A four-person Expeditionary Port Unit (EPU) team of Sailors assigned to the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command (MSC) reserve unit travelled to Wilhelmshaven, Germany to hone their skills the week before Christmas.

The EPU team, based out of New Castle, Delaware travelled to the port on the North Sea to serve as a liaison between the MSC contracted vessel MV Sagamore and port services personnel at the EUROGATE Container Terminal. The team also worked hand in hand with representatives from the U.S. Army’s 838th Transportation Battalion and 355th Transportation Detachment to ensure the smooth transition of 451 containers of cargo from Sagamore to its owners further afield.

“We monitor the speed and accuracy of activities on the ship so we can provide accurate SITREPS (situation reports) up the chain of command,” said Torpedoman’s Mate 2nd Class Guy Greene, from Aberdeen, Maryland, an EPU team Sailor on his third mission. “We also maintain standby communications with the (MSC) Staff Duty Officer to communicate any contingencies that may arise, especially those that could impact any potential follow-on missions the ship may have,” Greene continued.

Missions like these also provide an opportunity to qualify new EPU team members. Buffalo, New York native, Chief Quartermaster Joshua Evans led the unit in Germany and provided instruction on the ins and outs of an EPU deployment.

“We went over the command structure and got people familiarized with how MSC operates during these missions,” noted Evans. “We have about 84 reservists from all over the country that are based out of New Castle and there are a lot of missions going on around the region so having as many people qualified as possible is a goal of ours,” said Evans.

One of those new EPU team members was Information Systems Technician Seaman Nathan Roney, from Port Orchard, Washington.

“I’ve never been out of the country, but I wanted to help where I can,” said Roney. “This visit has given me a good base point to wrap my head around what goes on here,” Roney continued.

Another Sailor new to the EPU team was Yeoman 3rd Class Cristian Miranda, from Bakersfield California.

“It was nice to get to see exactly what gets done. To see who fills the different roles, to see all the moving parts and all the interaction,” Miranda said.

Capt. Todd B. Penrod, Commander, Task Force 63 / Commander, Military Sealift Command Europe & Africa, highlighted the importance of having reservists like the EPU Sailors answer the call to execute forward deployed cargo operations like the one between Sagamore and the U.S. Army transportation units.

“These are the very same people that we’re going to call in the time of elevated conflict where we need to move a lot of cargo quickly across various ports,” Penrod said. “Having these four to six person teams be able to rapidly deploy across the continent to help get cargo where it needs to be is a vital NATO and national defense support effort,” said Penrod.

“These [reservists] are really outstanding Americans,” Penrod said. “They come from all walks of life, and a few times a year they look for these missions, to put on a uniform and come support, and to be frank, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do without them,” said Penrod.

MSC directs and supports operations for approximately 140 civilian-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships at sea, conduct specialized missions, preposition combat cargo at sea around the world, perform a variety of support services, and move military equipment and supplies to deployed U.S. forces. Celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2024, MSC exists to support the joint warfighter across the full spectrum of military operations, with a workforce that includes approximately 6,000 Civil Service Mariners and 1,100 contract mariners, supported by 1,500 shore staff and 1,400 active duty and reserve military personnel.