Military Sealift Command reservists vital in Seahawk 2000
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WASHINGTON (USTCNS) --- In a fictitious near future, a U.N. resolution calls for military personnel from the United States and Canada to deploy on an overseas peacekeeping mission.
Their mission is to ensure that humanitarian aid to the Mondo Islands be kept safe from attack by the militant Anti Neo-Liberal Block.
In the middle of the action sits a white van. Surprisingly small on the outside, it plays a huge role in the operation of a safe, overseas port. It is the Mobile Sealift Operations Center, or MSOC.
The above was a scenario for Exercise Seahawk 2000, a combined, joint exercise involving more than 750 active and reserve military personnel from 30 units representing the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Canadian Army, Canadian Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the U.S. Civil Air Patrol. The exercise occurred Aug. 9-13 at Indian Island Naval Maga-zine, Port Hadlock, Wash.
Military Sealift Command Office Naval Reserve Detachment 122 of Tacoma, Wash., played a pivotal role in Seahawk 2000. The detachment established the MSOC, which serves as a link between civilian merchant ships and the local military commander.
"Our primary concern is getting the beans and bullets off of the Navy contracted ships and to the guys that need it most - the troops in the field," said Navy Lt. Ed Wilson a Seattle reservist with MSCO Detachment 122.
In this training exercise, the MSOC established a command office in the fictitious Mondo Islands. The operations center interfaced with the coastal warfare units in the region, ensuring that all MSC ships were protected during cargo operations. The MSOC also oversaw a joint-logistics-over-the-shore operation that was part of the overall Seahawk exercise.
The JLOTS operation required coordination between the Army's 385th Transportation Battalion - a reserve unit out of Tacoma - and a Military Sealift Command ammunition ship - USNS Shasta.
In the successful JLOTS exercise, an Army barge crane was used to off-load several military vehicles from USNS Shasta and load them on Army Logistics Support Vessel Gen. Brehon B. Sommervell which transported the vehicles ashore.
The MSC operations center served as the nerve center for MSC functions in the region. The center's responsibilities varied from ensuring trash was collected at the pier to determining which ship was next in line to unload cargo. They also worked with the established Har-bor Defense Command to make sure all ships were protected in the area.
Effective communication with all the various ship and shore units was key to maintaining smooth port operations. Radio provided communications capabilities over the horizon, enabling the MSOC to communicate with regional ship traffic.
"The van also contains satellite links that enable us to have a worldwide reach," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Donta Harper, USNR, a reservist out of Tacoma. "Good communication is an important ability in being forward deployed."
The main satellite link consisted of an International Maritime Satellite, or INMARSAT, antenna that provided a phone and fax link through a system of four prepositioned satellites giving the reservists worldwide access. Along with INMARSAT, the MSOC had a television link giving the reservists access to worldwide satellite news services.
"Seahawk 2000 provided important training to the reservists who could actually find themselves overseas operating the MSOC in the field," said Petty Officer 1st Class Richard Myrick, USN, an active duty trainer from Military Sealift Command Pacific in San Diego. (FROM MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).
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