Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Devin Langer | 211223-N-LI768-1038 SOUTH CHINA SEA (Dec. 23, 2021) – The Independence-variant...... read more read more
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This time of year, there’s a lot of excitement around the world.
At the center of much of the hustle and bustle are extensive grocery lists and shopping sprees.
The effort of decorating a home, planning for holiday guests, running a toy factory at the North Pole or ensuring afloat U.S., partner and ally Navies have the supplies they need for mission accomplishment revolves around one thing: logistics.
It’s at the center of Santa’s operation, ensuring requested toys are delivered on time. It’s also the gift Military Sealift Command Far East brings to ships operating in the Indo-Pacific Region, not just during this season but all year long.
“As the nation's premier maritime transportation organization, the team at Military Sealift Command provides essential, assured logistics and service support to the warfighter,” said Cmdr. Luke Hodges, combat logistics officer for MSC Far East.
Just like the big guy in the red suit choreographs the design, building and delivery of customized toys, MSC FE receives items from and coordinates with many service providers and suppliers to meet all kinds of requests from individual ships, including those from the United States and its partners and allies. Each ship creates “wish lists,” so to speak, which in the logistics world are known as requisitions, if asking for parts and food. Logistics requests, or LOGREQs, are for services required during in-port periods.
During routine operations, ships' requisitions and LOGREQs focus on essentials such as bread, milk, repair parts and water supply. At this time of year, they also include some specialty items.
“Every year in the early fall months, units start to plan special meals to celebrate traditional holidays for Sailors, Marines and civil service mariners who will be underway or on duty during the holidays. Decorations are ordered by mail, favorite foods are requisitioned, and events are planned by committees onboard each ship. Nearly all of these morale-boosting supplies reach ships at sea via Military Sealift Command Combat Logistics Force vessels.” Hodges said.
To help put it in perspective, the Defense Logistics Agency reported in November that its Troop Support helped deliver literally tons of food to troops stationed in Asia and beyond. Just to prepare for the holidays, DLA noted that service members around the globe received an estimated:
• 5,706 whole turkeys
• 59,666 pounds of roasted turkeys
• 99,187 pounds of beef
• 51,994 pounds of ham
• 43,767 pounds of shrimp
• 38,400 pounds of sweet potatoes
• 68,465 pounds of pies and cakes
• 23,461 gallons of eggnog
• And other holiday treats
Working with DLA and U.S. Transportation Command, MSC, specifically Combat Logistics Force ships, made sure some of that fare was delivered to Sailors and Marines in the Far East.
For this particular season, ships’ supply officers began working with Hodges, his team of logisticians and their colleagues at Combined Task Force 73 in September to map out exactly where holiday items will come from and how and when they will be delivered.
CLF vessels, led and operated by civil service mariners who keep the vessels ready and on mission, make up a floating supply chain for U.S. Navy ships at sea. The MSC FE and Task Force 73 logistics team continuously coordinates CLF and customers’ schedules and resupply events to sustain more than 50 ships in the 7th Fleet Area of Operations with a steady flow of fuel, food, ordnance and spare parts.
“Without CLF support, our Navy fleet missions would be constantly interrupted by the need to pull into ports for replenishment,” Hodges said.
“Having the right number of CLF units operating in critical areas enables the fleet to continuously pursue operational objectives.”
CLF crews lend a hand to Santa in another important way – delivering the mail to afloat crews. Deployed Sailors and Marines spending holidays away from friends and loved ones look forward to receiving packages, thanks to MSC Far East’s civil service mariners.
“Nothing makes a holiday spent at sea more enjoyable than receiving encouraging packages and mail from family, friends and supporters back home. Our civilian mariners work hard every day to ensure that items like these reach ships in time for the holidays. Without their effort and dedication, those packages and messages would never arrive.”
While Santa has eight tiny reindeer and an army of elves to help him with his logistics operation, the U.S. Navy, partners and allies operating in the Indo-Pacific Region have Combat Logistics Force ships and civil service mariners, working not just one night a year but all year long, keeping the fleet afloat.
Military Sealift Command Far East ensures approximately 50 ships in the Indo-Pacific Region, are manned, trained and equipped to deliver essential supplies, fuel, cargo and equipment to warfighters, both at sea and on shore.
As the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed fleet, 7th Fleet employs 50-70 ships and submarines across the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans. U.S. 7th Fleet routinely operates and interacts with 35 maritime nations while conducting missions to preserve and protect a free and open Indo-Pacific Region.
Editor’s note: See related story from the Defense Logistics Agency: https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/2849399/agency-plans-ahead-to-get-thanksgiving-meals-to-troops-around-the-world/
| Date Taken: | 12.23.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 12.23.2021 03:26 |
| Story ID: | 411630 |
| Location: | U.S. 7TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY |
| Web Views: | 166 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Logistics Keeps Santa, Navy On Time, On Station, by Leslie Hull-Ryde, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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