Blog Posts tagged with "Logistics"

After landing in Podgorica, Montenegro, last week for the  LOGEX 13 Main Planning Conference I quickly realized the urgency of the Montenegrin government's request for assistance due to the large amounts of snow in the southern portion of the country. On the way to the airport it was hard not to notice the bent and broken trees that lined the road; the pieces of overhang that were bent or broken on the roofs of houses and buildings; the caved in roofs; and of course the piles and piles of snow along the roads and in the parking lots. 

 

It is important to know that Montenegro does not have a Director of Logistics in their Ministry of Defense -- all logistics support is handled at the company level. This system is advantageous because tasks can be organized and executed very quickly, while a disadvantage is that it is difficult to manage several logistical units to accomplish a large task.

Colonel Rifet Kosavac, the Montenegro Deputy Minister whith whom we met before the start of the conference, was very grateful for the support that is being provided by Belgium, Greece and the United States. He mentioned specifically the two helicopters and crews provided. He went on to say it is difficult to prepare for a situation like this because they typically don’t see the amount of snow they recently received in a normal winter -- he called it a fifty year storm. 

Colonel Kosavac stressed that they are working to increase the number of English speaking officers, purchasing weapons and equipment that meet NATO standards, and working to incorporate what they are learning at the LOGEX workshops into the daily job. 

For this, the second of five scheduled LOGEX workshops, we drove to a training center in Danilovgrad, Montenegro, to meet with 17 Montenegro military personnel and observers from Armenia, Moldova, Azerbaijan and Serbia. The objectives of the workshop:

• train logistical staff officers,
• increase familiarity of logistics staff officers with use of NATO procedures for logistics planning and implementation,
• increase cooperation and coordination among logistics staff officers for future combined operations,
• assess logistics support requirements,
• practice NATO reporting procedures, and
• using NATO logistics C4 systems such as LOGFAS.

In the end, Montenegro developed a Detailed Deployment Plan (DDP), equivalent to the Time Phase Force Deployment Data (TPFDD).  

The week’s worth of training was vital to ensure a successful exercise in February. During the week participants were introduced to NATO/National Security Element (NSE) guidelines, the NATO Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF), Deployed Contracting, Acquisition Cross Service Agreements (ACSA), NATO Contracting, NAMSA  and participated in five breakout sessions to develop and build their National DDP to use during execution. The Main Planning Conference (MPC) was held at the same location and overlapped with three days of the workshop. Colonel Mirsad Pajevic, from Bosnia and Herzegovina; Colonel Rifet Kosovac, the Montenegro Deputy Minister; and ten other representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Macedonia, Serbia, Sweden, and United Kingdom attended the MPC. These attndees reviewed and finalized the the draft Exercise Specification (EXSPEC) was review and finalized. Due to increased interest, they decided Medical Logistics and Engineering will be added to the scheduled workshops and the concepts and procedures will be intriduced in the last LOGEX 13 in October.

In all, the participants of the workshop gained a better understanding of how Deployed Contracting and RSOM occur during NATO operations and they learned how to build their National DDP.  The participants of the MPC finalized the Exercise Specification (EXSPEC) and worked to add two additional functional areas to the workshop. As I observed the interactions of the country reps in action, I felt pride in the accomplishments these countries are achieving with their participation in LOGEX. 

The ultimate goal for the Partnerhsip for Peace country participants in LOGEX is NATO membership. It’s a long road and a lot of work for them, but major progress is being made. In the end I look forward to see the culmination of all their hard work when they participate in the two week exercise in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Maj. Todd J. Morin, U.S. Air Force
EUCOM J4
Logistics Support Division
Multinational Exercise Cell Chief

During the past two weeks I really came to realize what a joint environment was really like. Having worked for the EUCOM J4 for only three months my experience was limited at best, despite three deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan under my belt.

When we landed in Kiev, Ukraine, we hit the ground running and began training on our duties as the exercise trainers/advisors. After two days, the exercise participants arrived and we began working with them to get a feel of their knowledge base, allowing us to tailor the exercise injects to their skill and knowledge level. Once we felt everyone was on the same page, we held a mini exercise to work out any communication issues and allow personnel to build working relationships, since this was the first time personnel from five different countries were working together.

We successfully made it through the mini exercise, and were ready to start the full exercise. This was my first time in LOGEX and I wasn’t able to participate in any of the workshops and planning meetings, so it was an eye opening experience to see people from different countries working together on an exercise that took more than a year to plan and put together. 

My assignment at EUCOM is similar to the job I had when deployed to Afghanistan as the Partnership Logistics Center OIC; I worked closely with the Afghan Special Forces to supply them with their logistical needs. However, instead of supplying actual logistical support, we taught and guided the participants to think short term and long term to provide logistical support to their countries – we never really moved any forces or equipment.

Despite being from five different countries, communication was never a real problem because everyone practiced using the English language...even our British colleagues.

LOGEX 2011 Distinguished Visitors

The exercise participants enjoyed having the 18 distinguished visitors from fifteen countries come see what they were working on and it allowed the exercise participants to vocally express what they were learning and reinforce the need for LOGEX and more joint exercises. Among the visitors were Lt. Gen. Mukola Khyzhyi the commandant of the National Defense University; Rear Adm. William “Andy” Brown, EUCOM Director of Logistics; and Brig. Gen. Murray, Joint Staff J7 Assistant Deputy Director for Joint Training.

In all I look back at this great experience and realize that work that was accomplished during LOGEX 2011 couldn’t be done without the hard work and dedication of many nations and people working for a common cause the bonds and friendships that are built and strengthened during the LOGEX events are lasting ones and everyone looks forward to the next event to build on those bonds.  I look forward to sharing more about our LOGEX events.

Capt. Todd J. Morin, U.S. Air Force
EUCOM J4
Logistics Support Division
Multinational Exercise Cell Chief

The United States European Command (USEUCOM) plays an important role supplying the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. I’d like to explain how building business relationships with companies in the USEUCOM area of responsibility can have a positive effect on that effort.

To date, more than 30,000 shipping containers passed through USEUCOM’s geographical area of responsibility on supply routes known as the Northern Distribution Network (NDN). Most of the container contents include consumable supplies and materials originating in the United States and Western Europe. While the NDN demonstrates a global distribution capability, opportunities exist to reduce transit time and shipping costs by purchasing items from qualified sources along the NDN closer to Afghanistan.

Last September, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) teamed with the General Services Administration (GSA), the United States Embassy in Latvia, and USEUCOM to host a procurement conference in Riga, Latvia. A major NDN shipping port and developed European Union economy make Riga an attractive market from which to purchase supplies and materials to support the ISAF mission. One hundred nine Latvian businesses attended this conference to showcase their products and learn how to register and compete for contract opportunities.

Early results from the Riga conference are promising. The Latvian business publication, Dienas Bizness, reported this month that DLA placed an order with a local food company for bottled water and juice directly attributed to the September conference.

DLA evaluated a number of businesses that show high potential as long-term sources for future contracts. The engagement in Latvia follows the path of NDN procurement conferences the USEUCOM co-sponsored with United States Transportation Command in May 2010 in the Southern Caucasus countries of Georgia and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan emerged as a leading DLA fuel source and Georgia’s importance as a GSA supplier grew significantly during 2010.

Ultimately, businesses must offer quality products at competitive prices to serve as government suppliers, but the potential to significantly increase the number of suppliers along the NDN is very real. Continued engagement with local businesses and economies is yet another way USEUCOM, its interagency partners, and allied nations are Stronger Together.

Maj. Michael Belko, US Air Force
Chief, Operational Contract Support
EUCOM J4

The United States European Command (USEUCOM) plays an important role supplying the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. I’d like to explain how building business relationships with companies in the USEUCOM area of responsibility can have a positive effect on that effort.

To date, more than 30,000 shipping containers passed through USEUCOM’s geographical area of responsibility on supply routes known as the Northern Distribution Network (NDN). Most of the container contents include consumable supplies and materials originating in the United States and Western Europe. While the NDN demonstrates a global distribution capability, opportunities exist to reduce transit time and shipping costs by purchasing items from qualified sources along the NDN closer to Afghanistan.

Last September, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) teamed with the General Services Administration (GSA), the United States Embassy in Latvia, and USEUCOM to host a procurement conference in Riga, Latvia. A major NDN shipping port and developed European Union economy make Riga an attractive market from which to purchase supplies and materials to support the ISAF mission. One hundred nine Latvian businesses attended this conference to showcase their products and learn how to register and compete for contract opportunities.

Early results from the Riga conference are promising. The Latvian business publication, Dienas Bizness, reported this month that DLA placed an order with a local food company for bottled water and juice directly attributed to the September conference.

DLA evaluated a number of businesses that show high potential as long-term sources for future contracts. The engagement in Latvia follows the path of NDN procurement conferences the USEUCOM co-sponsored with United States Transportation Command in May 2010 in the Southern Caucasus countries of Georgia and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan emerged as a leading DLA fuel source and Georgia’s importance as a GSA supplier grew significantly during 2010.

Ultimately, businesses must offer quality products at competitive prices to serve as government suppliers, but the potential to significantly increase the number of suppliers along the NDN is very real. Continued engagement with local businesses and economies is yet another way USEUCOM, its interagency partners, and allied nations are Stronger Together.

Maj. Michael Belko, US Air Force
Chief, Operational Contract Support
EUCOM J4

There are often times where you see headlines of stories but they don’t explain some of the behind the scenes work that goes on with major events. I wanted to share some of the efforts that occurred at U.S. European Command (EUCOM) and specifically the Logistics Directorate that explains our support to Israel during their recent wildfire disaster. I think it serves as a great example of our commitment to our partner nations.

The Mount Carmel region of Israel was being ravaged by wildfires creating the greatest natural disaster in the country’s history. The US Ambassador to Israel declared a disaster and on Dec. 2 the President gave verbal authorization for the United States to provide support to the Government of Israel (GoI). Headquarters, US European Command (EUCOM) assembled an operational planning team (OPT) early the next day. The OPT considered options for support ranging from firefighting equipment to humanitarian assistance to evacuees.

Airmen at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, load pallets of firefighting equipment onto a C-130 at bound for Israel Dec. 4. EUCOM routinely provides foreign humanitarian assistance in times of crises. (Photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Rob Hazelett)

The OPT, through discussions with the Israeli Defense Attaché’s office, determined the best way to support the GoI was to provide aerial dispersed firefighting foam. The EUCOM Logistics Directorate, (ECJ4) immediately began researching availability of firefighting foam within the EUCOM area of responsibility (AOR). A query of EUCOM components quickly found foam available in Naples, Italy. Unfortunately, they type of foam identified did not meet GoI’s needs.

The ECJ4 Joint Logistics Operations Center (JLOC) cast a wider net to identify stocks of firefighting foam from other US agencies and commercial sources. The JLOC contacted the Fire Protection office at Installation Management Command-Europe (IMCOM-E) and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) for assistance. IMCOM-E was able to provide a commercial source in Hamburg and DLA identified stocks in their warehouse in Germersheim, Germany. Now that stocks were identified, it was a matter of purchasing and transporting the foam to Israel.

The EUCOM commander, Admiral James Stavridis, looked for ways to help Israel as the fires had already claimed more than 40 lives and consumed thousands of acres. There is authority under Executive Order 12966 to provide disaster assistance “in emergency situations in order to save human lives, where there is not sufficient time to seek the prior initial concurrence of the Secretary of State.” Clearly meeting these criteria, the EUCOM commander directed the immediate transfer of firefighting foam to the GoI.

The time between the Commander in Chief giving his verbal order to the first shipment departing for Israel was less than 36 hours. This shipment was the first US Government cargo to arrive supporting the Israel firefighting effort. SECDEF authorization was granted for continued support and the JLOC coordinated and synchronized movement of more than 60 short tons of fire fighting foam to Israel. United States Air Forces Europe purchased and moved the foam on 5 C-130 cargo aircraft missions over a 3-day period.

Through a whole of government approach the JLOC employed reached beyond normal EUCOM supply sources to procure the required products. The JLOC coordinated with EUCOM staff, USAID, Joint Staff, DLA, IMCOM-E, commercial sources, ANG, AFRC, and GoI. EUCOM’s forward location allowed rapid assimilation of information enabling EUCOM to provide the right product, in the right quantity, to the right place, at the right time.

Maj. Collin S. Gilbert, US Air Force
EUCOM J4/Joint Logistics Operations Center (JLOC)

MAJ Williams (front row, third from left) and the attendees of a LOGEX preparation conference earlier this year.

These are the booming words of the jumpmaster of an airborne operation to his paratroopers just before exiting the aircraft. My scenario and actions are not so dramatic of course, but there are only a few more days left before the start of LOGEX 10 on Sept. 6 and I can gladly report that my "equipment check" is on track for a successful exercise. Everything from life support, transportation, budget and logistics systems exercise support for 70 or so participants and observers is prepared to go.

The premier event for this exercise is undoubtedly the Distinguished Visitor's Day on Sept. 14, where Senior National Logistics Leaders, among others, from 13 Nations will gather to discuss LOGEX 10 training and opportunities for future logistics engagements. It promises to be an exciting time and Armed Forces Network (AFN) will also provide coverage of the event.

Warrant Officer Martin Turner (RAF), Allied Command Transformation, provides instruction on LOGFAS during a previous workshop.

I will try to write more in the coming days to keep you up to date on our progress and status, so in the meantime, please feel free to comment and let me know your thoughts on the LOGEX Series.

And the response from the paratrooper in the front of the line...?

"All OK Jumpmaster!"

MAJ Matt Williams
United States European Command J4

As promised in February, welcome to another edition of LOGEX 10. This month’s events find me at the National Support Element (NSE) & Logistics Functional Area Services (LOGFAS) workshop in the Czech Republic, which is the second in a series of five workshops designed for each participating nation in this year’s exercise.

Warrant Officer Martin Turner (RAF), Allied Command Transformation, provides instruction on LOGFAS.

The first workshop was in Poland last month, so Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania will follow in the coming weeks/months. The purpose of the workshop is to develop NATO national Detailed Deployment Plans (DDPs) for use at the Final Reception, Staging and Onward Movement (RSOM) Workshop in July. These workshops familiarize the participants with roles and responsibilities that they will encounter as members of a deployed NATO staff such as Deployment Contracting, RSOM, and the overall LOGFAS system; which is a term for a suite of NATO supply and transportation systems, and used as common planning tools during NATO-led operations. Make sense…?

These workshops are efficiently ran by Mr. Pete Venoit, USJFCOM J7 Exercise Director, who has a small team of subject matter experts from Allied Command Transformation (ACT) and the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany who provide instruction that prepares students to produce the products required for execution. The DDP produced here will be consolidated with the other four participating nations and refined during the final workshop in July. The final product will be agreed upon and utilized during the exercise execution in September of this year.

Czech Republic NSE/LOGFAS Workshop Attendees, April 12-16, 2010.

Workshops are typically designed to be a bi-lateral effort between the U.S. and the participating nation, but it is also a great opportunity for our friends in NATO and Partnership for Peace (PfP) nations to observe these events to see how they are designed and benefit MOD General Staff and Joint Staff functions. We are fortunate to have with us this week MAJ Velimir Obradovic from Montenegro, LTC Damir “Dado” Radocaj from Croatia, and LTC Pete Williams from the United Kingdom. The goals of observer nations are to either learn more about how the training program is designed so they may one day participate or host, or observe the finer details of the course so that they may develop their own exercise. For example, Montenegro is currently scheduled to host LOGEX 12, Croatia is looking to eventually establish a similar LOGEX –type event, and the UK is showing great interest in becoming a mentor nation within the LOGEX series. So there’s lots of goodness here and many more opportunities ahead.

I must admit that the historic and majestic landscape of Prague frequently lures me to the window, and the fact that five of the “1,000 places to see before you die” are in Prague, makes me even more intrigued, but I digress. I would be remiss if I did not say how pleased we are with our colleagues and gracious host from the Czech Republic MOD. LTC Karel Zapletal is doing a marvelous job at orchestrating these events, so our hats are off to him and his team.

That just about does it for the Czech Republic workshop. I will be in Bulgaria the week of April 19-23 for another workshop, and as all workshops are designed the same; this will be my last update until July for the Final Workshop in Romania. Until then…

Nazdravi!
MAJ Matt Williams
U.S. European Command Logistics Directorate (ECJ4)

It is no secret that EUCOM remains committed to enduring partnerships and increased interoperability with NATO.... look at any Directors calendar and you'll probably notice how busy we all are towards that commitment.  This year marks the third EUCOM-led logistics exercise, which is a Command Post Exercise (CPX) that is based on NATO doctrine which uses a multinational approach in supporting deployed forces in NATO-led out of area operations, and easily follows EUCOM's them of "Stronger Together."   

Anticipation and excitement are growing as efforts are in full swing now for LOGEX 10 that will be conducted September 6-17, 2010, at Mihail Kogalniceanu (MK) Air Base, Romania.  I am pleasantly surprised to see that this year's exercise has grown from three nations last year to five nations this year, and include participants from Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic.  In fact, interest is also peaking for observer nations who also recognize the importance and strategic value of conducting multinational operations.  Since the Initial Planning Conference in September 2009, we have doubled our list of observer nations and I receive calls every so often from other Nations asking how they can become involved or contribute.  I'm already looking forward to the partnership opportunities in LOGEX 11 with Ukraine and Georgia.   

Participants at the LOGEX 2010 Mid Planning Conference in Sophia, Bulgaria.

As part of the LOGEX 10 Series, our good friends in Bulgaria hosted the Mid Planning Conference (MPC) in Sofia February 22-26 with a small contingent of representatives from the five nations above.  Attendees discussed the details of execution in September and came to new agreements that were codified in a newly signed Exercise Specification  (EXSPEC) Document. I've quickly learned that if a single detail or requirement is not captured in the EXSPEC, it won't happen without a lot of extra coordination.  As an added feature, the MPC also included the Main Event List / Main Incident List (MEL/MIL) Development Workshop.  For the non LOGEX-series enthusiasts, this is equates to Master Event Scenario List (MESL) development/scripting as used in U.S. exercise planning control groups.  The next series of events will consists of independent country workshops designed to develop the logistics and transportation annexes of the NATO Operational Plan (OPLAN) that will be used to conduct the exercise. 

By all accounts, the MPC was a great success and everyone worked hard to include each and every detail possible....but time will tell, however there is much, much more to accomplish because we have eight more events to conduct prior to execution.  My special thanks to LTC Chavdar Ivanov and his team from the Bulgarian MOD for hosting the MPC, and coordinating the multitude of events that took place during the week.  As we move forward in the LOGEX series and continue to share ideas and experiences, it will become evident that the more we work together... the stronger together we become.  

See you at the workshops.

MAJ Matt Williams
U.S. European Command Logistics

Attending the ceremony was the Honorable Jan Fischer, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, the Honorable M.D. Martin Barták, Czech Republic Minister of Defense and our U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic, the Honorable Mary Thompson-Jones. Also attending, was a long list of dignitaries and officials I could not keep up with. With any redeployment ceremony the most important in attendance were family members of the 601st soldiers. It was an honor to be the only USAF NCO in the mix and it was a unique experience being treated as a VIP.
 

The VIP treatment included flying in a Czech Republic Air Force Helicopter with the U.S. Ambassador, which included flight attendants serving refreshments. Nearly topping that experience, I also sat one table away from their country's highest ranking military and civilian officials along with U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic during the ceremony.

This type of support/partnership provided to the Czech Republic and their instant recognition of me and LTC Cordero is a perfect example of Admiral Stavridis’ picture of the “Bridge” which represents the enhancement of security, regional stability, and the support of global initiatives.

TSgt Timothy Powell
ECJ4 EDDOC
U.S. European Command

About a year ago, EUCOM’s Logistics directorate worked with the Czech Republic at the 2008 Senior NATO Logisticians’ Conference. The goal was to develop a Multinational Logistics Coordination Center where nations could collectively develop bilateral and multilateral support agreements to facilitate the operational employment and sustainment of forces for national or Alliance missions. As the year progressed, nations began to see a host of possibilities this center could offer.

For starters, the coordination center could reduce the amount of redundancy in operational planning efforts, and improve synchronization of multinational approaches to logistics issues. It would also improve the visibility of national requirements and identify existing logistics capabilities and shortfalls.

Navy Rear Adm. William Brown, Director EUCOM\'s Logistics Directorate, signs Letter of Intent with the Senior NATO Logisticians\' Coference General, Oct. 29, 2009.

At this year’s Senior NATO Logisticians’ Conference, which was held in October at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, the attendees agreed to sign a Letter of Intent demonstrating their determination and commitment to address critical logistics issues and improve nation-to-nation visibility and understanding of NATO and national support elements.

Rear Admiral William Brown, director of European Command Logistics, along with the assistance of Mr. Kalvin Huynh, Senior Web Application Developer at Computer Sciences Corporation, are working to develop a logistics collaboration tool that will facilitate attendance and participation at the coordination through HARMONIEWeb.

HARMONIEWeb was initiated in June 2006, as a joint venture between the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Networks and Information Integration and the U.S. Joint Forces Command. USJFCOM was directed to develop the platform for the exchange of unclassified information across the civil-military boundary associated with Stability, Security, Transition and Reconstruction or Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations.

In the short time that HARMONIEWeb has been up and running, it has already improved the military’s ability to exchange timely and relevant information with our partner nations, particularly in the critical early stages of an operation. We’re now able to synchronize efforts and accelerate successful mission completion. The true test came during the EUCOM humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations during Operation Assured Delivery in Georgia in 2008. During that operation, HARMONIEWeb allowed for all participants to have a common environment to meet and exchange ideas and information.

Multinational Logistics Coordination Center\'s virtual collaboration concept.

HARMONIEWeb provides many tools including a full MOSS 2007 portal ; real-time meeting software with voice, video and file sharing; virtual mapping with satellite overlays and custom icons; and text chat that can be translated into 15 languages. These tools allow all participants in an IW , SSTR, or HADR effort to communicate and coordinate activities regardless of nationality or organizational affiliation.
As innovation and creativity continue here in European Command through competent and capable staffs, one can only expect to see improvement in the logistics arena for NATO, NATO’s allies and regional partners for years to come.

Matt Williams
MAJ, US Army
ECJ4 Engagements Officer

That’s a wrap as they say in Hollywood, or so I’ve heard.  Eighteen months of planning, training, and effort finished with the after action review. 

It was strange, but unlike other events, there was an odd feeling that hung over the group.  It was there in the background from beginning to end and I sensed it too.  It was like your last week of high school or college.  You worked all this time to finish.  You couldn’t wait to get to the end to see fruits of your labor.  But, now you are at the finish line and you wish it wasn’t really over.  I suppose exercises do mimic real life.

I used the phrase “that’s a wrap”, and interestingly enough, as an exercise control group member it felt like a movie production.  Overall, the training audience members performed exceptionally.  Scattered throughout moments of perfection, there were moments that required do-overs, problems that were solved, problems that were never implemented, products made and products revised.  The training audience was pushed unusually hard, beyond their normal limits, yet to a person, everyone believed they were fortunate to have participated.  It wasn’t only the training audience that felt fortunate to participate, I did as well. 

One of EUCOM's missions is to build partner capacity, I believe we did that by helping the three Adriatic Nations gain interoperability amongst the participants,  increase familiarity within the complexity of support to a brigade-size task force in an out-of-area operation,  and promote cooperation and coordination amongst the three Nations' logistics staffs.

Let’s face it, there is nothing easy about planning to move thousands of people as well as ships full of equipment, real or notional, to another continent.  These officers and non-commissioned officers still had to put in the same planning, create the “what if” contingency plans, spend hours of coordination, and learn how to solve problems as they arose.  

There is no doubt that Croatian, Macedonian, and Albanian logisticians can be called on if their Nations’ are asked to participate in a future NATO-led mission.  I know they will perform magnificently and will enhance that operation, and that is what it is about.  An operation is always easier if there is trust amongst the various entities and a common understanding.    I feel that everyone came out of the exercise better knowing one another, they have a better grasp of logistics complexities, and they can do it using NATO doctrine.  

So, the exercise is over and we will go our separate ways; however, the memories and friendships made here will go on well into the future. We all learned, we all grew, and we are better off for having been a part of the LOGEX 09. 

Hvala and Gëzuar to my new Adriatic Friends.

MAJ Steve Wilke
EUCOM J4

The exercise started off with a bang. Not from a fictional bomb, but rather from a crafted problem given to the leadership of our notional Adriatic Brigade minutes after exercise start time. So what was this bombshell of a problem? Well, within the scenario, our three nations began moving personnel and equipment from home station toward the “Dark Continent”. Across the Balkans, there are notional convoys of materials and equipment moving down highways, ships that are arriving to the departure seaports, and airplanes getting ready to whisk soldiers off to Africa. The logistics staff officers from each country are wrestling with time requirements and movement schedules. Their plan was written and prepared; however, we in the control group notionally forced an unanticipated “problem” into the mix.

Staff officers struggled to communicate and coordinate with the appropriate organizations to correct the problem. How and when could they adjust the movement of most of their equipment from multiple seaports to just one, as they were just “directed”? No simple task. Orders must be adjusted, road clearances changed across three countries, ships rescheduled, larger holding areas found, and units informed to change the notional moves. (In LOGEX09 there are no actual troops, trucks, boats or planes moving about) Sounds kind of easy, but imagine you are just traveling on a business trip and will meet a friend New York. You have to arrive at the airport, park the car, and when you get to the ticket counter you are told to drive to another airport hours away to link up with a colleague to continue your travel together to NY. Now multiply that by a couple thousand troops and pieces of equipment and you get the idea.

As with all exercises, there is always a bit of flailing about as the training group or audience tries to get their legs under them. The LOGEX09 training audience is trying to get momentum within the daily rhythm and before they get hit with another issue. But, a major intent of the exercise is to take everyone beyond their normal limit, beyond their comfort zone, and beyond the routine amount (or scale) of problems. So if they can handle the stress now, they can handle these situations when it’s for real. Like sports, exercises truly are the “pre-season” for the military to perform whatever functions the leaders decide.

I have no doubt that everyone involved will gain invaluable experience, including me, thus making us Stronger Together.

Cheers
US Army Major Steve Wilke
EUCOM J4

This is my first blog for Logistics Exercise 2009.  Hope you enjoy it!  Thanks for tracking!

I arrived on time at “Alexander the Great” airport.  Thankfully, my trip was uneventful as it was my previous few times.  I was greeted by partly sunny skies, a warm breeze, my luggage (thankfully) and Macedonian Army Officer, my ride.  While the airport name invites visions of grandeur, I am always struck by it’s quaintness.  There are two departure gates to and two arrival baggage carousels.   The staff and people efficient in deed, pleasant in nature, and quick to help.    No surprise really, as I have never found my hosts and LOGEX friends unpleasant or unprofessional in any way. 

I have immensely enjoyed the months of planning and preparation that will culminate with this final event.  The various trips to all of the primary participating countries, of Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia were superb as well.

The very first ever iteration of LOGEX was hosted by Croatia in 2007.  This go round, it is Macedonia’s turn to be host for the LOGEX series.  I have to tip my hat to Macedonian Armed Forces for their outstanding efforts as the lead nation (host).  It isn’t easy to play host and bear the extra burdens of responsibility, effort, and additional financial strain that this title bestows. 

Soon we will begin this final chapter.  Stay tuned to the blog and follow me on Twitter @LOGEX09!
Cheers

US Army Major Steve Wilke
EUCOM J4

So, the final event of LOGEX 09 is upon us...

This exercise is the culmination of more than 16 months of effort. There were numerous planning conferences, capability workshops, training sessions, classroom instruction and logistics courses all over Europe. All of that was in preparation for this next week.

This exercise will train logistics staff officers from the Macedonian, Albanian, and Croatian Armed forces. They will train on NATO command and control systems, the many facets of a large unit deployment, sustainment and redeployment.

The notional scenario creates an “Adriatic Brigade” that is supporting a United Nations mandated, but NATO commanded mission on the continent of Africa. The mission of the fictional brigade is to deploy forces from home bases to East Africa and sustain forces for extended operations. That in turn will support the fictional OPERATION STABLE PEACE. If the notional scenario warrants, the Adriatic Brigade will support the United Nations, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and various International Organizations (IO) for stabilization and reconstruction efforts within the area of operations. Then, upon completion, redeploy forces back to home stations.

So why Africa? Because, it’s a long way from home, creates many logistical problems and the fictional operations area is geographically different than any place within the Adriatic nations home soil.

The beauty of notional exercises is learning…..the problems are hard, the answers need to be real and the mistakes are free.

Along with members of Joint Forces Command (Norfolk, VA), I will be an exercise controller. We controllers bend and sway the training audience with fictional scenario based problems. As the military’s premier trainers, the guys from Joint Forces Command have shepherded this exercise process with European Command’s blessing the entire way. It was a great multi-command team effort.

Our first two days have been the standard administrative minutia. Get checked in, listen to some baseline briefs, reacquaint yourself with the “LOGEX family”, get computer accounts running, do communications checks, review the plans and review the exercise problems or injects.

Although we have officially begun, the real work and value of our efforts begins tomorrow with the mini-exercise, which is like a scrimmage. Our hope is that this will make us “Stronger Together.”

Leave me a comment and follow me on Twitter @LOGEX09!

Cheers
US Army Major Steve Wilke
EUCOM J4

U.S. Navy Rear Adm. William "Andy" Brown, U.S. European Command Director of Logistics, signs a new Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement between U.S. and Norway and U.S. Navy Capt. Ted Digges, Logistics Support Division Chief and U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Tim Klopfer, Multinational Agreements Branch Chief look on. The document replaces the original agreement signed in 1982.

Last week I witnessed the signing of a very important international agreement – the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement between the U.S. and Norway. This agreement allows militaries of both countries to exchange logistic support, supplies and services to be used primarily during combined exercises, training, deployments, operations, as well as other unforeseen circumstances.

What is truly unique about this agreement is that it provides several methods of repayment. There is the usual cash transaction, as well as the ability to replace items used with like items within one year. The really flexible form of repayment is equal value exchange, where the two militaries can barter for support.

Signed by U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Andy Brown, Director of Logistics for the U.S. European Command on Aug. 5, 2009, this document replaces the original agreement, signed way back in 1982. The tremendous flexibility provided by this document breaks down the stove pipes associated with logistics between nations.

ACSA transactions can also greatly enhance the speed of acquisition for a commander in the field. They enable units to take advantage of economies of scale and reduce their logistics tail during combined operations and exercises by utilizing the other nation’s existing supplies and services rather than recreating their own. The U.S. and Norway have exchanged approximately $2 million under the previous agreement in the last three years.

EUCOM has ACSAs with 40 countries and two NATO organizations in our Area of Responsibility, and has executed over $65 million in orders this fiscal year under those ACSAs. These agreements benefit both the U.S. and our allies, and are a great tool to help build partner nation capacity.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Timothy Klopfer
Chief, Multinational Agreements Branch
U.S. European Command

RDML Steven Romano and Mr. K. H. Muenzner sign the Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement (ACSA) between EUCOM and the NATO Maintenance and Supply Organization (NAMSO).

On Wednesday, 22 April 2009, RDML Steven Romano, Director EUCOM J-4, and Mr. K.-H. Muenzner, NAMSA General Manager, signed a new Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement (ACSA) between EUCOM and the NATO Maintenance and Supply Organization (NAMSO).

They took time during the Senior NATO Logistics Conference to sign this important agreement, which replaces one of the oldest ACSAs in existence, signed in 1982. This new agreement permits the exchange of logistic support, supplies and services between the US and NAMSO, such as food, clothing, petroleum, transportation, repair and maintenance.

US forces and NAMSO have relied heavily on the old agreement for vehicle maintenance and support, and this new agreement is even more flexible, allowing additional types of support to be exchanged.

ACSAs provide many benefits, including promotion of interoperability, enhanced operational readiness, cost effective mutual support with a reduced deployment footprint for joint exercises and contingencies, and responsive, flexible support during Peacekeeping and Disaster Relief Operations. There are three kinds of payments allowed under ACSAs: payment in cash, replacement in kind, and equal value exchange.

Under the last method, if NAMSO or the US receive support, they have up to one year to pay for the support with an equal value of other support or services, as long as both sides agree to the exchange when the order is placed.

Lt Col Timothy Klopfer, USAF
EUCOM ACSA Manager

ECJ4 sent the contracting section to the "Operational Contract Support (OCS) Planning Conference" hosted by the Joint Staff/J4 and Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Program Support). The purpose of this conference was to get a vector from senior leadership on OCS, share initiatives from Combatant Commands, update key planning documents and obtain an update on DoD OCS initiatives.

This conference took place from 18-19 February in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Attendees consisted of representatives from the Combatant Commands, Services and Combat Support Agencies (e.g. Defense Contract Management Agency, Defense Logistics Agency). Also, the Defense Acquisition University and the Joint Planning and Execution Community (J3, J4, J5) sent representatives.

Our senior leaders in OCS noted the increased reliance on contractor support in joint operations and need to integrate into planning at every level. Failure to plan our contract support integration and contractor management strategy will degrade our ability to support global missions. For instance, the contractor to military ratio in Iraq is approximately equal - highlighting the need to properly manage and account for this support.

As the conference focus shifted to the OCS Community of Interest, each Combatant Command briefed their initiatives and integrating OCS into the Joint Operational Planning Process. We presented our initiatives to enhance visibility and communication with the contracting components in EUCOM: Combatant Commander Logistic Procurement Support Board (CLPSB), Contracting Component Working Group and Assets and Capabilities Mapping. Next, we discussed the integration of OCS into our exercises and planning process. Due to the outstanding team effort within EUCOM, we are staying at the forefront of efforts to deliver OCS.

To ensure awareness of specific polices in a Combatant Command, OSD/DoD is directing the establishment of a OCS-Web portal. At the conference, a prototype version of the OCS-web portal was presented for discussion. The intent of this initiative is to inform contracting officers and requiring activities (outside the AOR) of EUCOM specific contracting policies, prior to awarding a contract for performance in the EUCOM AOR. Currently, the OCS-Web portal is projected for Initial Operating Capability at the end of March 2009.

Finally, an update on a major OCS initiative, JCASO was delivered. The
JCASO was established to provide a program management approach to
contingency acquisition requirements in response to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) 2007, Section 854. This purpose of this organization is to advance OCS for planning, exercises and training and, when requested by a Combatant Commander (CCDR), deploy as an enabling joint staff organization to augment the CCDR staff for OCS support during joint ops/exercises. EUCOM will likely employ JCASO in upcoming exercises--these are exciting opportunities to be on the cutting edge of OCS!

Overall, the OCS Planning Conference served as a great opportunity to focus our efforts and get the "latest and greatest" information. The level of awareness related to OCS needs to remain high - this is an area that crosses into every functional area/J-staff/career field. While ECJ4 is the focal point for OCS planning and execution, proper integration is a collaborative effort across EUCOM. As the saying goes, "if we fail to plan, we plan to fail" - this clearly applies to OCS.

We invite you to join this discussion, and to provide additional suggestions or comments on these ideas. All of us have a shared interest in enhancing OCS, and we at EUCOM look forward to further engaging with our partners and stakeholders on this subject.

Lt. Col. Raymond Barben
ECJ4