JLOC: Sustaining Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan

Photo By Sgt. Lizette Hart | Dave Thompson, load master, waits for the moment when the pilot gives the signal to release the bundles. The bundles will drop to a designated area where service members will later retrieve the supplies they requested.  

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AFGHANISTAN

05.30.2011

Story by Sgt. Lizette Hart 

19th Public Affairs Detachment

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – Running out of food, water or ammunition can cause a serious dip in morale and safety for the military personnel it affects. When units run out of such commodities, or when there is an emergency, they contact the Joint Logistics Operations Center at Camp Vance.

The JLOC provides sustainment operations for Special Operations Task Force units across Afghanistan by arranging for the delivery of ammunition, food, water, fuel, medical supplies and other various necessities. The JLOC also indirectly supports coalition forces such as Australian and United Arab Emirates forces by arranging transportation for items they have ordered.

Capt. Jillian Bourque, Group Support Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), has worked as the JLOC’s Operations Officer since the beginning of April 2011. In the handful of weeks since she assumed the position, she coordinated more than 300 air drop delivery missions to various parts of the county.

“Nine drops per day is our average,” said Bourque. “We supported the Aussies the other day and dropped two bundles for the UAE.”

Not all deliveries are planned. When a unit has an unexpected request or emergency, such as when a building collapses or a unit is engaged in enemy contact and runs out of ammunition, Bourque has roughly six to eight hours to arrange a delivery from beginning to end. She immediately sends requests to the units that supply the items to have them packed in Container Delivery System boxes so they can be shipped via military or civilian aircraft to the areas they are needed.

“An emergency would be any threat to life or limb,” said Bourque. “Let’s say they’re in a TIC, troops in contact, or they’ve just been in a TIC; I need to hurry up and get them some supplies.”

The supplies are loaded onto an aircraft and then rigged with parachutes that can ultimately serve multiple purposes. The parachutes are made of a material that can be easily discarded, reused as tarps by the troops or given to the local nationals for a variety of uses.

This type of logistical support system directly supports Village Stability Operations, which are ongoing missions to help the local population stand up against insurgent intimidation and develop local security systems, thus enabling the village leadership to connect with the Afghan government.

“In this counterinsurgency environment in Afghanistan, you cannot survive if you cannot sustain yourself,” said Lt. Col. Ronald Ragin, deputy commanding officer-support. “We’re building capability, but the biggest measure of whether or not we’re successful in Afghanistan is asking ‘Can they sustain themselves in this environment?’”

At the end of the day, the delivery of much needed supplies to the troops helps them to assist the local population. The residents are being given the tools they need to support themselves. A key purpose of the VSOs is to build confidence in the Afghan government’s influence, capability and capacity, and to encourage its leaders to communicate with the populace through key leader engagements on a regular basis to discuss issues affecting governance, security and development.

“We’re taking an operational element, or a special operations force team and other enablers, and we’re putting them in a rural village,” said Ragin. “Their whole purpose is to provide a secure environment, connect that village to their government and develop that area.”

Even though she is fairly new to the position and has been spending long days and nights in the office, Bourque is satisfied with the outcome of her work. Her job is just one of the numerous steps needed to support Afghanistan. She frequently sees the results of the countless hours she spends arranging air drops of supplies to the units that support the VSOs.

“I often receive emails from the guys who receive the supplies,” said Bourque. “They’re so thankful for food and water and Rip-its, the energy drink.”

• Date Taken: 05.30.2011
• Date Posted: 05.31.2011 01:15
• Story ID: 71341
• Location: BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF