical outreach program would prove invaluable in the future.

It's also important, from a military perspective, that (U.S. military participants) have the experience of conducting a medical civil action program -- they're going to be the leaders for some other programs in Indonesia, East Timor and other places, he said.

Aside from basic medical treatment, the medical professionals -- four physicians, a dentist and two hygenists, an obstetrics/gynecological professional and supporting servicemembers -- also provided training in CPR, conducted dental cleanings and, on a case-by-case basis, more specialized medical treatment.

Willard said, overall, Tandem Thrust 03 was a well-orchestrated exercise due in no small part to the training location.

(The Marianas) offers a unique littoral environment - an archipelago - to work the joint force in, and when you look around the West Pac I think it's a realistic environment, he said. Especially for the Navy/Marine Corps components of the JTF.

The government of the Marianas is very accommodating to our presence here. They've been not only cooperative but gracious hosts for the entire TT laydown of forces. For that reason alone, I'd be encouraged to come back and continue to train here.