Joint Base Charleston Becomes Supply Center for Hurricane Maria Recovery

By Air Force Staff Sgt. William O'Brien Joint Base Charleston

JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C., Oct. 26, 2017 — Joint Base Charleston has been established as the central hub and reception area for disaster relief supplies as part of sustained efforts in rebuilding Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria.

Joint Base Charleston was chosen because it’s one of the few Defense Department installations with sea and aerial port facilities.

Different modes of transportation offer different benefits. A sealift vessel is capable of moving more cargo, but at a slower speed than airlift. And, while airlift is faster, no aircraft can hold as much cargo as a ship. By combining the two modes of transportation, representatives are able to airlift urgent items while sealifting large quantities of materials not immediately needed.

“Joint Base Charleston was asked by the Federal Emergency Management Agency through the [U.S.] Transportation Command to be an installation support base,” said Air Force Col. Rockie Wilson, 628th Mission Support Group commander. “An ISB is a reception area for disaster relief supplies. The interesting thing about Joint Base Charleston is it's one of the few places in the DoD where we can receive supplies by rail and road while having access to aerial and sea port assets. Such access provides maximum flexibility to FEMA to be able to send and receive needed supplies.”

Processing Cargo

FEMA and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency established an initial staging area where items are received, inspected and measured. That information is put into the 841st Transportation Battalion’s logging system, enabling them to create a stowage plan.

“We're receiving cargo from federal and state agencies from all over the country,” said Shawny Dallam FEMA transportation specialist. “When it arrives, it is inventoried and sent to the staging area to be transported to the vessel when it docks or to the air base to be flown out.”

The Navy’s roll-on, roll-off vehicle cargo ship, the USNS Brittin, which has a cargo capacity of 215,000 square feet, is scheduled to make six trips from here to Puerto Rico over the next two months. Since items are coming in from a wide range of agencies, some require repackaging before loading onto the ship.

“Once the items have been received and consolidated, if needed, the items are prioritized and a stowage plan is created,” said Navy Lt. Brenton Breed, the 841st Transportation Battalion’s operations officer. “This stow plan is then shared with the receiving agencies in Puerto Rico. The plan allows them to know exactly what they’re getting, and what order it will come off the ship, facilitating a smooth off load when the ship arrives.”

The primary mode of transportation for this mission is by sea, but if perishable or urgent items arrive at the staging area, they can be sent to Joint Base Charleston’s aerial port to be flown to their destination within hours. Transporting cargo by air has the added benefit of being able to land hundreds of miles from the shore.

“We can be ready as soon as we receive the assets,” said Air Force 1st Lt. Rebecca Ryti, 437th Aerial Port Squadron air freight flight commander. “Once a truck pulls up to our dock, we can unload it, inspect it and get it out to the aircraft in under two hours. Aerial movement is quite amazing because you can move things from one point to another much more quickly than by any other means of transportation.”

Logistics Support

Members from units across the 628th Civil Engineer Squadron provided the logistics support enabling the base to accommodate these interagency partners in accomplishing their mission. This effort was led by Air Force 1st Lt. Ana Smith, 628 CE emergency response flight commander. She met with FEMA and PEMA representatives prior to establishing the staging area to understand their requirements and identify the base assets to fulfill them.

“It has been a little bit of a chess game trying to anticipate their requirements and making sure they have everything they need,” Smith said. “We knew, in general, they'd need base access, a space to store items waiting to be shipped and escort vehicles when shipments arrive at the gate. Additionally, I also had to think beyond the surface and look at finer details. For example, rest room facilities are needed because they are going to be out here for extended periods of time each day.”

This partnership brings together professionals from a variety of different agencies with different skill sets and backgrounds. The team to works as a unit to solve any problems and continues to support the people who are still suffering from the effects of Hurricane Maria.

“FEMA and PEMA are great partners,” Breed said. “We work together well. I can provide the logistics expertise they need to ship things because that's not their normal mission. We're looking forward to working together with them to help the American citizens of Puerto Rico.”

Navy Ships Wasp, Oak Hill Departing From Hurricane Relief Duty

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26, 2017 — The Navy’s multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Wasp and the dock landing ship USS Oak Hill are departing from Hurricanes Irma and Maria relief duty in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to a Defense Department news release issued today.

As part of the plan to transition from hurricane response to hurricane recovery in the two U.S. territories, the release said, the DoD and the Federal Emergency Management Agency determined, in consultation with Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello, that some military-sourced assets, such as the Wasp and Oak Hill, are no longer needed.

Saving Lives

The Wasp and Oak Hill “have provided great value to the overall response effort, contributing search and rescue capabilities that saved lives. They are now proceeding on to their next missions in defense of our nation,” the release said.

The ships’ principle contribution to the hurricane relief effort has been helicopter support, the release said.

FEMA and DoD have determined there are sufficient land-based helicopters and tilt-rotor capabilities in the territories to continue helping the people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands as they recover, the release said.

Multinational Mine Warfare Exercise Concludes in South Korea

BUSAN, South Korea, Oct. 26, 2017 — American and South Korean maritime forces successfully completed the Multinational Mine Warfare Exercise, or MIWEX, here Oct. 22.

Explosive ordnance disposal divers with the American and South Korean navies exit an MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter during the annual Multinational Mine Warfare Exercise in Busan, South Korea.

The mine countermeasures ship USS Chief, staff from Mine Countermeasures Squadron 7 and Mine Countermeasures Helicopter Squadron 14 Detachment 2A participated in MIWEX with their South Korean counterparts and members of United Nations Command Sending States to increase mine countermeasures interoperability and tactical proficiency.

Between 1950 through 1953, 16 nations provided combat, combat support and combat service support forces to the United Nations Command in response to North Korean aggression against South Korea, according to U.S. Forces Korea. Concurrently, with the signing of the Korean War Armistice Agreement on July 23, 1953, military representatives of those 16 nations reaffirmed their national commitment to the UNC with a promise to return to Korea should the Armistice Agreement fail.

Improving Mine Countermeasures Operations

The exercise spanned over a week and included training drills designed to improve cooperation and proficiencies in mine countermeasures operations.

The helicopter squadron conducted over 57 hours of flight operations, which included mine hunting, explosive ordnance disposal with partner forces and deck landing qualifications on South Korean navy ships.

"Not only was our squadron able to demonstrate the mission readiness of the MH-53E Sea Dragon [helicopter] and its newly-acquired Q-24B mine hunting platform, but also our ability to conduct the complex airborne mine countermeasures mission during high-tempo operations with our partners," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jeremy Braun, officer in charge of Helicopter Squadron 14 Detachment 2A.

Braun added, "Our flight crews demonstrated their expertise by executing the mission during challenging weather and successfully finding our target mine shapes. It's a testament to the robust capabilities of the aircraft and the dedication of our maintainers and MCM support crews."

Mine Hunting Training

During the exercise the USS Chief focused on mine-hunting operations using sonar radars. Once sailors detected the mine they would deploy a mine neutralization vehicle to simulate delivering an explosive that would neutralize the mine.

The ship experienced high waves at various points in the exercise but remained focused on the mission.

"It was my first mine warfare exercise as LPO [leading petty officer] and it really taught me the importance of planning and being ready," said Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Denton Walker, a member of the USS Chief’s crew "The environment provided extra challenges, but the whole team came together to keep the mission running."

This year marked the 64th anniversary of the U.S.-South Korea Mutual Defense Treaty, which serves as the foundation of the alliance and a force for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia.