Photo By Richard Maupin | During the Joint Enabling Capabilities Command’s (JECC) Continuity of Operations...... read more read more
NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, Va. – From May 27 – 30, the Joint Enabling Capabilities Command (JECC) executed its Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) in response to a simulated hurricane in the vicinity of Norfolk, Va. As an integral part of the Global Response Force, the JECC must be able to deploy within hours when requested by a combatant commander; even when faced with an extreme weather event which would restrict personnel from accessing the JECC’s headquarters on Naval Station Norfolk, Va.
To coincide with the start of the hurricane season, which runs June 1 – Nov. 30, the JECC fully exercised its COOP by verifying the command’s ability to rapidly deploy personnel in addition to validating the processes and procedures the JECC would follow to shift command and control to an alternate location, in the event the JECC’s headquarters becomes uninhabitable due to an impending hurricane (or any other natural disaster).
“The purpose of executing the COOPEX is to ensure all the pieces fit and identify any rough spots,” explained U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Bret Batchelder, the commander, JECC. “We want to ensure we can accomplish this mission and we want to get it right.”
Beginning May 27, the JECC activated its Emergency Management Plan which functions as the command’s overall guide to effectively prepare for and mitigate the negative impact to the JECC as a result of hazards, both natural and man-made. Upon learning the simulated hurricane would impact the JECC’s location within the next 48 hours, the command deployed an advanced liaison (ADVON) team consisting of key command personnel and equipment to the Joint Communications Support Element (JCSE) headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. As the JECC’s only geographically separated subordinate joint command, the JECC leveraged JCSE’s location to exercise the COOP and identify potential areas which may need to be corrected in the case of a real-world event.
Upon arrival at JCSE headquarters, the ADVON confirmed that they were able to get systems up and running to effectively operate and accomplish mission essential functions from an alternate location, or COOP site. Once command and control was established, the JECC deployed additional command leadership and active-duty members of the Ready JECC Package (RJP) to the designated COOP site to maintain steady state operations throughout the duration of the hurricane. The RJP is a small contingent of personnel from each of the JECC’s three subordinate joint commands – JCSE, the Joint Planning Support Element and the Joint Public Affairs Support Element – who assume a three-month alert posture, in preparation for short-notice deployments to support joint force commanders worldwide.
“The ADVON team departs for the alternate location first to ensure connectivity and establish the initial command and control,” said U.S. Navy Cmdr. Jason Alleyne, the JECC J33 Current Operations Branch chief and the main coordinator of the COOP exercise. “This allows the command leadership and other key personnel to seamlessly step into the alternate location and have the ability to access the information required to make decisions.”
In accordance with the Emergency Management Plan, the JECC would deploy active-duty members of the RJP to a safe haven or COOP site, to ensure the command has a team at the ready in the event of a real-world mission requirement. Since the main focus of this COOP exercise was to validate that the JECC could deploy personnel from the COOP site; the command simulated a GRF request which would require the deployment of 10 members of the RJP.
This process included the movement of the RJP and associated JECC headquarters personnel to the COOP site for pre-deployment processing including administrative and medical requirements, security briefs and the completion of any additional training that may be necessary for the specified mission. JCSE routinely deploys personnel from its headquarters at MacDill, so the JECC was able to enlist their assistance to simulate the pre-deployment processing that would be necessary to get members out the door in an extremely rapid fashion.
"They [JCSE] are the experts when it comes to quickly deploying personnel for missions all over the globe," Alleyne said. "Their skill set in processing personnel for deployments was a huge advantage during this particular exercise, however, the JECC realizes that if it were to choose a different COOP site, we would need to provide our own processing personnel."
The JECC’s COOP exercise concluded on May 30 with the successful transfer of operations to the alternate site location and deployment of RJP personnel for a GRF mission. Even in the midst of an extreme weather event, the JECC confirmed its ability to maintain support to the warfighter, bringing additional value to the joint force commander for operational requirements worldwide.
| Date Taken: | 06.11.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 06.12.2014 10:21 |
| Story ID: | 132887 |
| Location: | NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 83 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, As hurricane season opens, JECC exercises continuity of operations plan, by Whitney Katz, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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