Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Brandon Parker | 230227-N-HG389-0029 SINGAPORE (Feb. 27, 2023) From left: Capt. Thomas Jenkins, Cmdr....... read more read more
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Singapore-Based Command Named U.S. Navy's Top Logistics Team
By Lt. Cmdr. Derrick Ingle, Task Force 73 Public Affairs
Singapore - "Once you get the forces there, how do you keep them there? How do you keep them fed and fueled with ammunition and supplies – that's where logistics come into play," said former Assistant Secretary for Logistics and Material Readiness, David Berteau.
Seven U.S. Navy officers implemented these questions in calendar year 2021. As a result, they were awarded the 2021 Admiral Stan Arthur Team Award for Logistics Excellence a year later.
Based in Singapore at Commander, Logistics Group, Western Pacific (COMLOGWESTPAC), seven superb officers were recognized after leading 489 replenishments for deployed units, including U.S. partners and allies, along with 565 refueling evolutions in port and at sea.
"I'm extremely proud of the team of Logistics professionals from COMLOGWESTPAC on being recognized as the Admiral Stan Arthur Logistics Team of the Year for 2021," said Rear Adm. Mark Melson of COMLOGWESTPAC/Task Force 73. "Logistics aren't exactly attractive until they're needed. However, this team has distinguished itself by providing timely and effective logistics and sustainment to Naval Forces conducting Distributed Maritime Operations and have greatly contributed to a free and open Indo-Pacific due to their impressive performance."
In conjunction with Military Sealift Command Far East (MSC FE), Melson's organization entrusts more than 25 combat-logistics units with refueling, rearming, and resupplying 50-70 vessels across 150 square kilometers of ocean. Led by the strategic vision of the deputy commander, Capt. Richie Jenkins, COMLOGWESTPAC revolutionized how the Navy now approaches combat logistics in the Indo-Pacific Area of Operations.
"In our campaign plan, we created two main spaces for logistics command and control and plans [C2]. The Joint Logistics Operating Center (JLOC) for current operations, and what we call our War Room, a place for innovation and critical thinking" said Jenkins.
The JLOC routinely coordinates the refueling of allied navies such as those of Australia, Japan, and the United Kingdom. For example, in 2021, the JLOC supply officers led replenishments underway for the U.K.'s HMS Queen Elizabeth's maiden voyage to the Western Pacific along with the German Navy's FGS Bayern and New Zealand's newest fleet oiler, the HMNZS Aotearoa.
Jenkins expanded on the responsibilities of the JLOC, saying it "ensures greater unity of effort" and improved synchronization to deliver more "combat-credible logistics to sustain the employment of forces in Seventh Fleet in a competitive or contested environment."
The Admiral Stan Arthur Award recipients were supply officer Lt. Cmdr. Alex Cassady, who spearheads JLOC operations. In contrast, his fellow teammate and recipient, Lt. Cmdr. Keith Anderson, quarterbacks playbooks in the War Room. Other members of the Stan Arthur team award include Cmdr. Robert Paul -- in charge of refueling, and Cmdr. David Armandt, who leads repair and salvage. The final trio of the seven awarded was Cmdr. Jason Ward and navy husband and wife, lieutenants William and Catherine Anthony. All three are surface warfare officers.
"Personally, this has been the most fun and challenging tour I've had in my Navy career," said Paul. He is a senior supply officer with 17 years of service. "The skill sets that our people are developing and the valuable experience they gain will serve the Navy well and are essential to the challenges that lie ahead.
Paul said, "the recognition that this award conveys, speaks to the importance of our mission here and the global impact of our role in maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region,"
Awardee and teammate Armandt said, "It is a huge honor to work alongside a dedicated and passionate team. It's also validating to know that the Navy as a whole is taking logistics sustainment in the Indo-Pacific seriously".
Armandt, an engineering duty officer with 17 years of service and previous assignments in Japan, said, "I hope this recognition brings even more attention to the complex and critical issue of sustaining our forces in peacetime and potential conflict."
Senior military leaders, both retired and active-duty, are taking a closer look at logistics-warfare, as seen with recent comments by retired Adm. Jamie Foggo, who said, "logistics are the sixth warfare domain" during a Navy League forum in New York. In addition, the sitting Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Navy, and U.S. Transportation Command four-star general visited COMLOG WESTPAC in 2022 to show their commitment to maritime logistics in the region.
The 2021 Stan Artur Award for COMLOG WESTPAC is their second award for excellence in logistics after winning the honor in 2015.
Task Force 73 also employs their medical and religious officers with the responsibility to revive deployed personnel spiritually and medically in the event of conflict at sea
Located in the Northern region of Singapore, COMLOG WESTPAC/Task Force 73 is the U.S. Navy's premiere maritime mobile logistics organization – charged with keeping deployed units fueled, armed, and fed throughout the Indo-Pacific Area of Operations. The tactical effort supports a larger U.S. strategy to help maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific to protect U.S. assets, regional partners, and allies.
For more on Task Force 73, visit:
https://www.clwp.navy.mil/
| Date Taken: | 10.21.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 10.21.2022 01:11 |
| Story ID: | 431770 |
| Location: | SG |
| Web Views: | 862 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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