Naval Facilities Expeditionary Logistics Center Provides Engineering Support to Seabees

By Mason Lowery, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Public Affairs

PORT HUENEME, Calif. (NNS) -- The Naval Facilities Expeditionary Logistics Center's (NFELC) lead in-service engineer for the Seabees' Elevated Causeway System (ECLAS) - Modular returned to Port Hueneme, Calif., Aug. 19 after spending a week providing support to Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) 2 in Little Creek, Va.

Knut Aakhus spent a week with ACB 2 Seabees to provide them engineering support as they trained to deploy the ELCAS.

The ELCAS is a portable causeway, or pier, that enables a task force to receive and ship supplies nearly anywhere in the world, without a usable seaport.

"ELCAS is almost half-way through its planned lifecycle, so it's pretty tried and true by now. But the sheer immensity of its scale doesn't allow it to be used very often, so we have to capitalize on every opportunity, make in-person observations about the health of the equipment and identify possible improvements," said Aakhus. "It's important that we give the users a chance to explain first-hand what they feel is working well and what isn't. Attending the training exercise is by far (the) best way to gather that sort of direct, thorough feedback."

NFELC provides in-service engineering and logistics support for the ELCAS system, which has a 40-year planned lifecycle. Created in 1992, the ELCAS is made from heavy steel and built in sections, or pontoons. The sections are held in place with lengthy steel pylons that are driven into the seabed with a crane. The causeway can support a task force's heavy equipment and containers they need to bring ashore during exercises and missions.

The Seabees realize the value of NFELC's engineering contributions to the ELCAS, said Capt. Joe Grealish, ACB 2 commanding officer.

"While the Seabees doing the actual construction are justified in taking pride and credit for their terrific work, it bears mentioning that we depend heavily on the brilliance and determination of the professionals at NEPO (Naval Facilities Engineering Command's Expeditionary Program Office) and NFELC to bring the ELCAS system into place," said Grealish.