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CNFK Supply Team Delivers During Foal Eagle 06

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS060409-01
Release Date: 4/9/2006 9:58:00 AM

By Journalist 1st Class David McKee, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea Public Affairs

SEOUL (NNS) -- Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea (CNFK) logistics team worked with the U.S. Army, Republic of Korea (ROK) navy and civilians making possible the annual combined and joint exercise, Reception, Staging, Onward-movement & Integration and Foal Eagle 2006 (RSOI/FOAL EAGLE 06) March 24-31.

The 50-member-strong team spread across locations throughout the Korean peninsula to coordinate, plan and arrange logistics support for 16 deploying units and more than 1,000 personnel serving on the peninsula.

"Logistics support in Korea requires careful advance preparation and coordination with many Korean and joint service organizations to ensure quality and on-time support," said Capt. Bob Little, supply officer for CNFK.

One of the largest components the team served included more than 450 personnel from five units of Naval Coastal Warfare (NCW) Group 1 from San Diego.

"The NCW deployment was particularly complex," said Lt. Sorchae Washburn, exercise logistics officer for CNFK.

The operation consisted of moving five units, 120 pieces of equipment, six boats and three tent cities with full life support packages from ports in California, Texas, and Washington state to the Shinsundae Pier in Busan and then to the ROK Navy Base in Chinhae to support the large-scale coastal warfare exercise.

"We coordinated closely with U.S. Pacific Command, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. Transportation Command, the local Surface Deployment and Distribution Command in Busan and the deploying units to arrange transport of the gear," said Washburn.

Cmdr. Tera Salo, harbor defense and port security plans officer for CNFK, said the myriad tasks that CNFK supply personnel performed made the exercise possible.

"Due to the tireless efforts and coordination with NCW of the logistics personnel behind the scenes, Foal Eagle was universally deemed a huge success for NCW forces and, most importantly, better prepared the units to support contingency operations if called upon in the future," Salo said.

To make an exercise this scale possible, the supply personnel from the three major Navy and Marine Corps commands on the peninsula took part along with reserve personnel. They not only provided necessary operational services, but saved money in the process and did so without mishaps.

Commander, Fleet Activities Chinhae (CFAC), located approximately 250 miles south of Seoul, contributed by negotiating contracts to provide trash and laundry service, vehicle rental, heavy equipment support and general supplies.

CNFK and CFAC supply personnel together offered gas masks, sleeping bags, 782 gear, rental vehicles, cell phones, heavy equipment and transportation for personnel operating throughout the Korean peninsula.

In addition, CFAC port operations group arranged support for 23 ships and submarines that pulled in to various ports located throughout the Korean peninsula, resulting in the delivery of 82,000 pounds of mail, repair parts and provisions.

CNFK Detachment Pohang, located approximately 220 miles to the southeast, housed and staffed 254 construction force personnel in expeditionary life support facilities.

Reserve personnel deployed to Pohang for the exercise manned the expeditionary galley and served more than 5,000 meals in a facility erected and outfitted in less than 48 hours, saving the government more than $200,000 in potential per diem costs.

In addition, Navy and Marine Corps logistics personnel in Pohang refueled and provided ordnance support to fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft of the 1st Marine Air Wing, Patrol Squadron 1 and Naval Special Warfare Unit 1 during the exercise. All fueling and ordnance evolutions were planned and were executed mishap-free.

The joint and combined efforts of the U.S. Army's 25th Transportation Battalion, a subordinate command of the 19th Sustainment Command Expeditionary and the U.S. Navy's ROK counterparts, played their own logistical role in the exercise helping CNFK.

"The logistics personnel proved their ability to support during these exercises and stand ready to support in the future. In the end, mission accomplishment is what matters, and robust and on-time logistical support makes it possible," Little said.

CNFK is the regional commander for the U.S. Navy in the Republic of Korea and provides leadership and expertise in naval matters to area military commanders, including the Commander for the United Nations Command, the Republic of Korea and U.S. Combined Forces Command, and Commander, U.S. Forces Korea. CNFK also serves as liaison to the Republic of Korea navy, the Combined Forces Commander staff in armistice and in wartime and to the Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet based in Yokosuka.