The fast combat ship USNS Supply (top) provides the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp with fuel during an underway replenishment.
What Army Logisticians Should Know About the Navy
by Lieutenant Colonel James C. Bates, USA (Ret.)
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The fast combat ship USNS Supply (top) provides the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp with fuel during an underway replenishment. |
A key aspect of our military's transformation process is the increased emphasis on joint, interagency, and multinational (JIM) operations. The other military services use many of the same supplies that the Army uses—food, potable water, fuel, construction and barrier materials, sundry items, and medical supplies—and depend on the same strategic (and in some cases, intratheater) transportation assets. Therefore, resourceful Army logisticians who understand the supply and transportation methods of the other services will be in a better position to tap into their resources if needed in future operations.
In
previous issues of Army Logistician, I described the Marine Corps (July
–August) and the Air Force (September –October) from an Army logistician's
perspective. This article describes the Navy in a similar
light and discusses its organizational structure, primary weapon systems, logistics
methods, and transformational direction.
Navy
Organization
As of May, the Navy had over 380,000 active-duty personnel and more than 152,000 reservists (approximately 87,500 Selected Reser-vists and 65,000 Individual Ready Reservists.) The Secretary of the Navy oversees both the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Chief of Naval Operations, positions comparable to the Chief of Staff of the Army.
The Naval Operating Forces and the Shore Establishment are directly subordinate to the Chief of Naval Operations. For training and administrative purposes, all operating forces fall under the Commander of the Pacific Fleet or the Commander of the Atlantic Fleet. The latter is designated as the Commander of the Fleet Forces Command and represents both fleets.
The
primary mission of the two fleets is to provide operational forces to the regional
combatant commanders of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), U.S. Pacific Command
(PACOM), U.S. European Command (EUCOM), U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM), and
U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). In addition to the Atlantic and Pacific
Fleets, there are five numbered fleets:
the 2d, 3d, 5th, 6th, and 7th. The
2d Fleet is headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, and operates in the Atlantic Ocean,
while the 3d Fleet is headquartered in San Diego, California, and operates in
the eastern and central Pacific Ocean. Both fleets are actively involved in training
U.S. forces. The 5th Fleet is headquartered
in Manama, Bahrain, and operates in the Middle East waters of the Red Sea, the
Arabian Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the western Indian Ocean.
The 6th Fleet is headquartered in Naples, Italy, and operates in the Mediterranean
Sea. The 7th Fleet is headquartered in Yokosuka,
Japan, and operates in the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean. The 5th, 6th, and 7th Fleets provide naval
forces for CENTCOM, EUCOM, and PACOM, respectively.
Naval
Operating Forces
In order to understand the structure of the Naval Operating Forces, it is useful to know the naming conventions that are used to identify ships. For instance, the prefix "USS" (U.S. ship) in a vessel's name indicates that it is a Navy ship, it is manned by Navy personnel, and it is armed.
Ships that are similar in construction are grouped within a class that is named after the first ship constructed within that class. Besides their names, all USS ships have specific hull identifiers. Using the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) as an example, the "USS" designation means that U.S. naval forces man the Nimitz. The "CVN" indicates that the ship is a multipurpose aircraft carrier vessel, nuclear-powered. The number "68" is assigned only to the USS Nimitz. The lower the number, the earlier the ship was built compared to other CVN vessels. For instance, the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) was built before the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), which was built before the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70).
The
prefix "USNS" (U.S. naval ship), "SS" (steam ship), or "MV"
(motor vessel) indicates that the ship is part of, or chartered by, the Navy's
Military Sealift Command (MSC) and is primarily manned by a civilian crew.
All ships that have the letter "T" as the first letter of the
hull identifier belong to the MSC. A
"T –AO" designation indicates that the ship is an underway replenishment
oiler. The number following the designation
is a hull identifier for that specific ship. For example, the USNS Henry J. Kaiser
(T –AO 187), is an MSC underway replenishment oiler that is manned by a primarily
civilian crew. The "187"
portion of the hull identifier is assigned only to the USNS Henry J. Kaiser.
Commissioned
Ships
As of May, the Navy had 269 active commissioned (USS) ships. This number excludes MSC and Ready Reserve Force vessels. The number of active com-missioned ships can be broken down into these cate-gories: 12 aircraft carriers, 104 surface combatants (cruisers, destroyers, or frigates), 40 amphibious as-sault ships, 35 support/mine warfare ships, 18 fleet bal-listic missile submarines, 54 nuclear attack subma-rines, 6 combat logistics ships, and the legendary training ship, the USS Constitution.
• Aircraft carriers. The largest Navy ships are the aircraft carriers. The oldest of these are the two Kitty Hawk-class carrier vessels (CV), the USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63)—to be decommissioned in 2007—and the USS Constellation (CV 64). There is only one USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67)-class carrier and only one USS Enterprise (CVN 65)-class carrier. There are nine Nimitz-class carriers: the USS Nimitz (CVN 68), USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), USS George Washington (CVN 73), USS John Stennis (CVN 74), and USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). [Editor's note: The USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) was commissioned on 12 July, bringing the total number of aircraft carriers to 13]. Aircraft carriers are over 1,000 feet long; each carries about 85 aircraft and is manned by a crew of about 5,700 (3,000 are part of the ship's crew and 2,700 support aviation operations).
• Surface combatants. Cruisers, destroyers, and frigates are collectively referred to as surface com-batants. Cruisers (Ticonderoga class) perform air, undersea, and surface warfare roles. Each is about 567 feet long and has a crew of about 360 sailors.
Destroyers (Spruance class) primarily perform an antisubmarine role, while guided-missile destroyers (Arleigh Burke class) perform air warfare, undersea warfare, and surface warfare roles. They are similar in size to cruisers and each carries a crew of about 350 sailors.
Frigates (Oliver Hazard Perry class) are used pri-marily in an undersea warfare role to protect shipping, although they do have limited air warfare capabilities. Each is about 450 feet long and has a crew of 300 sailors.
• Amphibious assault ships. The Navy's amphibious assault ships are about 830 feet long and are manned by crews of about 1,100 sailors. Amphibious assault ships are the primary ships for the assault operations of Marine Expeditionary Units. Each vessel supports approximately 1,900 embarked marines. These ships carry landing craft, helicopters, and vertical-lift Harrier jets to support the Marine forces.
Dock landing ships also support amphibious operations. They are about 600 feet long and have crews of approximately 400 sailors.
Amphibious assault ships, amphibious transport dock ships, and dock landing ships can transport three different types of smaller vessels: landing craft, utility (LCU); landing craft, mechanized (LCM); and landing craft, air cushioned (LCAC). These vessels are placed in the water to "land" (transport) forces and equipment ashore. Unlike larger ships, these craft can operate in shallow water.
LCUs are about 135 feet long; each has a crew of 14 sailors and can haul 125 tons of cargo. There are two types of LCMs: the LCM 8 is 74 feet long and can transport 1 M60 tank or 200 troops. The LCM 6 is 56 feet long and can transport 34 tons or 80 troops. The LCAC is 88 feet long and can transport 1 M1 tank, 4 light armored vehicles, or 24 troops. The LCAC hovers slightly above the land or the sea on an air cushion that allows it to access about 70 percent of the world's coastline, while conventional landing craft like the LCU and the LCM can land at only 15 percent of the world's coasts.
Two
converted amphibious assault ships, the USS Mount Whitney and the USS
Blue Ridge, now serve as command ships for the 2d and 7th fleets, respectively. The USS Coronado and the USS
La Salle, two converted amphibious transport dock ships, are the command ships
for the 3rd and 6th Fleets, respectively.
The USS LaSalle, flagship for the Commander, Sixth Fleet, is undersway in the Mediterranean Sea. |
• Mine warfare ships. Mine countermeasure ships (Avenger class) are designed to clear mines from vital waterways. They are 224 feet long, and each carries a crew of 84 sailors.
Coastal mine-hunter ships (Osprey class) also clear mines from vital waterways. They are 188 feet long and have a crew of 50 sailors each. Patrol coastal ships provide coastal patrol and interdiction surveillance. They are 170 feet long and have a crew of 30 sailors each.
Rescue and salvage ships render assistance to disabled ships and provide towing, salvage, diving, firefighting, and heavy-lift capabilities. They are 255 feet long and have a crew of about 100 sailors each.
• Fleet ballistic missile submarines. These Ohio class submarines are nuclear powered and are armed with long-range strategic missiles. Combined, these submarines carry 50 percent of all U.S. strategic warheads.
• Nuclear attack submarines. These Los Angeles-, Seawolf-, and Virginia-class submarines are designed to locate and destroy enemy submarines and surface vessels. Each submarine is about 360 feet long and has a crew of about 135 sailors.
• Combat logistics ships. Fast combat support ships (Sacramento class) are the Navy's largest combat logistics ships. Each can carry 7,434,000 gallons of fuel, 2,150 tons of ammunition, 500 tons of dry stores, and 250 tons of refrigerated stores. These ships are about 775 feet long, and each has a crew of about 600 sailors. They have the speed and armament to keep pace with the carrier battle groups. The current trend in the Navy is to transfer these ships to the MSC.
• Training ship. The USS Constitution, which is maintained at the former Charlestown Navy Yard in Massachusetts, was commissioned and put to sea in 1798. It was condemned in 1830, but public sentiment saved the ship, and it was rebuilt in 1833 and again in 1877, 1897, and 1997.
Naval vessels normally operate as part of groups. A typical carrier battle group consists of an aircraft carrier, a cruiser, two destroyers, an attack submarine, and a fast combat support ship. A surface action group consists of three destroyers and has antiaircraft, antisurface, and antisubmarine capabilities.
An amphibious ready group typically consists of an amphibious assault ship, an amphibious transport dock ship, and a dock landing ship, along with a Marine Expeditionary Unit.
The expeditionary strike
group that the Navy is currently designing will consist of an amphibious ready
group and a destroyer, a cruiser, a nuclear attack submarine, and one of the destroyers
currently under development.
Military
Sealift Command
Providing logistics support to the Navy's fast combat support ships is one of MSC's missions. It provides ocean transportation of equipment, fuel, supplies, and ammunition to support U.S. forces worldwide. MSC currently operates 123 noncombatant, civilian-crewed ships located throughout the world and has access to 68 other ships that are kept in a reduced operating status so that they can be activated rapidly if needed. The Navy's MSC, along with the Army's Military Traffic Management Command, and the Air Force's Air Mobility Command, are components of the U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM). The MSC manages five separate ship programs: the Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force, the Afloat Pre-positioning Force, Sealift Ships, Special-Mission Ships, and the Ready Reserve Force.
• Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force. The ships in this force directly support the Navy's combatant ships with the logistics they need to remain at sea for long periods. Two Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force ships, the USNS Comfort and the USNS Mercy, serve as floating hospitals. Other ships serve as fleet ocean tugboats, fast combat support ships, oilers, ammunition ships, and combat stores ships.
MSC's fast combat support ships are the same as the operational Navy's fast combat support ships, except that the MSC vessels are operated by primarily civilian crews and are not commissioned vessels. The underway replenishment oilers (Henry J. Kaiser class) can carry about 7,140,000 gallons of fuel oil or aviation fuel. They are about 678 feet long, and each has a crew of 100. The seven ammunition ships provide underway replenishment of all types of ammunition. These ships can transport about 6,000 tons of ammunition, are 564 feet long, and have a crew of about 150 each. The six combat stores ships provide subsistence, including frozen, chilled, and dry provisions; individual clothing and equipment; construction and barrier materials; personal items; medical material; and repair parts to Navy ships at sea. They are 550 feet long and have a crew of about 165 personnel each.
The Navy is currently developing an Advanced Auxiliary Dry Cargo Ship Program, which eventually will have 12 ships each capable of carrying 5,910 tons of dry cargo and 756,000 gallons of fuel. They will be 689 feet in length.
• Afloat Pre-positioning Force (APF). The APF provides intertheater mobility and storage of U.S. military equipment and supplies. Forty-two ships currently serve in this role: 16 maritime pre-positioning ships carry equipment and supplies for the Marine Corps; 13 combat pre-positioning ships (also called Afloat Pre-Positioning Ships [APS] –3) carry equipment and supplies for an Army heavy brigade; and 13 logistics pre-positioning ships are loaded with Defense Logistics Agency fuel, Air Force ammunition, Marine Corps aviation support equipment, and Navy munitions.
• Sealift Ships. These ships provide ocean transportation for the Department of Defense (DOD) in peace, contingencies, and war. The program is organized into three offices: the Tanker Project Office, the Dry Cargo Project Office, and the Surge Project Office.
In coordination with the Defense Energy Support Center, the Tanker Project Office transports petroleum products to DOD storage and distribution facilities worldwide. The Dry Cargo Project Office oversees the operations of 20 MSC-chartered cargo ships and arranges for the delivery of military supplies and equipment aboard U.S.-flagged commercial ships. The Surge Project Office provides strategic lift capabilities needed to support the U.S. military in peace or war, either through U.S.-flagged commercial vessels or Government-owned surge sealift.
Government-owned surge sealift is divided into three categories: fast sealift ships, which can sail at maximum speeds of over 30 knots for short periods; surge LMSRs (large, medium-speed, roll-on-roll-off vessels); and the Ready Reserve Force.
Together, MSC's eight fast sealift ships can carry almost all of the equipment to outfit an Army mechanized infantry division. LMSRs can sail at 24 knots and can carry up to 380,000 square feet of cargo (equivalent to eight football fields) each. MSC currently has 11 surge LMSRs.
• Special-Mission Ships. MSC's 26 Special-Mission Ships provide a wide variety of highly specialized ocean-going platforms for missions that include oceanographic and coastal surveying, ocean surveillance, missile-tracking, cable laying and repair, deep submergence recovery, and counter-drug operations. Military and civilian scientists and technicians carry out the unique missions of these ships, which are operated by MSC employees and contract mariners.
• Ready Reserve Force. The ships in the Ready Reserve Force are controlled by the Maritime Administration (part of the U.S. Department of Transportation) but are turned over to MSC during war or other emergency. They each have a crew of about eight mariners who live on board. The ships go out to sea with a full crew to practice underway replenishment and participate in exercises. They include roll-on-roll-off ships, crane ships, breakbulk ships, and tankers that can be activated in 4 to 20 days.
A Tomahawk land attack missile is launched from the guided missile cruiser USS Anzio. |
The Shore Establishment
The Shore Establishment supports the Naval Operating Forces by providing repair facilities, communication centers, training areas and simulators, intelligence and meteorological support, storage areas, medical and dental facilities, and air bases. The Naval Supply Systems (NAVSUP) Command, which is headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, is of primary importance to Navy logisticians. NAVSUP's most important responsibility is overseeing the worldwide integrated Navy supply system that provides sustainment to the fleet. Its subordinate activities include the Naval Inventory Control Point, the Navy Exchange Service Command, the Navy Supply Information Systems Activity, the Fitting Out and Supply Support Assistance Center, the Fleet and Industrial Supply Centers, and the Naval Operational Logistics Support Center.
The Naval Inventory Control Point exercises centralized control over 350,000 different line items of repair parts, components, and assemblies that keep ships, aircraft, and weapon systems operating. It also provides logistics and supply assistance to selected nations through the Foreign Military Sales Program.
The Navy Exchange Service Command includes 110 Navy exchanges, 41 Navy lodges, and 186 ships' stores. Sales exceed $2 billion annually and generate over $67 million in profits that support morale, welfare, and recreation programs ashore and afloat. It also manages the Navy's clothing program, providing both uniforms and specialized protective clothing to the Navy.
The Navy Supply Information Systems Activity is the Navy's central agency for designing, developing, and maintaining information systems supporting numerous shore activities in the functional areas of logistics, transportation, finance and accounting, and inventory modeling.
The Fitting Out and Supply Support Assistance Center provides naval forces and other Federal agencies with quality logistics, engineering, training, and other support services on a worldwide basis. The Navy plans to dissolve this activity and transfer its missions to other activities within NAVSUP.
The six Fleet and Industrial Supply Centers provide a variety of logistics support services and products to Navy and other military customers in their respective regions. These products and services include material management, contracting, transportation, fuel services, customer service, hazardous materials management, household goods movement, consolidated mail services, and supply consultation on a regional basis. Each center is collocated with a Defense Logistics Agency depot, which coordinates the physical distribution of stocks.
The Naval Operational
Logistics Support Center and its functional subcomponents (petroleum management,
transportation management, and ammunition management) manage fleet fuel requirements;
oversee five major fuel depots; manage the transportation of Navy material; determine
and fund the Navy's transportation requirements; and provide centralized inventory
management and business systems development functions for the Navy's non-nuclear
ordnance stockpile, valued at almost $33 billion.
Underway
Replenishment
The Shore Establishment works closely with the Naval Operating Forces to provide logistics so Navy ships can be resupplied at a number of deepwater ports worldwide. However, berthing at ports leaves Navy ships vulnerable to land-based and shallow-water attacks and temporarily interferes with the Navy's deepwater mission. As an alternative, combat logistics ships and MSC vessels can sustain the Navy's warfighting vessels with fuel, ammunition, provisions, ships' stores' items, and repair parts at sea using either vertical replenishment or connected replenishment.
Vertical replenishment primarily involves using helicopters to lift cargo from a supply ship to a combatant ship. Over 60 percent of underway replenishment ships have two helicopters, typically a CH –46 Sea Knight, which is similar to, but smaller than, the Army's CH –47 Chinook; and an SH –60, which is similar to the Army's UH –60 Black Hawk. During vertical replenishment, CH –46 helicopters can carry loads that weigh about 4,000 pounds.
Connected replenishment is usually conducted while both supply and combatant ships are "in stream," or moving, at speeds ranging from 10 to 16 knots. It is not unusual for an MSC replenishment ship to position itself between two Navy warships so it can resupply both at the same time using multiple replenishment stations. Replenishment at sea of dry cargo is conducted using tensioned span wire cables that connect the two vessels. Cargo to be transferred is connected to a trolley that rides on the cables. Under ideal conditions, a container load of 8,750 pounds can be transferred in less than 2 minutes.
Underway replenishment procedures require skilled crews and intense training. Experienced sailors and marines can conduct replenishment operations routinely in sea state condition 4 (moderate waves that are between 4 and 8 feet high) and, when necessary, in sea state condition 5 (rough-looking waves from 8 to 13 feet high. (A sea state is a means of describing the prevailing ocean wave activity based on the Beaufort wind force scale. Sea state conditions range from 0 to 9. In sea state condition 0, the seas are calm or glassy and there is no wave activity. At the other end of the scale, sea state 9 has phenomenal waves that are over 45 feet high.)
Fueling at sea is accomplished using hoses that are supported by cables that connect the vessels. The Navy uses a fuel called JP5 for its aircraft. JP5 is similar to JP8, except that JP5 has a higher flashpoint than JP8, making it less likely to cause shipboard fires. Therefore, JP5 is an acceptable substitute for use in Army aircraft and ground vehicles when JP8 is unavailable. Non-nuclear Navy ships use bunker fuels, which are various kinds of commercial fuels. Although ship propellant fuels should not be used for Army aircraft, they may be suitable for use in military ground vehicles for short periods of time. Army Regulation 70 –12, Fuels and Lubricants Standardization Policy for Equipment Design, Operation, and Logistic Support, has details on the use of fuels and additives.
Though most naval resupply is by sea, fixed-wing aircraft also sustain naval forces. The C –2A Greyhound is a cargo aircraft designed to land on aircraft carriers. Resupply by this method is called carrier on-board delivery. The C –2A can transport a payload of 10,000 pounds. The S3 –B Viking is also capable of carrier on-board delivery and can provide in-flight refueling to other aircraft.
Like the Air Force, the Navy, through its Reserve forces, operates the C –130 cargo plane, which can deliver cargo to fixed airfields, including unimproved runways. The newest version of the C –130 has a maximum cargo capacity of 46,812 pounds.
The
Navy also operates a number of other types of aircraft. The C –9 Skytrain can haul both passengers
and cargo or 40 litter patients and 40 ambulatory patients.
The C –40A Clipper is certified to operate in an all-passenger configuration
(121 passengers), an all-cargo configuration, or a combination configuration that
accommodates 3 cargo pallets and 70 passengers on the main deck. The C –20 Gulfstream can serve as
a cargo aircraft, although its primary role is transporting dignitaries. The C –12 Huron, which provides logistics
support between Navy air stations, can deliver a payload of 4,215 pounds.
Navy
Transformation
The Navy's overarching transformation guidance and vision is published in Sea Power 21, Projecting Decisive Joint Capabilities, which outlines how the Navy will organize, integrate, and transform to meet the challenges of the century ahead. The Naval Operating Concept (NOC) for Joint Operations describes how the Navy and Marine Corps team will train, organize, deploy, and sustain a more capable and ready force through 2020 as part of the Joint Force. These documents explain the concepts of Sea Strike, Sea Shield, and Sea Basing.
According
to the NOC, Sea Strike is a broad concept for projecting precise and persistent
naval offensive power. Sea Shield
describes the manner in which naval forces will protect our national interests
with layered global defensive power. Sea
Basing is the foundation from which offensive and defensive power is projected,
making Sea Strike and Sea Shield realities. It will provide joint force commanders
with global command and control capability and extend integrated support to the
other services. The emerging joint
concepts associated with Sea Basing will have a profound impact on future joint
warfighting logistics concepts.
Blue
and Brown Water Navies
Naval forces designed to control the deep waters of the seas are known colloquially as the "Blue Water Navy." Since the demise of the Soviet Union, the Navy has had unprecedented dominance of the oceans of the world. While maintaining dominance is a priority, the Navy also seeks to assert more influence over the world's coastal areas, both seaward and landward. The land and sea adjacent to a coast is known as a littoral.
Naval forces operating near littoral areas are known colloquially as the "Brown Water Navy." Some Navy documents state that the littoral can be as far inland as 650 miles, which is the maximum distance accessed by Navy aircraft based at sea. Therefore, littoral areas are tied to the ability of Navy forces to exert influence.
In order to implement emerging doctrine, the Navy will field advanced equipment. The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), currently under development, will operate in and ensure access to littoral areas. The LCS will be smaller than other combatant ships (cruisers, destroyers, and frigates) and will be capable of self-deployment over strategic distances (up to 4,300 nautical miles) without refueling. Its primary missions will be to intercept small, fast surface craft; implement mine countermeasures; and conduct antidiesel submarine warfare. It will be capable of operating in shallow waters since its draft will be about 10 feet. It will attain speeds of 50 knots, accommodate 75 passengers, and require a core crew of as few as 15 sailors. An LCS squadron will consist of five LCSs.
Like the Army, the Navy is interested in the development of high-speed vessels (HSVs) and larger theater support vessels (TSVs). These are being designed to transport battalion-sized forces within a theater at speeds nearing 50 knots.
The V –22 Osprey, currently under development, will have an intratheater airlift mission. The V –22 is a tilt-rotor aircraft that has the speed, range, and fuel efficiency of a turboprop aircraft and the vertical takeoff, landing, and hover capabilities of a helicopter. Using a dual cargo hook, it can lift 15,000 pounds.
Organizations involved with Navy logistics transformation include the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Fleet Readiness and Logistics (N –4), who is similar to the Army's Deputy Chief of Staff, G –4, and the Chief of Naval Education and Training (CNET), who is equivalent to the Commander of the Army Training and Doctrine Command. CNET is responsible for the education and training of all Navy and Marine Corps personnel. The Navy Warfare Development Command (www.nwdc.navy.mil) is the Navy's proponent for concept development and experimentation.
As military doctrine, planning, execution, and logistics become increasingly joint, Army logisticians who understand the organizational structure, means of force employment, sustainment methods, and transformation goals of the Navy will not only be better informed, but also may be able to use this knowledge to obtain logistics-related support from naval forces operating in adjacent, littoral areas. ALOG
Lieutenant Colonel James C. Bates, USA (Ret.), is a former Army logistics officer who works for Alion Science and Technology Corporation. He currently serves as a sustainment planner for the U.S. Joint Forces Command, J –9 Transformation Office, in Suffolk, Virginia. He can be reached via email at batesj@je.jfcom.mil.
The author wishes to thank Captain Gary "Pappy" Ellis, USN (Ret.), and Captain Stephen Dexter, USN (Ret.), for their assistance in writing this article.