Photo By Julianne Sympson | On Sept. 19, U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Bret Batchelder (left), the Commander, Joint Enabling...... read more read more
NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, Va. - On Sept. 17, MV Cape Ray returned home to Portsmouth, Virginia, following an unprecedented mission which marked significant progress in global security due to Cape Ray’s successful neutralization of chemical weapon materials on board a ship at sea – a historic feat in the elimination of chemical weapons. Among the various teams supporting this mission, the Joint Enabling Capabilities Command’s (JECC) Joint Communications Support Element (JCSE) provided joint communication expertise and mission-critical capabilities which enhanced the overall mission.
MV Cape Ray is a National Defense Reserve Fleet vessel owned by the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration and was specifically outfitted as a United Nations-approved chemical weapons destruction facility for this unique mission. The ship’s 30-man crew and an additional 96 personnel supporting the U.S. Army’s Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center, the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense and the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Activity, who were responsible for employing the two Field Deployable Hydrolysis Systems (FDHS) to neutralize the materials, initially deployed in January 2014.
Among those on board, JCSE personnel - U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Veronica Gatta, U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Christopher Webber and U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Nathan Green - installed and employed the Super High Frequency Carry-on Shipboard System Joint (SCOSS-J), a mobile communications system designed to provide on-the-move shipboard connectivity with the Department of Defense Wideband Global Satellite system and commercial satellite communications systems.
This maritime communication capability was the perfect fit for this unique mission. Similar to the mission-tailored support JCSE provides to worldwide requirements, the joint communication experts provided uninterrupted connectivity for the duration of the operation.
“Based on the various organizations supporting the Cape Ray mission, we installed the SCOSS-J and configured the various network services to meet the customers’ requirements. We were fully intertwined with the Cape Ray staff and this mission showcased our versatility and adaptability to meet the customers’ needs,” said Gatta. “Our command does a great job in ensuring we are well-versed to provide the customer services in each unique situation we deploy to downrange and this incredible experience was just one example of that.”
Once the equipment set was installed, JCSE rotated its forward deployed personnel and JCSE members, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgts. Adam Maynard and Jonathan Blanck, joined the Cape Ray crew before the ship traveled to Gioia Tauro, Italy. On July 2, after the Syrian chemical stockpile was loaded on the Cape Ray, the ship continued its journey to an isolated area in the Mediterranean Sea to execute the chemical weapons neutralization process of more than 600 metric tons of chemical weapons materials.
While the Cape Ray continuously maneuvered at sea the JCSE team seamlessly maintained connectivity for the duration of the mission on 12-hour shifts which enhanced command and control capabilities. During this time, the chemical elimination teams used the FDHS systems to safely neutralize the materials within the hull of the ship. By maintaining open lines of communication JCSE’s support improved situational awareness within the task force and its mission partners, and also directly supported the task force in maintaining live tracking of ships in the area for security purposes.
“The SCOSS-J allowed for secure lines of communication between the task force and coalition forces as well as 6th Fleet headquarters in Naples, Italy,” said Maynard. “We were asked to provide an additional service using the Agile Client system which provided near real-time positions of all ships reported by 6th Fleet assets in the area of operations.”
In addition to providing the necessary communications services, the JCSE team worked alongside two U.S. Navy communicators who supported the task force commander directly and provided valuable insight on the communication capabilities JCSE brings to joint force requirements.
“This deployment was a very rewarding experience as we worked closely with the task force and fully grasped the true magnitude and impact of the Cape Ray mission,” said Blanck. “This mission presented a new way of destroying chemical weapons and we had full trust and confidence in the chemical elimination experts and the task force we supported to get the job done.”
Once the chemical weapons materials were neutralized, the Cape Ray offloaded the material in Hamina, Finland, and Bremen, Germany, and then returned to its home port, in Portsmouth, Virginia, after 233 days of operations.
U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Bret Batchelder, the commander, JECC, welcomed the JCSE team home and commended them for their exceptional efforts.
“The world today is a safer place because of your efforts. It is not hard to imagine the magnitude of the tragedy had the weapons been used again by the Syrian government or fallen into the hands of enemy forces,” said Batchelder. “Those potential outcomes have been prevented and you should be very proud of your contributions to this mission.”
Following mission completion, Blanck and Maynard were reunited with their loved ones at the JCSE headquarters in Tampa, Florida, and were awarded Joint Service Commendation Medals for their superb efforts in supporting the Cape Ray mission. JCSE’s direct support throughout the course of this significant mission further validated the communications capabilities and expertise the command can provide to unique operational requirements on land or at sea.
| Date Taken: | 10.22.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 11.19.2014 13:30 |
| Story ID: | 148272 |
| Location: | NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 141 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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