NAPLES, ITALY (USTCNS) --- One by one, giant cargo ships-carrying everything from M1-A1 Abrams tanks to bandages to a mobile fleet hospital-arrive at ports throughout Europe. Their mission: off-load combat and other vital equipment and supplies needed to respond to a major crisis, whether its war or a humanitarian disaster.

More than 70 naval reservists, along with active duty and civilian staff from U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command, Europe, are staged at ports throughout Europe practicing just that scenario.

"Our mission is to get the equipment and supplies in theater as quickly and efficiently as possible,"said exercise director Capt. Franklin Ervin, USNR, of Military Sealift Command Reserve Unit 101, Quincy, Mass., from his headquarters office in Naples, Italy.

The exercise scenario focuses on a civil unrest in part of Europe, leading to a possible cross-border conflict. The countries' infrastructure has been shattered and economies left in tatters.

A NATO multi-national peacekeeping force, including American troops, are heading to the area. Adding another dimension, the exercise involves a humanitarian crisis where the joint Army and Navy team practices a massive sealift response to a devastating earthquake.

Port teams are working at Bremerhaven, Germany, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Rota, Spain, Livorno and Naples, Italy, Izmir, Turkey, and Thessaloniki, Greece. These teams manage operations of government-owned and operated cargo ships, charter commercial cargo ships, work with commercial port authorities, and work with the U.S. Army's Military Traffic Management Command, to complete port assessments and safely load and unload ships.

"This exercise integrates reservists and active duty personnel which not only enhances our ability to move cargo, but also provides hands-on training if we have to respond to an actual crisis," said MSC Europe operations director Cdr. Pete Lewis, USN. Unified Charger 2000 is the seventh annual exercise in this series.

Unified Charger 2000 simulates a wide variety of contingency situations, all of which is very valuable training, according to Ervin, a technical director for Ingalls Shipbuilding in the private sector. MSC reservists had the opportunity to put their skills to the test last summer when MSC ships moved most of the cargo for the U.S. Army's deployment into Kosovo. MSC reservists served at 10 ports throughout Europe and served as the Navy's primary "movers" into that troubled area.

Many reservists also bring specialized skills as merchant mariners. Lt. John O'Donnell, USNR, serving with the Crisis Action Team for the exercise, sails aboard commercial cargo vessels in his civilian job.

The Congressionally mandated Defense Mobility Requirements Study released after the Gulf War called for an additional five million square feet of space for military hardware aboard Navy cargo ships. In short, increase our military's capability to expedite the flow of combat equipment to distant shores by sea. Unified Charger 2000 ensures the Navy is ready to carry out that mission. (FROM MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND-EUROPE, PUBLIC AFFAIRS).