Photo By Staff Sgt. Chris Perkey | A Trident Pier is towed from the beach by two warping tugs, a large tug boat and a...... read more read more
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By Staff Sgt. Christopher Perkey and Capt. Agneta Murnan
ANMYEON BEACH, South Korea - Combined Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore 2015 exercise successes numbered many, but chief among them was overcoming the challenges of extreme tidal fluctuations on the west coast of the Republic of Korea at Anmyeon Beach June 29 to July 9.
At Anmyeon, the tide can vary up to 8 meters (29 feet), but wave heights, tide schedules, sea states (how rough the waves are), ocean currents, changing beach shape, wind speeds and visibility all factored into U.S.-ROK decision-making about the safe and efficient movement of cargo from the sea to the shore.
Around the clock, a team of U.S. and ROK meteorologists and oceanographers (METOC) worked through data and weather model analysis to inform the decisions of commanders and harbor masters, directing the complex flow of amphibious cargo movements.
Because ROK and U.S. forecasters use different models, it was important to collaborate in order to achieve consensus on predictions about the sea and sky conditions.
“One team, one forecast,” emphasized U.S. Lt. Cmdr. Gon, Expeditionary Strike Group Three METOC detachment officer in charge.
More than 40 vessels had to maneuver safely in the sea area. Vehicles, cargo and service members were in constant motion ashore.
“I considered every phase of the exercise for safety,” said ROK Senior Chief Petty Officer Lee, Soon Hwa, the ROK navy’s lead weather instructor for its Education Command. “I had to think about the operations to advise go, or no-go, decisions.”
The CJLOTS 2015 exercise tested both ROK and U.S. pipelines, ROK amphibious cargo deliveries and the establishment of a temporary 560 meter (1,840 foot pier) Trident Pier.
Because operational and weather information were so interrelated, both the METOC and the harbor masters controlling movements were located together on the beach.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Anthony Chavis, a Laurinburg, North Carolina, native and battlefield weather forecaster for 18th Weather Squadron, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, stepped in as staff weather officer to provide real time data to the harbormasters next-door.
“If you don’t have a weather person here that is experienced at analyzing the situation as far as the weather perspective, you may not have the lead time for the person in charge to make a timely an informed decision to protect their assets in bad weather,” said Chavis.
“The implemented Air Force staff weather officers are absolutely vital to the operations that we do here,” said Army Chief Warrant Officer 3, Clinton M. Smith, a Badger, Iowa, native and commander of the 545th Harbor Master Detachment, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. “They give us the weather forecast anywhere from 24 hours to a week of information at a time, to make the decisions that made CJLOTS 2015 successful.”
Some vessels and equipment needed to be moved in low tide conditions, some at high tide. The tides might move sand mass to the pier or away from it. Given the complexity of operations, Lee knew that the combined team’s work was essential to the exercise’s success.
“This is my third time for CJLOTS,” said Lee. “This was the best for me because I did my job successfully, and the exercise was successful.”
| Date Taken: | 07.08.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 07.08.2015 04:18 |
| Story ID: | 169345 |
| Location: | ANMYEON BEACH, KR |
| Hometown: | BADGER, IA, US |
| Hometown: | LAURINBURG, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 311 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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