In the face of the coronavirus (COVID-19), Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) Yokosuka, stepped up to the rapidly changing environment and continues onward with its mission to support the U.S. 7th Fleet.

Spread out over eight different sites, the command, has varying types of work with one collective goal—to defeat COVID-19.

“From the start, I made it clear to all that the only way to get this virus behind us is to engage in collective mitigation,” said Capt. Frank Nevarez, NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka commanding officer. “Immediately, we started to avoid handshakes; use social distancing; carried out sanitization operations; and it didn’t end there. We came up with teleworking plans and examined how to maintain our operations under these new conditions. It wasn’t easy, but this workforce exceeded all expectations.”

NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka Site Okinawa is a good example. The site reports that amid strenuous COVID-19 restrictions, its Logistics Support Representatives manage to perform seamlessly. Their modified operational environment sustains the full support and services to the America Amphibious Ready Group, including trash support, hazardous material management, food provisions support, postal services and Advanced Traceability and Control assistance. During the first half of April, with a large portion of the team home teleworking to mitigate the COVID-19 spread, over 300 pallets of goods were processed in support of visiting units.

Despite its remote location, NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka Site Diego Garcia has been able to adapt to the rapidly changing environment, too. The site’s post office preserved normal working hours during COVID-19 containment measures, having its postal workers on a 50/50 schedule. Outfitted with gloves and masks, half of all personnel on site reports to the post office every morning to assist short-handed postal workers with mail sorting. When complete, the postal workers take over and place mail into designated bags. Customers are allowed to enter the post office one at a time to receive their mail by the clerk. Once the customer exits, the next customer enters while maintaining social distancing.

A prime example of NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka flexing to support during COVID-19 was with USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), spearheaded by NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka Site Marianas. With short notice, the team prepared for a ship containing COVID-19 positive Sailors. They were responsible for securing all services needed within 48 hours. Under these conditions, their mission was vital to getting the crew healthy and back out to sea, while at the same time supporting the base population and local community. To accomplish this, they organized teams called  “Task Force Revive,” that concentrated solely on Theodore Roosevelt’s crew, and “Task Force Defeat” to support operations onboard Naval Base Guam.

“Our nation depends on us to get Theodore Roosevelt’s crew recovered and back to sea,” said Lt. Cmdr. Andrew Foursha, NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka Site Marianas director. “We understand the importance of this mission and this is the best team for the job.”

According to NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka leadership, the command continues to perform its mission despite COVID-19 restrictions due to the flexibility of its foreign national workforce. Making up nearly 60 percent of the command’s personnel, foreign nationals mostly teleworked from their homes to prevent the spread of COVID-19. They had to enact creative work schedules to limit exposure and use new devices to maintain a robust teleworking infrastructure. For many, these were done while caring for their children after local schools had closed down.

Success during these challenging times has contributed to the strong morale that permeates the FLC workforce, allowing the command to play a major role in COVID-19 recovery and ongoing mitigation efforts.

NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka is one of eight FLCs under Commander, NAVSUP. Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and employing a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 22,500 military and civilian personnel, NAVSUP's mission is to provide supplies, services and quality-of-life support to the Navy and joint warfighter.

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