Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Sozae Victor Miles | Sailors assigned to Navy Cargo Handling Battalion 1’s Surface Cargo Company and the...... read more read more
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Sailors assigned to the and Navy Cargo Handling Battalion 1 (NCHB-1) and 2nd Navy Expeditionary Logistics Regiment (2ndNELR) participated in Maritime Prepositioning Force Exercise (MPFEX) 2026 at Blount Island Command from May 18-29, demonstrating the Navy’s ability to rapidly generate, sustain and move combat power in support of expeditionary operations.
Conducted in support of Commander, Task Force 60 and Naval Beach Group 2, MPFEX 2026 was a training evolution designed to validate the force’s ability to onload, backload, organize, account for and move prepositioned equipment and supplies.
The exercise provided NCHB-1 and 2ndNELR, an opportunity to integrate command and control, operational planning and expeditionary cargo-handling capabilities under realistic, time-constrained conditions.
The execution of MPFEX relied on coordination among Naval Beach Group 2(NBG-2), 2nd NELR and NCHB-1’s Surface Cargo Company. While 2nd NELR provided operational planning, logistics coordination and command-and-control support, Surface Cargo Company Sailors conducted pier-side crane operations and supported complex onload and backload evolutions involving vehicles, containers and other mission-essential equipment.
Lt. Cmdr. Fredy Jurkowitsch II, commanding officer of Navy Reserve Naval Beach Group 2, served as the Naval Support Element commander and was responsible for the safe execution of ship-to-shore movement operations throughout the exercise.
“MPFEX allows multiple commands to increase their integration through dedicated repetitions, enabling the Navy and joint force to be better prepared to execute maritime prepositioning force or joint logistics over-the-shore operations worldwide,” Jurkowitsch said. “The exercise continues to highlight the importance of the maritime prepositioning force mission.”
Moving substantial tonnage between staging areas and maritime prepositioning ships required technical proficiency and continuous communication among crane operators, riggers, signal personnel, equipment operators and deck crews. Throughout the exercise, NCHB-1 Sailors applied their specialized cargo-handling skills to ensure equipment was safely accounted for, staged and transferred.
Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group’s (NAVELSG) mission is to provide dynamic rearm, refuel and resupply capabilities from competition through major combat operations. Through units such as 2nd NELR and NCHB-1, NAVELSG delivers expeditionary command and control, cargo handling, port operations, material handling and logistics coordination required to move combat capability from maritime platforms to the point of need.
During MPFEX, 2nd NELR and NCHB-1 helped bridge the critical gap between strategic sealift and operational employment. Their Sailors planned and executed the receipt, tracking, staging and movement of equipment while coordinating cargo flow across the pier and aboard maritime prepositioning ships.
The successful execution of the onload and backload evolutions directly supported combat readiness. By conducting the operations under compressed timelines, participating units demonstrated their ability to safely and efficiently move prepositioned assets while maintaining readiness for rapid global response.
“This exercise allowed multiple commands to increase interoperability while conducting maritime prepositioning force operations, offloading combat equipment from a ship and delivering it ashore,” Jurkowitsch said. “MPFEX also provided opportunities to increase individual qualifications and improve overall unit readiness.”
Maritime prepositioning allows the United States to position equipment and supplies forward before a crisis, reducing response timelines and expanding the options available to combatant commanders. Exercises such as MPFEX ensure those capabilities are practiced, refined and validated by the forces responsible for executing them during a crisis or conflict.
As the Naval Support Element, Naval Beach Group 2 led and coordinated maritime prepositioning operations to move equipment ashore for follow-on employment. Experienced cargo-handling crews supported the effort by offloading equipment onto Improved Navy Lighterage System craft for movement ashore.
“Naval Beach Group 2 led and coordinated maritime prepositioning force operations to move equipment ashore for follow-on employment,” Jurkowitsch said. “Experienced cargo-handling crews demonstrated their ability to offload maritime prepositioning force equipment onto Improved Navy Lighterage System craft for movement ashore.”
The process transforms strategically positioned equipment into usable combat power by connecting maritime sealift, expeditionary cargo handling and follow-on operations ashore.
MPFEX reinforced integration among participating commands. Sailors coordinated cargo flow, managed staging areas, maintained equipment accountability and addressed the operational challenges associated with moving large quantities of equipment within a compressed timeline.
That coordination strengthens the force’s ability to respond to crises and sustain operations worldwide. As the Navy prepares to operate across long distances, contested sea lanes and areas with limited infrastructure, the ability to move equipment, fuel, munitions and sustainment supplies ashore is a warfighting requirement. NAVELSG and its units of action provide a scalable, deployable logistics capability designed to operate across the competition-to-conflict spectrum.
Headquartered at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown-Cheatham Annex in Williamsburg, Virginia, 2nd NELR provides command and control for assigned Navy expeditionary logistics forces. NCHB-1 provides trained cargo handlers capable of supporting ship onloads and offloads, crane and rigging operations, cargo movement, equipment staging, port operations and expeditionary logistics missions worldwide.
MPFEX 2026 demonstrated the operational value of integrating expeditionary logistics planning with specialized cargo-handling capabilities. Through the combined efforts of Naval Beach Group 2, 2nd NELR and NCHB-1, the Navy continued to validate its ability to move combat power between ship and shore, sustain distributed forces and remain ready to operate anytime, anywhere.
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| Date Taken: | 12.31.1969 |
| Date Posted: | 06.22.2026 13:50 |
| Story ID: | 568324 |
| Location: | WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 16 |
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