Photo By Chief Petty Officer Paolo Peredo | CORONADO, Calif. (Oct. 14, 2021) Service members and staff from Naval Special Warfare...... read more read more
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CORONADO, Calif. – Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Logistics Support Unit (LOGSU) 1 held a ceremony to commemorate the command’s 20th anniversary at the Silver Strand Training Complex, Oct. 14.
“This milestone in our command attributes heavily to the support we have given to our nation’s elite fighting force,” said Cmdr. Joseph Bossi, commanding officer of LOGSU-1. “It is a great honor to be here and be a part of a community with such a rich history.”
Among those in attendance included Rear Adm. H.W. Howard III, commander, Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC); Master Chief Bill King, Force Master Chief, NSWC; Capt. David Abernathy, commodore of Naval Special Warfare Group (NSWG) 1; Capt. Mick Wilson, director of logistics, NSWC; retired U.S. Navy Capt. Gerry Harms, director of logistics at NSWC from 1999-2004; and retired U.S. Navy Capt. Bob Snyder, the first commanding officer of LOGSU-1, who traveled from his home in northern Virginia to serve as keynote speaker for the day’s events.
“Our LOGSU concept has withstood the test of time and was absolutely the right decision in 2001,” said Snyder. “The success our people achieved when responding to our nation’s calling to act 20 years ago yielded profound impact throughout the years and is a direct testament to the resiliency, perseverance and aptitude our people endured at this command.”
LOGSU-1’s history dates back to Oct.16, 2001.
9/11 occurred during LOGSU-1’s early formation, and in the months immediately following, Snyder found his command supporting Task Force K-Bar – America’s initial response in Afghanistan. Task Force K-Bar, led by the NSWG-1 commodore, then Capt. Bob Harward, was tasked with carrying out President Bush’s objective to eliminate Afghanistan as a safe haven for international terrorists.
“LOGSU changed the game and became an essential element, if not the key enabler, for transforming our community to the professional and strategic war-fighting force we are today,” read a quote provided by retired Vice Adm. Harward for the ceremony. “The innovation and support we received was instrumental in our early war-fighting efforts and directly attributable to leaders like [Snyder] who demonstrated and provided the critical vision, culture, and support we needed as we responded to 9/11. We would not have succeeded without it, and the timing could not have been better.”
Retired U.S. Navy Capt. Gerry Harms served as a driving force for the implementation of the LOGSU concept under former Rear Adm. Eric Olson’s NSW-21 initiative. Harms spoke at the anniversary celebration and reflected upon LOGSU-1’s inception and early infancy.
“[Task Force K-Bar] was the first time the NSW task force commander had a single senior officer coordinating his theater logistics, synchronizing personnel and equipment support, and plugging into the joint logistics enterprise,” said Harms. “It was a herculean effort and a first for NSW.”
LOGSU-1 remained vital in supporting operations, and in 2003, during the invasion of Iraq, would support the largest special warfare forward-deployed effort in our nation’s history.
Retired Adm. William “Bill” McRaven, who rose through the ranks in the SEAL community and became NSW’s second four-star admiral and commander of U.S. Special Operations Command in 2011, served as the commander of Naval Special Warfare Command at LOGSU-1’s inception.
“When we look back 20 years… what would we have done without LOGSU,” read a quote provided by McRaven for the ceremony. “LOGSU came along at a time when we really needed to be professionalizing the force and talking logistics. They revolutionized Naval Special Warfare. The timing could not have been better.”
At the time of LOGSU-1’s infancy, it’s facilities were spread out across Naval Amphibious Base Coronado. Today, LOGSU-1 resides in newly constructed facilities located at the Silver Strand Training Complex in Coronado, Calif. LOGSU-1 is located in the middle of the complex allowing for improved access to the SEAL Teams it supports.
“The impact of the LOGSU’s has literally put us in the heart of the community,” said Snyder. “You men and women standing here today are writing the next chapter in LOGSU-1’s history.”
Today, 430 personnel at LOGSU-1 provide expeditionary logistics and support services to NSWG-1’s eight other subordinate commands, directly supporting NSW whether in garrison, training, or deployment.
“We must innovate and find ways to bring resources to bear on our most significant challenges to ensure the integrity of support for the fight to come,” said Bossi. “There is no doubt in my mind that you will more than meet the challenges that lie ahead, just as we have done so in the past. Happy 20 years to our robust enterprise, and with more phenomenal years to come!”
| Date Taken: | 10.14.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 11.10.2021 14:13 |
| Story ID: | 409121 |
| Location: | CORONADO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 5,284 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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