"We’ve enthusiastically embraced our logistics support role by ensuring the qualified evacuees have adequate food, medical supplies and quality-of-life services during their time with us," said Capt. Douglas S. MacKenzie, NAVSUP FLCSI Commanding Officer. "Assisting these qualified evacuees has been the right thing to do, and on behalf of our NAVSUP team, we are very proud of our ability to support the Commander of Navy Region, Europe, Africa, Central, the installation Commanding Officers, and the inter-agency teams by providing world-class logistics support to this humanitarian mission at our bases in Sigonella and Rota, and we remain committed to meeting the needs of the Navy, Joint, Inter-Agency, NATO mission partners for the duration of this operation."
NAVSUP FLCSI has been supporting OAW at NAVSTA Rota by performing various logistics support functions including contracting actions, aircraft refueling and transportation services.
“Our contracting specialists initially provided the heavy lift for OAW by assisting the installation and its tenant commands with defining requirements and executing contracting actions that procured essential quality-of-life products and services,” said Cmdr. Bert Phillips, NAVSUP FLCSI Rota site director.
Essential quality-of-life services procured through contracting actions included halal food provisions, household items, medical supplies, sanitation equipment, internet service, power generators, building materials and security infrastructure.
"Government contracts have been key to using industry to quickly obtain the necessary goods and services for this humanitarian effort," said Teresa Kelly, FLCSI Contracting Office deputy.
"To meet the demand for contracting actions during this high tempo operation, we've needed all of our specialists to generate solutions to a number of challenges. They have surpassed all of my expectations in supporting the operation while at the same time continuing to service our day-to-day customers. I'm truly proud of them all.
On NAVSTA Rota’s flight line, NAVSUP FLCSI's fuels team issued more than 200,000 gallons of fuel to 30 aircraft used by NATO, U.S. Department of State charters and U.S. Civil Reserve Air Fleet aircraft to transport SIV applicants and operation-related supplies. The team also delivered more than 8,000 gallons of diesel fuel to power generation equipment to sustain climate control and lighting to shelter facilities on base.
As newly-arrived SIV applicants underwent administrative in-processing, Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations Tracking System kits were used by U.S. agencies such as the FBI, and the U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security. NAVSUP FLCSI’s transportation and customs clearance teams were responsible for the secure and timely delivery of this administrative equipment to Spain from the U.S.
“Our understanding of the Spanish customs process and our strong relationships with our commercial carrier partners were key factors in coordinating expeditious deliveries of this equipment and other operation-related materials in support of this humanitarian operation,” said Roberto Cordero Morales, NAVSUP FLCSI Site Rota transportation officer.
Apart from supporting OAW through fuels, transportation and contracting services, 50 of the command’s military and civilian personnel were temporarily re-assigned from their normal duties to augment a number of base-wide logistics efforts.
Some of these efforts included inventorying food, water, lodging supplies, hygiene items and other OAW-essential equipment, which were subsequently distributed these quality-of-life supplies to SIV applicants who requested them.
"There was an outpouring of support from the local community with over 87,000 individual line items donated in support of OAW," said Katherine McCarthy, NMCRS Rota director. "NAVSUP Sailors worked directly with the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society in delivering bags of donated goods from the base chapel to the Red Cross for further distribution to the travelers."
Check out this video story https://youtu.be/2CYUEDb039o about NAVSUP Sailors who volunteered to manage a kiosk that was set up for qualified evacuees to have access to qualify-of-life goods.
NAVSUP personnel supporting OAW included members of an Enterprise Logistics Response Team (ELRT) from NAVSUP’s fleet logistics centers located around the globe at locations such as Norfolk, Va., San Diego, Calif., Puget Sound, Wash., Pearl Harbor, Hi., and Yokosuka, Japan.
“The ELRT Sailors’ assistance was paramount to our success meeting our high-tempo responsibilities for OAW, and for maintaining all normal mission support functions at NAVSTA Rota with zero deficiencies,” Phillips said. “The combined capability of FLCSI’s Site Rota team and the ELRT enabled the NAVSUP Enterprise to show its value and speed during an urgent humanitarian operation.”
To meet the operation's logistics requirements for OAW at NAVSTA Rota, NAVSUP FLCSI collaborated with multiple tenant commands, governmental and nongovernmental organizations. These include the Defense Logistics Agency, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, U.S. Naval Hospital Rota, Rota Naval Base Security, Command Task Force 68, NAVSTA Rota Air Operations, the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society, Red Cross, Rota Morale Welfare and Recreation, Navy Exchange, Defense Commissary Agency, the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Department of State.
“We’ve all had to work around the clock and against tight deadlines in order get capabilities in place to host the qualified evacuees,” Phillips said. “All the while, NAVSUP’s logisticians maintained our normal areas of support to the installation. I have seen my team’s dedication to the weeks-long operation while overcoming personal and professional challenges. I am honored and humbled to have led them through this incredible accomplishment.”
NAVSTA Rota’s strategic location enables U.S, allied, and partner nation forces to deploy and respond as required to ensure security and stability across Europe and Africa. During OAW, NAVSTA Rota supported Department of State mission to facilitate the safe departure and relocation of U.S. citizens, Special Immigration Visa recipients, and vulnerable populations from Afghanistan.
FLCSI is one of NAVSUP’s eight globally-positioned logistics centers and provides for the full range of solutions for logistics, business and support services to the Navy, Joint and Allied Forces at NAS Sigonella and throughout the U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command areas of responsibility.