Joint Enabling Capabilities Command brings expertise to the fight against Ebola

Photo By Whitney Katz | A team of highly experienced Joint Public Affairs Support Element members are currently deployed in support of Operation United Assistance to provide joint public affairs expertise to U.S. African Command’s Operation United Assistance, the Department of Defense’s contributions to the United States Agency for International Development fight against the Ebola Virus Disease. The Joint Enabling Capabilities Command has successfully deployed 60 personnel from across the command’s subordinate elements – JPASE, the Joint Communications Support Element and the Joint Planning Support Element – to support the Ebola response efforts in West Africa.  

NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, VA, UNITED STATES

10.28.2014

Courtesy Story

Joint Enabling Capabilities Command

NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, Va. - The Joint Enabling Capabilities Command (JECC) successfully deployed 60 personnel from across the JECC’s three subordinate joint commands – the Joint Public Affairs Support Element (JPASE), the Joint Communications Support Element (JCSE) and the Joint Planning Support Element (JPSE) – to respond to the humanitarian crisis in West Africa. The team is providing joint public affairs, communications and planning expertise to U.S. Africa Command’s (USAFRICOM) Operation United Assistance in support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/ Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) and several other international agencies.

The JECC provides mission-tailored, joint capability packages to Combatant Commanders in order to facilitate rapid establishment of joint force headquarters, fulfill Global Response Force execution and bridge joint operational requirements. On Sept. 16, when U.S. President Barack Obama made the announcement that the Pentagon would send 3,000 troops to West Africa, the JECC was ready. JECC expertise was requested at the combatant command-level from USAFRICOM headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, at U.S. Army Africa headquarters in Vicenza, Italy, and also forward deployed to several locations within the area of operations.

Coincidentally, several JECC members were already onsite at the U.S. Army Africa headquarters in Vicenza, Italy, attending a training exercise when the medical crisis in West Africa emerged. The JECC team quickly transitioned from the training environment to an operational mindset and was immediately integrated among the staff they were already supporting.

“JECC personnel were able to mentally transfer from exercise to real world and apply doctrinal principles on arrival.” stated U.S. Army Col. John Norris, the JPSE commander. “We have incredibly talented and intelligent planners on the ground contributing to the global response to this epidemic. Our planners’ signature is currently reflected in the actions that are taking place in the relief efforts in Monrovia.”

JECC members train to support combatant commands worldwide during contingency operations and for this mission, JPASE personnel worked alongside their counterparts from U.S. Army Africa and Joint Task Force – United Assistance (JTF-UA) to establish a Media Operations Center in Monrovia, Liberia. The JPASE team provided public affairs planning guidance and supported message development to expedite efforts in the public affairs domain.

“Some military crisis involves kinetic operations but just as often requests for our support are prompted by a humanitarian crisis like this one,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Anastasia Quanbeck, the JPASE commander. “Our team is in Monrovia, Liberia to help provide media access to information about U.S. whole-of-government efforts to help reduce the spread of the Ebola virus.”

Parallel to JPASE’s support in the earliest stages of Operation United Assistance, a highly trained team of joint communication experts were forward deployed to several locations in West Africa to include Senegal and Monrovia. The JCSE teams employed the Ready Response Kit (RRK) which can deploy within hours of notification, is commercially air transportable and, can seat up to 40 joint command and control node for a full joint task force headquarters. This package allows access to a full range of Department of Defense and commercial networks with a robust continuous reach-back capability.

U.S. Army Col. Kirby Watson, the JCSE commander, said, "JCSE is a great organization with superb service members. We are given great opportunities to participate in missions all over the globe and supporting Operation United Assistance demonstrates the broad level of support we provide. Being part of this significant operation, a national security priority, is good work. Rapidly deploying worldwide for contingency operations is what we do best."

The JECC delivered unmatched joint operational command and control paired with seamless integration with the emerging customer requirements to quickly face this ongoing health crisis. The JECC continually maintains a heightened state of readiness is to support the Geographic Combatant Commanders in support of crisis contingencies, and is proud to support the relief efforts as part of Operation United Assistance.

• Date Taken: 10.28.2014
• Date Posted: 11.19.2014 13:34
• Story ID: 148274
• Location: NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, VA, US