SPMAGTF-SC conducts humanitarian assistance SMEE with Honduran partners

Photo By Sgt. Booker Thomas | Members of the Honduran Navy and Air Force attend a brief with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force - Southern Command’s crisis action team during a foreign humanitarian assistance subject matter expert exchange La Ceiba, Honduras, Sept. 18, 2018. The SMEE allowed both militaries to gain a better understanding of each other’s planning process and build cohesion through integrated training. The Marines and sailors of SPMAGTF-SC are conducting security cooperation training and engineering projects alongside partner nation military forces in Central and South America. The unit is also on standby to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in the event of a hurricane or other emergency in the region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Booker T. Thomas III)  

LA CEIBA, HONDURAS

09.20.2018

Story by Sgt. Booker Thomas 

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South

Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force - Southern Command’s crisis action team completed a three-day foreign humanitarian assistance subject matter expert exchange with the Honduran Navy and Air Force in La Ceiba, Honduras, Sept. 20.

The training provided an opportunity for SPMAGTF-SC and the Hondurans to collaborate to gain a better understanding of each other’s planning processes, and also tested SPMAGTF-SC’s ability to expeditiously deploy the CAT in the event of a crisis.

“What we did during this exercise was extremely similar to how it would occur in a real-life scenario, and collaboration with the Hondurans helped open our eyes to different methods of responding to those scenarios,” said U.S. Marine 1st Lieutenant Michael Lowinger, an SPMAGTF-SC watch officer,

The CAT performs as SPMAGTF-SC’s central planning cell. Its composition and operations are customizable by the commander, who takes into consideration the specific mission, available physical space, and benefits and drawbacks of having too many personnel included.

“Basically the CAT is composed of section officers in charge, element officers in charge, and special staff planners that come together to develop a course of action for the commander to sign off on for the MAGTF to respond to, in our situation, and (the rapid response planning process),” said Lowinger.

The rapid response planning process, or R2P2, is the Marine Corps' tool for preparing to deploy assets in response to humanitarian crises or natural disasters. The process is divided into six steps, which provides a structure to gather and process information allowing the commander to make a well-informed decision.

“(The steps) are very distinct phases in the planning process,” said Lowinger. “The first focuses mainly on problem framing. During this phase we focus on gathering intelligence on the situation and creating a visual of the battlespace, as well as identifying factors that may limit us from supporting the mission.”

As part of the exercise, SPMAGTF-SC planners were tasked with responding to a notional hurricane that struck La Ceiba, Honduras. To rehearse, SPMAGTF-SC, assisted by their Honduran partners, began scrubbing open source information, sending a civil reconnaissance team out to visit areas of interest in the town, and conducting aerial observation of the town and the damage caused by the notional storm to familiarize themselves with the area of operation.

“Integrated planning and execution is integral for synergy when working with a partner nation,” said U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Juan Svenningsen, the SPMAGTF-SC operations officer, “so including the Hondurans in this phase of execution allowed us to build a stronger partnership with our ally.”

Upon completion of problem framing, the team was able to move to the next phase of R2P2. During this step, SPMAGTF-SC and the Hondurans began brainstorming ideas on how exactly they would respond to the situation based on the information received. Together they refined these ideas, and weighed pros and cons of each course of action.

After processing all the information received and developing solid plans, the SPMAGTF commander was brought in to be briefed and decide the best course of action. From here, the commander could vote to either elect one of the presented plans, opt to revise any of the plans based on his preference, or order than an entirely new course of action be developed.

“Once the commander is presented with a plan he accepts, we can begin with the orders process, which he’ll also sign off on, and begin deploying assets downrange,” said Lowinger.

With a plan tailored to the specifics of the mission and the preference of the commander, SPMAGTF-SC and the Hondurans set up a remote command operations center, complete with security detail and 24-hour watch operations, to fully immerse themselves in the experience.

“Getting more repetitions in always helps,” said Lowinger. “And it’s impossible to overstress the importance of having a partner nation here to train with us so that we can build even stronger bonds with them.”

• Date Taken: 09.20.2018
• Date Posted: 09.26.2018 16:29
• Story ID: 294306
• Location: LA CEIBA, HN