Navy Cargo Handling Battalion ONE Does the "Heavy" Lifting at Joint Task Force - Port Opening Exercise

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (NNS) -- Navy Cargo Handling Battalion ONE (NCHB-1) supported a Joint Task Force - Port Opening Exercise (JTF-PO) held Feb. 18-22, at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown-Cheatham Annex. The exercise simulated a humanitarian assistance disaster relief (HA/DR) event classified as "heavy" - meaning the affected area did not have a functional seaport or qualified cargo handling support.

U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) led the JTF-PO exercise. The scenario was a request for HA/DR due to a massive earthquake. The goal of JTF-PO is the rapid expeditionary opening of a port to start desperately needed supplies flowing - with the host nation, contractors, or other military support ultimately sustaining operations.

USTRANSCOM requested Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group's (NAVELSG) assistance in Seaport of Debarkation (SPOD) operations, due to lack of contracting availability written into the scenario. Participants also included the U.S. Army 833rd Transportation Battalion and U.S. Army 690th Rapid Port Opening Element (RPOE), both from Fort Eustis, Va.; Military Sealift Command, Expeditionary Port Unit 113 from Fort Worth, Texas; and U.S. Navy Underwater Construction Team 1, from Little Creek, Va.

"This is a great fit for NCHB-1's capabilities," said Rear Adm. Mark J. Belton, Commander, NAVELSG. "They are our active duty, on-deck battalion and always ready to go - anytime, anywhere."

Just like in a real event, a Joint Assessment Team (JAT) conducted an initial port and infrastructure assessment and made recommendations for what was needed to complete the mission. The target was to have the port opened and functioning within 36 hours of the JAT's positive assessment.

Once the main body of personnel arrived, port operations began. NCHB-1 is capable of offloading one ship in 24 hours, and 515 containers in 72 hours. For the exercise, they offloaded 40 shipping containers from SS Cornhusker State (T-ACS-6). The containers were transported to a forward node/marshalling yard area via approved routes.

Each container was affixed with a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag - a wireless system used to automatically identify and track material. This In-Transit Visibility (ITV) was monitored throughout from pier to delivery.

"Personnel from many organizations diligently coordinated for years to make this happen," said Cmdr. Joseph Davis, commanding officer, NCHB-1. "It was great to see these efforts finally pay-off and come to fruition. All the units that participated in JTF-PO are first responders for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts. It is incredibly important to do the training and planning up-front to develop these organizational relationships, joint efficiencies and command and control. It's the right thing to do both operationally and financially."

The exercise gave all participating units the opportunity to perform their core missions as one joint unit, and experience the integration and interoperability inherent in such a mission.

"This Field Training Exercise (FTX) marked the culmination of a lengthy collaboration process between USTRANSCOM, Fleet Forces Command and their subordinate or component commands," said Lt. Col. Daniel J. Cordes, U.S. Air Force, USTRANSCOM, JTF-Port Opening/JLOTS Branch Chief. "The FTX was designed as a 'proof of concept' for Joint Task Force-Port Opening Seaport of Debarkation (Heavy). Based on the training team observations and after-action reports from this event, the concept of operations will be revised to reflect lessons learned, and the mission will be submitted for certification approval, with a target date of June 1, 2013."

NCHB-1 is the only active duty battalion with NAVELSG. NAVELSG delivers expeditionary logistics capabilities with mobilization-ready Navy Reserve Forces and active duty Sailors. They provide a wide range of supply and transportation functions critical for peacekeeping, crisis response, humanitarian assistance, and combat service support missions.

NAVELSG is component of Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC), a global force provider of adaptive force packages of expeditionary capabilities to joint war fighting commanders.

For more news from Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group, visit www.navy.mil/local/nelsf/.