Navy Establishes Expeditionary Combat Readiness Center
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS061013-05
Release Date: 10/14/2006 4:00:00 AM
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW/AW) Elizabeth Enockson, Fleet Public Affairs Center Atlantic
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- The Expeditionary Combat Readiness Center (ECRC) was officially established in a ceremony at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Oct. 10.
During the ceremony, Capt. Kenneth G. Rigoulot changed command with Capt. Jeffery L. McKenzie, whom as the first active commanding officer stood up the command.
“We had two reserve captains that helped bring the command up from an idea to a functioning unit,” McKenzie said. “They did an incredible job using their knowledge of being in theatre and reserve forces to help mobilize the command. ECRC really is a team effort.”
The mission of ECRC is deployment and support of all Navy individual augmentees (IA), in lieu of individuals, and provisional units.
“To date, more than 46,000 Sailors have deployed as IAs who have been transferred from their normal jobs to support joint service requirements,” said Commander, Naval Expeditionary Combat Command, Rear Adm. Donald K. Bullard.
“ECRC stood up to be the single process owner for oversight of the man, train, equip, deploy and re-deploy functions for these Sailors. It also recognizes the Navy’s capacity to adapt Sailors’ core competencies to non-traditional mission areas or retain Sailors to emerging mission areas in order to maximize our contribution to the war on terrorism,” said Bullard.
Sailors working for ECRC in non-traditional jobs are not only playing an important role in the war on terrorism, they are also working closely with other branches of the military.
“We are retraining these individuals to augment specific non-traditional Navy roles in theatre,” said McKenzie. “They help support of our sister services by embedding with army units or joint units in Afghanistan or Iraq. Some of our provisional reconstruction teams (PRT) are going to Afghanistan to help the government build up and create the infrastructure and services they need to operate the country. Our PRTs are made up of Navy personnel and army personnel, and they come together as a joint unit to go out and train.”
The IAs, in lieu of individuals and provisional units, are all watched closely by their parent command ECRC to ensure that each Sailor receives the proper training and support they need to operate in their non-traditional role.
“These individuals are brought together in the States where they’re built up as a unit. They’re given the required training, including civil affairs, so they can be a catalyst when they go into a country to bring up the host nation's government and armed forces to take over those roles,” said McKenzie.
While ECRC supports Sailors in their non-traditional jobs, the command mission also involves taking care of the Sailors' families.
“There are two very important functions for this command - communication to those individuals, those Sailors, that are going to these different missions, and communicating to the families of those individuals. So they know that we are going to be taking care of those folks and that they are able to talk to us and get the information that they need,” said Rigoulot.
In January the Navy created the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, bringing EOD, Naval Coastal Warfare, Riverine forces, Combat Camera Atlantic, the Expeditionary Combat Readiness Center, Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support functions and the Seabees under one umbrella. NECC integrates all warfighting requirements for expeditionary combat and combat support elements. This transformation allows for standardized training, manning and equipping of Sailors who will participate in the maritime security operations and the Global War on Terrorism as part of the joint force.
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