U.S. Navy showcases operational readiness, flexibility in exercise with Israel

ByNAVCENTPublicAffairs

U.S.NavalForcesCentralCommand/ U.S.5thFleet

MEDITERRANEAN SEA U.S. naval forcesparticipatedinthelargest-everbilateralexercisebetweentheUnitedStatesand Israellastweek,whichculminatedinavisit to aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN77)onJan.26byseniormilitaryleadersfrombothnations.

During exercise Juniper Oak 23-2, the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group operated in the Mediterranean Sea in support of U.S. 5th Fleet while still under theoperationalcontrolofU.S.6thFleet The command-and-controlsetupdemonstrated theinherentflexibilityofU.S.navalforcesto simultaneously support operations in two regions EuropeandtheMiddleEast.

“I’m proud of the effort from our team to support Juniper Oak, which showcased a high level of dedication, professionalism and readiness from our Sailors alongside our Israeli partners,” said Rear Adm. Dennis Velez, the strike group commander.

“The command-and-control arrangement in Juniper Oak also highlighted the flexibilityU.S.Navycarrierstrikegroupshaveto operate across multiple theaters of operation,andreflectsthevaluetheNavyprovides to national security and regional stability anywhereintheworld.”

The strike group coordinated complex, combined military operations with Israel on land, in the air and at sea, involving all elements of the team. Guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG 103) partici- patedinalive-firedrillinadditiontoalargescale strike with air assets from Carrier Air Wing(CVW)7. Aircraft from CVW-7 involved in the strike exercise included 16 F/A-18 Super Hornets four E/A-18G Growlers and two E-2DHawkeyes FourGBU-16laser-guided bombswereexpendedontrainingtargets.

Additionally,strikegroupshipsalsosailed informationwithIsraelivesselsintheEastern Mediterranean. Participating ships includedGeorgeH.W.Bush,Truxtun,guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55), guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 94), and Israeli Navy Sa’ar corvettes INS Hanit, INS Eliat, INS Oz, and INS Tarshis and Israeli military leaders flew out to George H.W. Bush to meet and discuss the results of the exercise as well as observe carrierflightoperations.

The Israeli Navy submarine INS Dolphin alsojoined. During Juniper Oak’s final day, top U.S.

“JuniperOakhasraisedourlevelofplanning and our level of implementation of combined operations,” said Israeli Lt Gen. Hertzi Halevi, chief of the general staff for Israel Defense Forces “It is always good to have our best partner here with us to learnfromeachother Thisinteroperability strengthensourabilitytocopewitharange ofsecuritychallengesoverthearea.”

TheU.S.5thFleetoperatingareaincludes 21countries,theArabianGulf,GulfofOman RedSea,partsoftheIndianOceanandthree criticalchokepointsattheStraitofHormuz, Babal-MandebandSuezCanal

NAVSUP FLC Bahrain detachment enhances border crossing efficiency on the Arabian Peninsula

FromNAVSUPFLCBahrain

MUSCAT,Oman NavalSupplySystems Command(NAVSUP)FleetLogisticsCenter (FLC) Bahrain provides boots-on ground mission critical contracting and logistic support throughout the 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility (AOR). NAVSUP FLC Bahrain detachment Oman based at the U.S. Embassy Muscat, assists in supporting operationalreadinesstoourmaritimepartners which consists of line-haul trucking throughout the Arabian Peninsula to meet unitrequirements.

Withthedetachmentprovidingfull-spectrumlogisticssupporttoallU.SNavalactivity within the Sultanate of Oman, NAVSUP

FLC Bahrain understands the importance that border crossings have on mission success, prompting the detachment to conduct a visit to Oman’s border crossings with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) from 12-13 December Day one centered on the United Arab Emirates crossing which is vital for maritime forces as nearly all food and subsistence items are sourced from the United ArabEmiratesanddeliveredtotacticalunits within Oman. Eight hundred trucks transit this border per day and small oversights in a complex customs process can result in lengthy delays and missed Required Delivery Dates. FLC Bahrain detachment Oman plays a vital role in processing the import customs and meeting all lead times This requires logisticians throughout the AOR to coordinate with multiple stakeholders to render the high-caliber support that is consistentlydeliveredtoallactivities

The second day brought the detachment to Oman’s border with Kingdom of Saudi

ArabiawhichprocessedDoDcargothroughout2022.ThemeetingwithOmaniofficials andtouroftheborderfacilitiesprovedvital toformulateanunderstandingoftheimplications and differences of importing materielfromanationotherthantheUnitedArab Emirates These differences infuse additional complexity into planning timelines and highlight the importance that logisticians play in this incredibly strategic and dynamicAOR.Theessentialityofmaintaining awareness of policy changes cannot be overlooked and it is incumbent upon FLC BahraindetOmantoensurethisoccurs

The two-day visit played a critical role in supporting maritime logistics in the AOR and highlighted the effect that ground transportation has throughout the Arabian Peninsula. With the volume of sustainment providedbytrucking,itisessentialtomaintain awareness and acumen of the customs and border processes Meeting the officials fromvariousnationsassistedinmaintaining goodrelationswithmissionpartnerswhich helpsenableexcellentlogisticssupport

NAVSUP FLC Bahrain is one of eight FLCs under Commander, NAVSUP Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania,NAVSUPemploysadiverse,worldwide workforceofmorethan25,000militaryand civilian personnel. NAVSUP and the Navy Supply Corps conduct and enable supply chain, acquisition, operational logistics, Sailors, and family care activities with our mission partners to generate readiness and sustain naval forces worldwide to prevent anddecisivelywinwars

Learn more at www.navsup.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/navsup and https:// twitter.com/navsupsyscom.