SANTA RITA, Guam –
The Site Marianas team was assisted by Seabees and Reservists to help get the crews rested and ships resupplied so they could return to sea in a safe and healthy manner.
“It’s great to once again be in the company of our mission partners,” said Lt. Cmdr. Win Thaw, NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka Site Marianas site director. “This time we have support from Reservists and Seabees to help deliver critical products and services to these visiting units.”
NBG permitted sandbox liberty to the Theodore Roosevelt CSG and safe haven liberty to the Makin Island ARG throughout their visits. Personnel on the ships were only authorized to be within designated areas onboard NBG during liberty periods.
To accommodate ship requirements, seven Sailors from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 and NMCB 11 partnered with four Sailors from NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka Site Marianas to setup over 3,000 chairs and tables for the fleet landing, and arranged for 30 vehicles to be on standby to assist with transportation requirements. During the fleet landing setup, Reservists delivered and prepared 150 triwall boxes of mail for the ships, culminating in nearly 65,000 pounds of mail throughout the month of April.
“Usually the removal of a CSG’s accommodations and the return of vehicles takes about two days after departure, and an ARG setup takes about two to three days,” said David Poffenberger, NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka Site Marianas logistics support representative. “Yet we were able to arrange most of the requirements in as little as one day, thanks to the help we’ve received from Seabees and Reservists.”
Some of the Makin Island ARG units have been deployed for over six months without the opportunity for liberty, motivating Sailors onboard Site Marianas to provide the highest possible service to these units.
“I have been on two sea duties and deployments. I know what it’s like,” said Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Nina Bowers. “We knew what this would mean for our fellow Sailors and Marines, so we worked hard to get everything setup before everyone arrived.”
Site Marianas has a total of six Sailors, making the logistical demands from the Theodore Roosevelt CSG and the Makin Island ARG quite significant, requiring a substantial amount of coordination from the Site Marianas team. Three crane support crews were arranged to deliver general stores to one ship, making repeated trips to warehouses to reload trucks, and eventually making deliveries on another pier to distribute to even more ships. On the same day, four different ships received their supplies.
“All of our personnel played a crucial role in the preparation and execution of the logistics plan, which provided an important proof of interoperability of Site Marianas in support of the fleet and the Indo-Pacific theater,” said NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka Site Marianas Logistics Support Officer Lt. Yan Liang.
NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka is one of eight FLCs under Commander, NAVSUP. Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and employing a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 22,500 military and civilian personnel, NAVSUP’s mission is to provide supplies, services, and quality-of-life support to the Navy and the joint warfighter.