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Sailors Excel in Joint Logistics Exercise

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS090622-04
Release Date: 6/22/2009 2:32:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Katrina Parker, Navy Public Affairs Support Element East

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (NNS) -- U.S. naval amphibious units conducted operations in support of the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) exercise at Camp Lejeune June 15-20.

The JLOTS exercise is a test of the military's ability to move equipment and sustainment supplies to specific areas without the benefit of a fixed port facility.

The exercise, involving Army, Navy and Air Force, increases interoperability and improves military readiness by alleviating situational sustainment issues.

Several Navy commands played a vital role in the exercise by providing sea and shore support to Army counterparts. Naval Beach Group (NBG) 2, Beach Master's Unit (BMU) 2, Assault Craft Unit(ACU) 2, Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) 2, all stationed out of Virginia Beach, Va., and ACB 1, stationed out of San Diego, Calif., worked together during the exercise.

"When a Navy ship deploys, it carries all of its initial sustainment with it," said NBG 2 Commodore Capt. Clayton Saunders. "However, when the Army and the Marines deploy and go ashore, that sustainment has to come over the water to them. So that sustainment is either going to go to them through a port, where a ship pulls in, or if there is no port available, it has to come over a bare beach."

BMU 2's primary mission with JLOTS was to provide security and control traffic on the beach. These tasks were a major part of safety and operational effectiveness. Inadequate traffic control could directly impact the success of the logistics operation.

"That's what we are here for; to control the traffic on the beach, to get the equipment off-loaded and on-loaded safely as the need arises," said BMU 2 Beach Party Team 6 Commander, Chief Warrant Officer David Miller. "We are the only entity that exists in the armed forces that does beach control."

"Beach masters are very relevant to this exercise," said Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class Greg Whiteside, a BMU 2 Sailor. "We are on the beach, landing the crafts, loading the cargo and rolling stock rolls right across our operating area."

Sailors from ACB 1 and 2 contributed to the shore side of the JLOTS exercise.

ACBs' mission is to take combat equipment off Military Sealift Command (MSC) ships, bring the equipment safely to the beach and turn it over to units on the ground.

During JLOTS, ACB units used a variety of water crafts to simulate a similar mission. These Sailors also provided camp support for more than 1,200 residents participating in the exercise.

"A typical day out here is much like being deployed overseas," said Master Chief Operations Specialist John Fedor from ACB 2. "We have a lot of hard working Sailors and Soldiers out here that put in 15 to 20 hour days. It is really dynamic when you bring together all the different services. Everybody has a different way of doing things, yet we all come together and in the end the mission gets done."

Fedor said having an exercise of such a large scale is a rare opportunity and needs to be taken advantage of.

A unique aspect of JLOTS included combining active duty Sailors with their reserve counterparts. According to Miller, the integration was smooth.

"The reserve team out here has done a phenomenal job," Miller said. "They left their civilian jobs, packed up, got all their gear together, drove down to North Carolina and hit the beach ready to operate the next day."

Since JLOTS lasted longer than the two-week training requirement for reservists, the number of attached reserve Sailors fluctuated throughout the exercise. The reservists integrated with both boat units and camp support units.

Working alongside Soldiers is another distinctive facet of JLOTS. Many Sailors said they have found the joint environment to be very beneficial to the overall mission.

"Working with the Army has been fantastic," Miller said. "One of the things I have been extremely impressed with is the capability of the Army. They have done a splendid job getting the boats in and out, following directions, and operating independently."

In a real sustainment situation, Sailors and Soldiers will be operating together to enhance military logistics. A joint training environment is increasingly critical for future missions.

"So far we have been working with the Army, using their craft and routing them on and off the beach in an orderly process," Whiteside said. "It is important that we have this opportunity to see what each branch is doing and to cross-train during this exercise."

"We have had the opportunities to learn a bit more about the capabilities of the Army and our own abilities in this joint environment," said Boatswain's Mate 1st Class (SW/AW) Joni Custer, a craftmaster assigned to ACB 2. "I learned about the ability of the Navy and Army working together to perform a mission, offload the maritime ships and provide support to the combat troops ashore."