Mississippi Spearheads Readiness for Today's Warfighter

Photo By Amanda Kibble | Maj. Gen. Deborah Kotulich, Chief of Staff, U.S. Military Transportation Command, looks on as equipment is unloaded during Operation Arctic Anvil and the Joint Readiness Exercise at the Port of Pascagoula on the Distinguished Visitor’s Day hosted by the Mississippi National Guard and state-wide civilian partnerships.(U.S. National Guard photo by Amanda Kibble)  

JACKSON, MS, UNITED STATES

09.26.2019

Story by Lt. Col. Deidre Smith 

Joint Force Headquarters - Mississippi National Guard

The Mississippi National Guard, in coordination with enduring partners throughout the state, is spearheading readiness through the South Mississippi Defense Corridor during Operation Arctic Anvil, followed by a Joint Readiness Exercise at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center, Hattiesburg, Miss.
This operation tests the strengths and capabilities during a no-notice deployment exercise for the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division from Anchorage, Alaska, as well as exercising the capabilities and readiness of Mississippi’s Strategic Port of Gulfport, the Port of Pascagoula and the state-of-the-art training resources at Camp Shelby.
“This is a Joint Readiness Exercise. It was a no notice deployment that was given to the Airborne Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Alaska over a month ago. It’s a multi-phase operation. It’s a test of the tactical readiness of the formation to be able to alert and deploy, but it’s also a strategic level test of our ability to take a formation, load its equipment, move it a long distance and the bring it in, receive it and join it back up with that formation so it’s ready to fight. The port here at Gulfport and at Pascagoula has really allowed us to exercise that capability in multiple formats and train the joint team to be able to conduct this level of strategic readiness,” said Lt. Gen. Leopoldo Quintas, Jr., U.S. Army Forces Command, Deputy Commander.



The Port of Gulfport was notified by the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration of their Strategic Port Designation in November 2015. This designation was awarded by the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, elevating the status of capabilities of the Port of Gulfport to support military operations for onward movement and forward deployment to meet the needs of our state and nation.
“We’ve been working for several years to become a strategic port. Ultimately, we were looking at the opportunity really to support our military forces,” said Jonathan Daniels, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Port Authority, Gulfport, Miss.
Since the classification as a Strategic Military Port, the Port of Gulfport has supported various military missions, but Artic Anvil is the first large scale no-notice military deployment exercise to be conducted on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
“The most amazing thing about it is this is a partnership,” said Gov. Phil Bryant. “Artic Anvil will be coming to the state of Mississippi and I think showing not only this great state, but also the world how quickly they can move. How many men and women in uniform we can get to a designated location. It’s never been done before. This is a first between the Port of Pascagoula, Port of Gulfport and Shelby that’s been building the triangle of freedom,” said Gov. Phil Bryant.
The Port of Gulfport and the Port of Pascagoula offer enhanced capabilities for our active component military forces that strengthens their lethality while its prime location shortens their time in transit.
“It impacts us in a huge way. What I always like to say is if we go to war tomorrow or if we go to war at all, we’re going to fight by, through and with our ports. Having Gulfport as a strategic seaport in our network of ports across the continental United States is absolutely huge for us to be able to project forces at great distances globally and be able to deter our enemies and assure our allies and do all of the things our nation needs,” said Maj. Gen. Steven Farmen, Commander U.S. Army Surface Deployment and Distribution Command.
The renovations to the Port of Gulfport after the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina have also opened up opportunities for U.S. Military Transportation Command operations.


“The mission for U.S. Transportation Command is global mobility. We actually lead the greater joint distribution enterprise and we project the joint force to achieve the national objectives. So really what we need is flexibility. We need to be able to go out of everywhere. So opening up this port to that kind of force projection really enhances our ability to move the decisive force to support combatant commands and the Secretary of Defense’s priorities,” said Maj. Gen. Deborah Kotulich, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Transportation Command.
Streamlining capabilities to enhance opportunities is part of the foundation that ensures success for active component military, reserve component military and the citizens of Mississippi. Mississippi is very unique and offers diverse military training opportunities throughout the state, but especially in South Mississippi.
“Take a hard look at what we have to offer. We have a strategic port. We have Camp Shelby, the nation’s largest state owned National Guard training facility. We have so much other stuff that we call it the South Mississippi Defense Corridor. So whatever you want if you are trying to train in real life opportunities that you can’t find in many other states, we have it. We have unrestricted air. Unrestricted ground. You can go out and fire live ammunition. You can fly a drone. It’s just one of those things where I don’t think a lot of people know what we actually offer until they get here,” said U.S. Representative, Steven Palazzo.
Through all of the available capabilities, it is the enduring partnerships that strengthen all components of our military armed forces.
“U.S. Army Surface Deployment and Distribution Command is a great partner. U.S. Army Transportation Command is a great partner. They’ll bring in equipment here at the Port of Gulfport. Exercise the military assets that they have here in a joint effort that involves the Navy, the Marines, the Air Force, and the Army. The Mississippi National Guard benefits in that we get to interact with our active duty partners to ensure we have equipment moving in and out of this port,” said Maj. Gen. Janson D. Boyles, Adjutant General of Mississippi. “There is a lot of good military training with this event and that is how we are going to have a lethal, well trained, ready and well led military for the future, by combining all of those assets into one,” said Boyles.


The South Mississippi Defense Corridor presents opportunity for the state and our internal military forces located here, but these capabilities also offer platforms for readiness that will assist all components of military forces to achieve and exceed their standards for readiness.
Currently, the Mississippi National Guard is supporting the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division from Anchorage, Alaska, during the execution of Operation Arctic Anvil and the Joint Readiness Exercise.
This type of rapid deployment exercise challenges mobility skills, lethality for time on target and promotes readiness throughout our military formations. This type of operational support further develops enduring civilian partnerships throughout our state and nation. The Mississippi National Guard and Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center are proud to be a strategic partner in support of our active component comrades in arms.

• Date Taken: 09.26.2019
• Date Posted: 09.26.2019 17:27
• Story ID: 343984
• Location: JACKSON, MS, US
• Hometown: JACKSON, MS, US