NAVSUP liaison officer lends expertise to support BALTOPS23

ByJosephYanik Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Sigonella

During Baltic Operations 2023 (BALTOPS23),acoalitionofliaisonofficers representingparticipatingnationsgathered attheexercise’scontrolhubatNavalStriking and Support Forces NATO’s (STRIKFORNATO)headquartersinOeiras Portugal to collaborate in planning a realistic training scenariothateffectivelytestedtheflexibility, adaptability,andcapabilitiesoftheirnations’ combinedforces.

Among the cadre of LOs was Lt Adam Thomas who represented Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Sigonella(NAVSUPFLCSI).Below,Thomas and several of his U.S. Navy and Marine Corps logistics colleagues discuss some of the highlights of their experience supporting the exercise’s logistics requirements They address, in particular, how logistics interoperabilitywithanotherNATOnation contributedtoachievingtheexerciseobjectiveofstrengtheningthecombinedresponse capabilitycriticaltopreservingthefreedom ofnavigationandsecurityintheBalticSea

Why were you the ideal candidate to deployasLOtoSTRIKFORNATO?

Thomas: Because I am assigned to NAVSUP FLCSI’s operational site at Naval Station Rota, Spain, I am geographically closetoPortugal Beyondthat,Ihaveawillingness to learn how NATO does business and am open to the different ideas that our diversesetofalliesbringtothetableinorder to Get Real Get Better I also bring exercise experience from having been LO during BALTOPS22.

Describehowyousupportedtheexercise asNAVSUPFLCSI’sLO?

Thomas: As NAVSUP FLCSI’s only LO deployed to support BALTOPS23, I provided organic exercise control support alongside a multinational logistics team with whom I had the opportunity to discuss, plan and develop future logistics evolutions in order to exercise collective logistics Throughparticipatingintheexercise, our command strengthened alliance tiesinareasofconceptdevelopment,exercise planning and execution.

I also helped to augment STRIKFORNATO’s Assistant Chief of Staff J4 as he performed his role as the Multinational Maritime Force’s (MNMF’s) Force LogisticsCoordinator(FLC)duringtheexercise

The FLC was the Force’s senior maritime logistics officer and was responsible to Commander STRIKFORNATO for the pro-active management and movement of logistics, provision of support services, replenishmentfromorganicsupportvessels and/or external sources and the maintenance of the MNMF at the highest state of logisticreadiness

Wherewereyoudeployedtosupportthe exerciseotherthantoSTRIKFORNATO HQ?

Thomas: In May, just prior to the beginning of the exercise, I was deployed to the Baltic Island of Bornholm, Denmark and helpedtoestablishaForwardLogisticsSite (FLS) alongside our Royal Danish Navy allies Together, we demonstrated multinational, complementary sustainment and support while concurrently assisting STRIKFORNATO’s evaluation and validation of Bornholm for future FLS deployments

U.S.MarineLt Col.TonyMcNair,STRIKFORNATODeputyJ4:Thesuccessfulestablishment of FLS Bornholm enabled the subsequentmaritimesustainmentandVLS reload,bothofwhichshowcasedSFN’sability to identify, integrate and leverage disparate national logistics capabilities sustain operations and tempo and keep forces in thefight.

Thomas: Through FLS Bornholm, NAVSUP FCLSI facilitated the receipt and embarkation of mission support materials from USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) onto the German sustainment ship Frankfurt Am Main, and assisted with in-exercise replenishment-as-sea (RAS) execution planning betweenthetwonations

What were some positive takeaways fromsuccessfullyexecutingtheRASand the cargo evolution between Paul IgnatiusandFrankfurtAmMain?

Lt IanPidduck,USSPaulIgnatiussupply officer: The proof-of-concept underway replenishment for cargo with Frankfurt AmMainwasanawesomedemonstrationof ourgrowinglogisticalintegrationcapability Continued success with this type of NATO replenishment will be a game changer for theater logistics and ultimately provide the afloat supply officer with more avenues to get more parts on board faster; ultimately increasing readiness and keeping critical weaponssystemsoperational

Thomas: These efforts expose our NATO allies to a sample of the capabilities of NAVSUP FLCSI and the MNMF Force LogisticsCoordinator,furtheringthepossibilityforfuturecollaborativelogisticsplanningandexecutionopportunitiesinsupport ofNATO’smissionobjectives TheseaccomplishmentscomeatacriticaltimeforNATO, NAVEUR-NAVAF/SIXTHFLTandSTRIKFORNATO as U.S. Navy assets are increasingly assigned to STRIKFORNATO task units,groupsandforcessupportingSupreme Allied Commander Europe’s directed Vigilance Activities without a proficient means of sustaining Class I and IX via alliance supplychains. DidotherNAVSUPFLCSIteamssupport BALTOPS23?

Thomas: In addition to this cargo evolution, NAVSUP FLCSI’s transportation and customs clearance teams based at Naval Station Rota, Spain, supported eight units deploying and redeploying more than 325,000poundsofequipmenttothreecountries Additionally these teams completed the required USDAO inspections cargo weighing and packaging, and booked CONUSbasedunit’sequipmentformilitary airtransport.

Most notably, these teams supported 41,000 pounds of NCHB-1 equipment to include weapons handling equipment, an inert SM-2 missile shape and 12,000pound all-terrain forklift deploying it to FLS Bornholm. There NCHB-1 successfullycompletedanexpeditionaryordnance reload of the Danish Frigate HDMS Peter Willemoes VLS tubes This was equally significantfortheRoyalDanishNavyasthey developtheirSM-2missileprogramandfor

NCHB-1 as they continue to exercise their capabilitiesacrosstheglobe

(Interview End)

Conducted from June 4-16, 2023, BALTOPS23 was the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa and U.S. Sixth Fleet (NAVEUR-NAVAF/SIXTHFLT)-led maritime exercise aimed to strengthen the combined response capability critical to preserving the freedom of navigation and securityintheBalticSea.

STRIKFORNATO, headquartered at Oeiras, Portugal, is a rapidly deployable and scalable headquarters, under the operational command of Supreme Allied Commander Europe STRIKFORNATO is capableofplanningandexecutingfullspectrum joint maritime operations including maritime ballistic missile defense, primarily through integration of U.S. and other nation’scarrierandamphibiousforcesinto NATO operations to provide assurance, deterrence, and collective defense for the Alliance HeadquarteredinNaples,Italy,NAVEURNAVAFoperatesU.S.navalforcesintheU.S. EuropeanCommand(USEUCOM)andU.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility SIXTHFLT is permanently assignedtoNAVEUR-NAVAF,andemploys maritime forces through the full spectrum ofjointandnavaloperations.

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

FLCSI provides a full range of solutions for logistics business and support services to the U.S. Naval, Joint, NATO and Allied Forcesacross14enduringandforwardoperating sites; forward contingency and cooperative security locations in 13 countries in EuropeandAfrica

Task Force 51/5 hosts Multilateral Maritime Engagement 23.2 in Bahrain

ByCapt JosephLeitner Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade

BAHRAIN

On June 25th and 26th, 100militaryleadersfromtenpartnercountries and several U.S. military branches met in Bahrain for the second iteration of the Task Force 51⁄5-led Multilateral Maritime Engagement. The Multilateral Maritime Engagement(MME)enhancesmultilateral partnershipsandmaritimemilitarycooperationthroughouttheregionwhilesupporting the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) securityconstructs

“The MME is about bringing partners together and enhancing the strong bonds that are already in place,” said Brig. Gen. Matthew S. Reid, Commanding General of Task Force 51⁄5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Task Force 51⁄5). “One of the best ways to remain ready to respond to a contingencyistolistentoandworkwithour partners,” said Reid “Understanding their security challenges and learning how we can best integrate with them during a crisis or contingency response especially one that occurs in an amphibious domain is important,”hesaid.“Allofthissupportsour efforts to ensure this region’s stability and security”.

Over the course of two days, conference participantshadaseriesofbriefsandbreakout sessions on air, ground and maritime operations,continuingdiscussionslastheld inJanuary ParticipantsalsotouredtheRoyal Fleet Auxiliary Ship Cardigan Bay (L3009), alanding-shipdockbelongingtotheUnited

Kingdom’s Royal Navy Participating countries included Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman,Qatar,SaudiArabia,theUnitedArab Emirates, France and the United Kingdom; participating U.S. armed forces elements includedleadersfromwithintheU.S.Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. Army CentralCommand’sTaskForceSpartan. ThisisthesecondtimeTaskForce51⁄5has ledtheMMEinBahrain.Futureiterationsof MME are planned, although dates have not yetbeensolidified

Task Force 51⁄5 is a Bahrain-based Joint Task Force-Capable (JTF-C) Headquarters that responds to crises and contingencies; coordinates, plans, and executes operations; conducts Theater Security Cooperation;andadvancesemergingNaval concepts at sea, from the sea, and ashore in supportofU.S.FifthFleetandMarineForces Central Command theater objectives Led by a Marine Corps Brigadier General, the command is comprised of a staff of Marine CorpsandNavyprofessionals TaskForce51⁄5 regularly conducts Theater Security Cooperation exercises with partner nations in coordinationwithU.S.NavalForcesCentral Command and U.S. Marine Corps Forces Central Command, on behalf of CENTCOM, in pursuit of National Defense Strategyobjectives.