JLOTS '06 highlights Army, Navy partnership

FORT STORY, VA. (USTCNS) --- The Hampton Roads area has been hit by a major hurricane severely damaging critical port facilities. The National Command Authority has directed Department of Defense and United States Transportation Command to commit personnel and equipment to the relief effort.

This was the exercise scenario for Joint Logistics Over-The-Shore (JLOTS) 2006, a multi-service cargo distribution exercise conducted at Fort Story, Va., June 11-24. Approximately 1,800 active and reserve military personnel from all of the services participated in this exercise with about 120 active, reserve and civilian personnel from the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC).

After a real-world weather delay from Tropical Storm Alberta, JLOTS ‘06 proceeded without any other interruptions.

This is the second year SDDC was tasked to provide the JLOTS joint task force commander responsible for overall command and control. Last year's exercise, also a humanitarian relief scenario, was conducted in Port Hadlock, Wash.

This year, Naval Beach Group (NBG) TWO provided the JLOTS commander. Additional Navy units included: NBG-ONE, Naval Coastal Warfare Squadron FOUR, and Navy Cargo Handling Battalions ONE and 14. Amphibious Construction Battalion ONE and TWO, subordinate commands of NBG-ONE and NBG-TWO, provided the majority of the Navy's personnel and command and control.

Logistics-Over-the-Shore (LOTS) operations discharge strategic vessels without the benefit of a fixed port. Large ships are anchored in mid-stream while a floating platform called a Roll-on/Roll-Off Discharge Facility (RRDF) is deployed next to the ship's ramp. Cargo is downloaded onto the RRDF and then loaded onto smaller watercraft called lighterage and transported directly to the beach or temporary piers.

Both the Army and Navy have assets to conduct LOTS operations. When the operation consists of two or more services (referred to as “joint”), DOD has an opportunity to develop interoperability and sustain critical joint skills in the exercise environment.

Containerized cargo to include ammunition from TURBOCADS ‘06, a Containerized Ammunition Distribution System exercise running concurrently with JLOTS ‘06, was downloaded for onward distribution. Retrograde TURBOCADS ‘06 containers were discharged from Landing Craft Utility vessels that transported the containers from Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point, N.C., directly to the Trident Pier (a modular causeway system). The remainder of the cargo was discharged from the USNS Red Cloud, a large medium-speed roll-on/roll-off ship (LMSR), to smaller watercraft and barges and transported to the beach transfer point.

The exercise also simulated the discharge of the Off-Shore Petroleum Discharge System (OPDS) from the SS Chesapeake to the Army Inland Petroleum Discharge System. The OPDS system delivers fuel from an offshore tanker to a terminal on the beach through a six-inch sinkable conduit over a distance of up to four nautical miles. It is capable of pumping 1.2 million gallons of product per day across the beach.

"JLOTS is a collection of systems," said Army Col. Robert Oliveras, commander of the 597th Transportation Group and Joint Task Force commander for JLOTS ‘06. "We bring all of these different organizations and systems together and if one part is missing it affects the entire operation. Planning and executing this exercise involved tremendous teamwork among a myriad of organizations," Oliveras said. "For the young soldiers and junior officers, this is the future working together in the joint environment. The fact that the services worked jointly, for this mission, advanced the capabilities of our nation for both military and humanitarian missions."

"We all have similar systems that do similar things, similar functions and similar equipment,” said Navy Capt. S. Keith Hamilton, the Joint Task Force deputy commander for JLOTS ‘06. "Our ability to practice this is important. There are several levels of joint interoperability. Command and control is the critical piece and everyone out here has to understand each other's roles and responsibilities. We want to close any seams and gaps that could occur. It comes down to simple communication. It is critical to the JLOTS capability. We spent a lot of time focusing on the command and control functions."

On the ground, operators focused on the command and control piece every day. During the operation it was evident that the services were working together to establish joint interoperability.

Army Capt. Bill Carroll, commander, 331st Transportation Company, who was responsible for the RRDF, Trident Pier and Warping Tugs, made sure his crews worked closely with the Navy operators.

"We interfaced with the Navy on a daily basis," said Carroll. "I swapped one for one on the crews of the Side Loadable Warping Tugs. We can learn from each other, similar crews, and similar work. Every day of the exercise Navy Beach Masters, Beach Master Unit TWO, (equivalent of the Army Harbor Master) and the Army Lighterage Control Point (LCP) worked directly with one another to ensure vessel movement was well coordinated. We focused on learning each other’s language and different techniques. The Navy prefers to discharge cargo off the stern of the LMSR and the Army likes to work off the port side."

"Everyday we had a meeting," said Chief Warrant Officer Alan Earley, 492nd Harbor Master Operations Detachment commander. "The Army and Navy warrant officers and Navy senior chiefs looked at the mission from the command and we made it happen. The joint operations went very well."

Ensign Ray Atkins, officer-in-charge of BMU-TWO’s Beach Party Team, agreed with Earley.

"Every day we worked directly with the LCP," said Atkins. "I talked to Mr. Earley every day and we worked out our strategy. We had lots of communication. We were working out the seams at all levels."

"The focus of JLOTS ‘06 was to develop the command and control structure at the JTF level. We focused on planning, executing, and synchronizing the organizations that supported this exercise," Oliveras said. "We had several measures of success. We wanted to provide meaningful and effective training to the JLOTS components without injury or accidents and safely deliver all cargo to its final destination. My mission was to stand up a solid JTF hurricane staff and provide command and control to the JLOTS commander and the theater distribution commander. JLOTS ‘06 clearly demonstrated our ability to provide a ready expeditionary joint force capable of supporting our nation’s needs in time of war or peace. My hat is off to all exercise participants for a job well done!"