General Mohan Hits the Beach with the 21st TSC

Photo By Staff Sgt. John Todd | U.S. Army Major Gen. Christopher Mohan, commander of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, visited troops on the beach, as they performed bulk fuel transfer over-the-shore, May 4, 2021, as part of Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore operations, part of exercise DEFENDER-Europe 21 in Durres, Albania. DEFENDER-Europe 21 is a large-scale U.S. Army-led exercise designed to build readiness and interoperability between the U.S., NATO allies and partner militaries. This year, more than 28,000 multinational forces from 26 nations will conduct nearly simultaneous operations across more than 30 training areas in more than a dozen countries from the Baltics to the strategically important Balkans and Black Sea Region. Follow the latest news and information about DEFENDER-Europe 21, visit www.EuropeAfrica.army.mil/DefenderEurope. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. John Todd)  

DURRES, ALBANIA

05.06.2021

Story by Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Bryson 

U.S. Army Europe and Africa     

TIRANA, Albania– U.S. Army Major Gen, Christopher Mohan, commander of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, visited troops on the beach, as they performed bulk fuel transfer over-the-shore May 4, 2021, as part of Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore operations currently taking place here as part of DEFENDER-Europe 21 exercises in Durres, Albania.

“The role of the 21st TSC is to set the conditions for the success of this exercise,” explained Mohan. “Currently we have soldiers... teams, deployed from Estonia all the way down to Greece. The central point of our operation is here at Durres in Albania.”

JLOTS is about the ability to go into multiple different types of ports in order to get fuel, equipment and supplies to troops in the field quickly, during the DEFENDER- Europe 21 exercises or any potential crisis.

“The harbor here is not deep enough for us to bring one of our larger ships in like we would normally do to transport a Brigade Combat Team,” Mohan explained. “So what do we do? We moor that ship off shore, we set up a mobile dock (if you will) and we do transloads to smaller army watercraft and then bring it the last tactical mile to the actual port.”

Mohan called the ability to project fuel for heavy armor formations, and then to provide and sustain those heavy armor formations, “absolutely critical.”

“This is an exceptional capability that shows we can take a fuel barge and we can have a floating line‒ and we can push that fuel to a beach head and transport it from here inland on army tankers or fuel trucks,” Mohan said.

Mohan said the operations in Durres highlight the great partnership between U.S. Joint Forces. Because without the navy system that transfers fuel via floating hose across the beach, the army could not complete its job and get fuel to the troops.

Likewise, allies and partners are crucial to the mission, according to Mohan.

“Everywhere we turn we are demonstrating our ability to project force, deter aggression and then train with our NATO partners,“ Mohan said. “This Demonstrates the power and the strength of our alliance– the fact that we are living together, training together and making operations happen together.”

DEFENDER-Europe 21 is a large-scale U.S. Army-led exercise designed to build readiness and interoperability between the U.S., NATO allies and partner militaries. This year, more than 28,000 multinational forces from 26 nations will conduct nearly simultaneous operations across more than 30 training areas in more than a dozen countries from the Baltics to the strategically important Balkans and Black Sea Region. Follow the latest news and information about DEFENDER-Europe 21, visit www.EuropeAfrica.army.mil/DefenderEurope.

• Date Taken: 05.06.2021
• Date Posted: 05.06.2021 11:43
• Story ID: 395791
• Location: DURRES, AL