FISC Jacksonville Provides Logistics Support for UNITAS Gold 2009
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS090524-01
Release Date: 5/24/2009 7:32:00 AM
By Kari Hansen, Fleet and Industrial Supply Centers Public Affairs
JACKSONVILLE (NNS) -- Fleet and Industrial Supply Center (FISC) Jacksonville provided logistics support for 25 ships, four submarines, 50 aircraft, and more than 6,500 Sailors from 11 countries during the 50th iteration of the UNITAS Gold exercise held April 17th through May 4th in Mayport, Fla.
UNITAS is the longest-running annual multinational exercise in the world. It gives the United States, partner nations, and Latin American countries the opportunity to train together in a realistic tactical environment. The training included live-fire exercises, undersea warfare, shipboard operations, maritime interdiction operations, air defense and surface warfare, amphibious operations, electronic warfare, and special warfare. The exercise allows DoD personnel including Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen the opportunity to train side-by-side with Latin American navies in a high-tech environment using state-of-the-art equipment.
This year's UNITAS exercise was hosted for the first time by the United States at Naval Station Mayport by Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (NAVSO).
"The herculean effort required meticulous planning and an extraordinary effort from FISC Jacksonville's Mayport Logistics Support Center (LSC) and Fuel and Contracting departments to provide numerous logistics services," said Capt. Karl Rau, FISC Jacksonville commanding officer. "It was an extensive effort, which required long working days and sound cooperation between Naval Forces Southern Command, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast and Naval Station Mayport Harbor Operations."
FISC Jacksonville's Mayport LSC, augmented by Navy Reserve Unit 108, provided assistance with the receipt and delivery of more than 200 spare and repair parts, mail and vehicle staging. The LSC also coordinated the on load of stores and provided several other logistics support services including disposing of garbage, sewage, bilge water, hazardous material and hazardous waste. The LSC also delivered food, provided ground vehicle support and escorted foreign husbanding agents around the NS Mayport area.
The FISC Jacksonville Fuel Department safely and efficiently issued more than 1.5 million gallons of fuel to 14 vessels of the various navies involved in the exercise.
The Contracting Department processed seven actions totaling $76,500 on behalf of SOUTHCOM and NAVSO to provide lodging, memorabilia and banquet support for exercise participants.
In conjunction with the FISC Jacksonville Detachment Southeast Regional Maintenance Center Priority Material Office, the Contracting Department expedited 10 Casualty Report requisitions for the UNITAS Gold 2009 flagship, USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19).
Running concurrently with the UNITAS Gold Exercise, the 2009 Partnership of the Americas (POA) exercise was executed at Camp Blanding, Fla. The POA is an annual U.S. exercise focused on amphibious operations, non-combatant evacuation operations, peacekeeping and disaster relief.
The combined exercises allow Navy and Marine Corps participants to synergize interoperability in order to maintain maritime partnerships.
FISC Jacksonville's support of the POA exercise included myriad contracting actions to provide life support services for the joint land force at Camp Blanding. The Contracting Department awarded a $246,000 contract for field galley services for more than 700 U.S. Marines, the Canadian army and a host of international forces. The command's Small Acquisition and Purchases Office at NS Mayport awarded five contracts totaling $33,500 for life support services, vehicles and copier rental contracts for the ground forces.
"The opportunity to host the UNITAS and POA exercises in Navy Region Southeast allowed [us] to support U.S. Marine Corps and international ground forces," said Cmdr. Richard Paquette, FISC Jacksonville Regional Contracts director. "Our workforce is quite accustomed to supporting fleet units, but had to learn some new ways of doing business to acquire the life support required by the 24th Marine Regiment, Canadian army and other South American ground forces at Camp Blanding."
"The chance to work with joint and allied forces tracks very well with the growing role of FISC Jacksonville in operational support and fleet alignment [initiatives]," Paquette said.
The UNITAS Gold 2009 exercise supported the U.S. maritime strategy by bringing partner nations' navies together to promote interoperability, coalition building and multilateral security cooperation between participating nations.
"Effective coordination and communication and the dedication of FISC Jacksonville personnel and other U.S. naval forces enabled the participating navies to receive sustained support," Rau said.
Commander, Fleet and Industrial Supply Centers provides an array of integrated global logistics and contracting services to Navy and joint operational units across all warfare enterprises.
COMFISCS is responsible for facilitating best business practices and efficiencies across the seven FISCs located in San Diego, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Yokosuka, Pearl Harbor, Bremerton (Puget Sound),and Sigonella for optimizing the performance of base supply functions and standardizing levels of service across 13 regions and 79 Navy installations.
COMFISCS comprises more than 7,500 military and civilian logistics professionals operating as a single cohesive team providing global logistics services from nearly 135 locations worldwide.
A component of the Naval Supply Systems Command, headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pa., COMFISCS is part of a worldwide logistics network of more than 25,000 military and civilian personnel providing combat capability through logistics.
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