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NPC Supports HURREX-06

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS060503-10
Release Date: 5/3/2006 7:00:00 PM

By Journalist 3rd Class Trevor Andersen, Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs

MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) -- Navy Personnel Command (NPC) is supporting U.S. Fleet Forces Command (FFC) in the Navywide exercise HURREX-06 to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season.

During HURREX-06, approximately 190,000 people, both military and civilian, must be accounted for. NPC is handling the required personnel accountability aspects, mostly via online means.

“This is a standard drill like anyone might run at sea, just on a much larger scope,” said Capt. Gregory S. Parker, head of enlisted submarine and nuclear power assignments at NPC. "It is designed to exercise our shore- and sea-based commands’ ability to conduct a complete and thorough muster and account for them in the BOL (BUPERS-Online) muster system.

HURREX-06 started April 24, with simulated hurricanes affecting the coastline from Texas to Maine. Other regions will have similar exercises, depending on the type of disaster common to the area.

At the end of the first week of the exercise, with three days of actual mustering, the process is about 65 percent complete, said Parker. “And this is a daytime-only exercise. Everything is done during working hours.”

NPC's role in the exercise is complex and vital, according to Parker.

"Accountability of our Navy family is vital, and our use of BOL and exercising the process evolved from lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina,” Parker said.

“[Accountability is] pretty simple for the active-duty Sailors; not so simple when you’re talking about civil service workers, non-appropriated funds workers or selected reservists," said Parker.

“There are other databases we have to draw from to get that data. We use BUPERS-Online and we set the system up to where we have all of these folks loaded into an IT system,” he explained.

After a disaster strikes, individual commands can log on to BUPERS Online and turn in their muster reports there, he said. That is, unless the disaster leaves the command without electricity. If that happens, said Parker, the command should call the Emergency Coordination Center at 1-877-414-5358 to turn in their reports.

HURREX is not new, and other exercises like it have been conducted before. “This is the second exercise since Katrina, and each time it’s gotten smoother,” said Ellen Williams, team leader at NPC Customer Service Center.

Williams speaks for a group of call agents who found themselves playing vital roles during Katrina. She and fellow agents provide Sailors and Navy families a one-stop center for questions on hundreds of topics. The Customer Service Center does double duty as the Emergency Coordination Center during crises.

Call agents say that policy during natural disasters now is largely based on what they experienced during hurricane season last year. “It’s the result of lessons learned during Katrina,” said Lt. Bruce Haynes, NPC Customer Service Center project manager.

Disaster exercises over the years have centered around keeping the Customer Service agents as organized as possible during chaotic times and providing them with information to address the types of questions they’ll receive.

A full listing of commands affected by the exercise is located at www.npc.navy.mil.

For impacted units, command representatives should call 1-877-414-5358 to muster personnel during the exercise if they are unable to muster via BUPERS Online.