The years of Global War on Terror (GWOT) campaign deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan may be over, but the responsibility that now rests on the shoulders of the U.S. Navy Reserve is in no way diminished. Whether it’s providing high value unit (HVU) security escort for our aircraft carriers in Norfolk or San Diego or helping partner nations build a new pier in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Navy Reservists lead from the front alongside their active duty counterparts every day.

Amidst these dynamic responsibilities, the U.S. Navy Reserve is undergoing significant changes to be ready for sustained high-end joint and combined combat by 2027, enhancing our long-term advantage. These efforts, contained within the Chief of the Navy Reserve’s Battle Orders 2032, include streamlining mobilization processes, and redistributing and recruiting skilled Sailors who are trained and ready and can seamlessly react and respond when called upon. A key player in these efforts is the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC), which is spearheading initiatives to enhance the readiness and integration of its 10,000 reserve-component Sailors.  

There are five communities that serve under the NECC umbrella: Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Maritime Expeditionary Security Force (MESF), Naval Construction Force (NCF), Navy Expeditionary Logistics Force (NAVELSF), and Naval Expeditionary Intelligence Command. Of the approximately 20,000 Sailors who serve under the NECC umbrella, approximately half are in the reserve component and constitute nearly 20 percent of the Navy’s total reserve force. Significant changes are underway to meet modern warfare demands and enhance the readiness and force generation of NECC's reserve component.
 
Here's what you need to know:
 

1. Warfighting Readiness

NECC has developed the Navy Expeditionary Combat Force Response Plan (NRP) as its "North Star," streamlining force design and readiness efforts to ensure units are prepared to support Combatant Commanders' operational plans (OPLANS). The NRP aligns manning, training, and equipping forces with the requirements needed to generate forces to execute these plans.

Previously, NECC units were assembled for Global Force Management (GFM) deployment requirements by sourcing volunteers from across the Navy which required extensive training and team-building before deployment. Recognizing the inefficiencies, NECC now maintains units ready to execute major combat missions at a moment's notice. New baseline training and readiness requirements and metrics have been established, providing consistency, standardization, and predictability for both commanders and reserve Sailors.

Under the NRP, NECC has established new readiness metrics and aligned units and resources to meet these standards. This structured approach provides commanders and reserve Sailors with the consistency and standardization necessary to maintain operational readiness and effectiveness, while also providing Sailors with some predictability in their schedules.

The first to implement these initiatives is the Maritime Expeditionary Security Force (MESF), which deploys globally, protecting maritime infrastructure and high value assets. MESF’s reserve units are fully operational and hardware equipped, deploying alongside their active-duty counterparts.
 
MSRON-1, a reserve-only unit from San Diego, recently relieved MSRON-10, a Jacksonville-based reserve unit, in the U.S. 5th Fleet Area of Operations. MSRON-1 now provides HVU escort support, while MSRON-10 completed several high-priority security missions and participated in multinational exercises with the Djiboutian Navy and Coast Guard.
 
In July 2023, MESF implemented a major organizational change which established O-5 Reserve Surface Warfare Commanding Officers as command at sea, a move that expands leadership opportunities, provides for a defined reserve career path and prepares a larger pool of candidates for major combat operations. More changes are in process across MESF, NAVELSG, and NCF.

2. People as the Asymmetric Edge

NECC communities are Fleet enablers. Without NECC Sailors, aircraft carriers would not have security escorts when pulling into ports, or the Navy wouldn’t have engineers within its ranks to build and maintain Fleet infrastructure on bases and ports, or to perform safe and expeditious ammunition onloads aboard guided missile destroyers in critical Fleet areas. 

It is crystal clear that Navy operations rely on these Sailors, making placement of the right Sailors at the right time, crucial for Navy operations. NECC’s dedicated assignments team works with Commander, Navy Reserve Forces Command (CNRFC) to ensure that qualified Sailors are placed where they are needed most. Recruitment efforts include targeted outreach to skilled technicians and former active service members, offering seamless transitions from active NECC units to reserve NECC units in order to retain the skills, qualifications and readiness within the Force.

Other recruiting initiatives include retaining talent within the Navy by reassigning former active service members to reserve units. Additionally, the NECC Reserve Initiatives Team identifies NECC accessions early in order to provide them with relevant training by sending these Sailors to the right schools and to Fleet NECC units immediately upon finishing required training schools. This ensures that these Sailors gain on-the-job training and expertise without waiting at their reserve center for unit assignment.

4. Always Ready

In support of GFM requirements, NECC mobilizes approximately 800 Sailors annually to support Combatant Command construction, security, and logistics requirements.  To better accomplish this, NECC has been delegated self-mobilization authorities and conducts these mobilizations themselves to support their Sailors and ensure team cohesion throughout the process.

Mobilization readiness is essential to achieving NECC’s NRP and meeting the Chief of the Navy Reserve’s goal of total Reserve Force mobilization within 30 days. While typical mobilizations allow six months for administrative and medical screening, in a mass mobilization, Sailors will have only days to report in the event of a full mobilization.
NECC is proactively ensuring "day-one" readiness by requiring all assigned Sailors to complete and maintain mobilization requirements, even without active orders. "We cannot generate viable units of action if we lose Sailors during the mobilization process due to disqualification," said Rear Adm. Mark Haigis, NECC deputy commander.

An NECC mobilization exercise (MOBEX) is scheduled for summer 2025 during Large Scale Exercise (LSE), aiming to simulate NECC’s ability to mobilize nearly all 10,000 of their Sailors within two weeks. This exercise will stress the mobilization process, identify shortfalls, and refine policies to ensure NECC’s swift and efficient response when called upon.

Looking forward

The Navy Expeditionary Combat Command is at the forefront of transforming its Navy Reserve force to meet the challenges of modern warfare. Through initiatives that enhance warfighting readiness, streamline administrative and operational integration, leverage the talents of its personnel, and ensure mobilization readiness, NECC is building a more agile and capable force. As these changes take effect, the NECC and its reserve component will continue to play a crucial role in supporting Navy operations worldwide and ensuring they are always ready to respond to any mission.

For more information on joining NECC or to stay updated on their initiatives, please visit their official website or subscribe to NECC’s Force Connect.
https://www.necc.usff.navy.mil