Photo By Whitney Katz | The final five Joint Planning Support Element (JPSE) members supporting Operation...... read more read more
NORFOLK, Va. – After supporting U.S. Africa Command’s Operation Juniper Micron for close to four months, the final five members of the Joint Enabling Capabilities Command redeployed from the USAFRICOM area of responsibility.
In January, USAFRICOM exercised the Global Response Force Execute Order to request capabilities from each of the JECC’s subordinate joint commands to fill operational planning, public affairs and communications gaps during initial planning efforts for OJM, the Department of Defense’s named operation to support French combat operations in Mali.
The JECC is a critical component of the GRF EXORD and is ready to deploy joint, mission-tailored packages anywhere in the world within hours of notification, to help the joint force establish the ability to command and control emerging operations. Just hours after receiving USAFRICOM’s request, 12 Joint Planning Support Element members, six members of the Joint Public Affairs Support Element and two communications experts from the Joint Communications Support Element departed for USAFRICOM headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.
This particular mission illustrated how the JECC effectively provides high-demand, low-density enablers to joint force commanders when resources are tight, time is short and risk is elevated.
“This mission validated the JECC’s ability to rapidly respond to a request with members from each of the subordinate commands,” explained U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jennifer Walkawicz, a member of the JPSE who deployed for this mission. “Additionally, the GRF model allowed us to arrive at the earliest stages of the planning effort, so we didn’t have to play catch up.”
Upon arrival in Stuttgart, the 12 JPSE members embedded with the USAFRICOM Fusion Center (J33/J35). With a comprehensive background in applying the Joint Operation Planning Process for multiple geographic combatant commands, JPSE’s expertise was integral to conducting the mission analysis and development of the OJM Operational Design and Operations Order.
“Our expertise of joint planning combined with the USAFRICOM staff’s understanding of their area of operations proved to be a good blend right from the start,” said Walkawicz.
As the planning environment changed, U.S. Army Africa was designated as the supported component commander for OJM and tasked to stand up Task Force Juniper Micron which was responsible for synchronizing all DOD efforts in support of French operations in Mali including the intratheater airlift, air refueling and intelligence sharing mission sets. Six JPSE members were re-directed to USARAF headquarters in Vicenza, Italy, to provide continued joint planning expertise.
“Since we were already familiar with the planning efforts at the theater-strategic level, we were able to provide recommendations and insight that accelerated the planning and execution at the operational-level,” Walkawicz said.
Following the JPASE team’s arrival at USAFRICOM headquarters, two members were quickly integrated into the current operations section of the resident Public Affairs shop. This team also worked closely with JPSE in the Fusion Center to facilitate the development of public affairs products associated with the OJM Operations Orders and coordinated with various public affairs offices at the component, headquarters and embassy levels to ensure message consistency.
As requirements evolved, four JPASE members traveled to Istres Air Base, France to support U.S. Air Forces, Africa Public Affairs, the designated component headquarters coordinating the air requirements of the OJM mission sets. These JPASE members were charged with a variety of joint public affairs tasks including coordination and facilitation of press briefings and media training as well as providing the main source of imagery collection.
“I feel that working with Air Forces Africa has been a great experience,” said U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Clint Gebke, a JPASE member who worked with AFAFRICA at Istres Air Base. “I’ve learned how they operate, but even better, I’ve built relationships that I have no doubt will help me in future operations.”
Unique to this mission was the employment of JCSE’s communications capabilities in direct support of the JPASE team at Istres Air Base. JPASE is frequently one of the first capabilities requested during the early stages of an emergent crisis or contingency; therefore, it is extremely important that the team be equipped to hit the ground running.
With the help of JCSE’s Initial Entry Package, which provides classified and unclassified network access to include voice and video teleconferencing capabilities, JPASE was fully operational within just hours of arriving at Istres Air Base - posturing the team for success.
“Working with JPASE was a new and different mission for us,” said JCSE member, U.S. Army Spc. Kyle Robinson. “I’m glad that JCSE’s capabilities were able to help the JPASE teams complete their mission.”
JCSE’s ability to rapidly provide dedicated work stations and uninterrupted communications connectivity streamlined JPASE’s operations providing a more effective, more efficient capability – a goal the JECC consistently strives to achieve. Deploying in tandem with JCSE is a practice JPASE is hoping to continue in the future, as it proved to be an invaluable resource.
“This was the first time we deployed with JCSE,” said JPASE member, U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Sean Robertson. “It would have been impossible to complete this mission successfully without their assets and skills.”
USAFRICOM’s employment of the JECC under GRF EXORD authorities not only demonstrated the effectiveness of this type of request process but validated the value of the JECC’s full range of capabilities in support of an emerging mission. The JECC currently stands ready to deliver unmatched joint operational command and control enablers to joint force commanders conducting emergent full spectrum operations.
| Date Taken: | 06.11.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 06.11.2013 08:21 |
| Story ID: | 108436 |
| Location: | NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 760 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, JECC completes mission supporting Operation Juniper Micron, by Whitney Katz, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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