(Or: Hey, if I don't toot my own horn, who will?)
I'm especially proud of this tour of duty. I was the project officer, with direct responsibility for the conduct of this operation. Some of the conditions in the citation have changed; the Coast Guard no longer has a role in the offloading/backloading operations since the Marines now have their own facility. The Coast Guard is responsible for supervising hazardous loadouts at civilian ports, not military ports.
The Marine Safety Office, Jacksonville, Florida, is recommended for the Coast Guard SPECIAL OPERATIONS SERVICE ribbon for the period 1 July 1987 through 1 May 1988 for coordination of all Coast Guard responsibilities pertaining to the maritime prepositioning ship (MPS) project which is conducted at Blount Island Terminal, Jacksonville, Florida.
The MPS program was established in December 1983 to increase the response posture of U.S. Marine Corps forces requiring immediate and rapid deployment. This program reduces the time taken to deploy Marine forces to forward areas. In a crisis, equipment aboard forward deployed prepositioning ships is offloaded at a secure beach or port and then joined with Marine Corps personnel. Delays previously experienced in transporting equipment to crisis regions are avoided and marine amphibious brigades are operational shortly after their airlift arrival. Each prepositioning vessel carries sufficient equipment and supplies to sustain a 16,500 man brigade for 30 days. Each ship's cargo includes fuel, water, vehicles, weapons and other equipment needed for deployed Marine Corps forces ashore as well as over 1,000,000 net pounds of class V military explosives (ammunition).
Prepositioning vessels are commercial vessels, subject to Coast Guard inspections, operated by the Military Sealift Command (MSC). In July 1986 the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southern Division, leased a portion of the Gate Petroleum company facility at Blount Island, Jacksonville, Florida, for the purpose of conducting the Biennial Maintenance Cycle (BMC) program for each vessel. The Biennial Maintenance Cycle ensures the operational readiness of the embarked equipment and supplies and provides the opportunity for the required Coast Guard inspection of the vessel. Each ship docks at Blount Island terminal for approximately 5 days. Local longshoremen offload containerized cargo and rolling stock. Government contract personnel and U.S. Marine Corps personnel move the cargo to the leased facility for inspection, maintenance, and repair or replacement as needed. The offloaded vessel undergoes maintenance and Coast Guard inspection at a shipyard contracted by the ship's operators. After about two months the ship returns to Blount Island terminal. Refurbished and new cargo is loaded aboard and the ship returns to its operating area.
Coast Guard active duty, Reserve, and auxiliary personnel assigned to Marine Safety Office Jacksonville, Florida, under the direction of the Coast Guard Captain of the Port, are responsible for the safety of the vessel, the cargo, workers, and citizens of Jacksonville while each vessel, laden with high explosives, is in port. To assure a safe operation, an extensive safety plan was prepared by COTP Jacksonville prior to the arrival of the first MPS program vessel. In close coordination with the U.S. Marine Corps, Military Sealift Command, Military Traffic Management Command, and local authorities, COTP Jacksonville provides waterside security and ensures operational safety for each explosive-laden vessel during the entire port call. Vessels are escorted to berth by Coast Guard patrol boats; security and safety zones are established and patrolled around the clock until all explosives have safely left Blount Island; Coast Guard personnel inspect containers loaded with explosives; test cargo handling apparatus both ashore and on the vessel; conduct emergency drills; verify dangerous cargo manifests and stow plans; and physically supervise the transfer of explosive cargo. The criticality of this evolution has been summarized by the Commander, Military Sealift Command, Atlantic, who has determined that detonation of an MPS at Blount Island will include the following:
A. Loss of ship
B. Loss of cargo
C. Loss of life or injury to crew, offload party, and civlian populous [sic]
D. Extensive damage to port facility
E. Damage to private structures beyond the terminal
During the period of this recommendation, 10 such offloads/backloads have been conducted. The backload of M/V ANDERSON 25 May 1988 concludes the biennial maintenance cycle for MPS Squadron II. Commencing in June, Squadron III vessels will begin arriving, as this project essential to national security continues for the indefinite future.
The MPS project has been a manpower intensive evolution for which MSO Jacksonville has been supported by Coast Guard Reserve and auxiliary personnel. Reserve personnel have participated in virtually every phase of the program from small boat operations to acting as Command Duty Officer. U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary personnel have provided enforcement of the safety zone around the vessel and terminal.
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