SANTA RITA, Guam - Reserve Sailors, assigned to Navy Expeditionary Forces Command Pacific (NEFCPAC), arrived at Naval Base Guam to conduct annual training alongside their active duty counterparts Aug. 12.
This training, being fulfilled by more than half of the reserve Sailors assigned to NEFCPAC, was scheduled to include tent assembly, as well as simulated central command headquarters assembly, watch standing and proper communication procedures, and learning how to use various types of equipment.
“This exercise is involving real-world potential events and we’re doing a practice run as to how we would respond to it with our reservists and our active duty when they’re all brought together,” said Master Chief Logistics Specialist Deborah Mack, the command senior enlisted leader for Detachment Guam. “In order to execute an exercise or event, a lot of people are required so that’s why the reserves assigned to NEFCPAC are so important because we bring the additional manpower that’s required to execute an event or an exercise.”
Annual training and drill requirements of the reservists were being fulfilled by this integrated training which has increased effective capability for potential future evolutions.
“Given the fact that some of our folks are new, getting them to be more efficient in their battle watch capabilities, understanding who is supporting NEFCPAC and what we do in this area of responsibility is going to be important,” said Lt. Cmdr. Ivan Cavenall, NEFCPAC’s Reserve Guam Detachment officer-in-charge. “If you look across the days spectrum in the news there’s a lot going on in this region, so we have to be prepared to step in and step up at any given time.”
According to Mack, Reserve Sailors are an important part of the U.S. Navy, however, they don’t get very many real-world experiences compared to their active duty counterparts. This training was vital to maintaining effective lines of communication and learning how to efficiently work as a team to achieve the goal of being on point and always ready for any situation.
“I think this exercise in Guam is important for new and upcoming Sailors, because this is something that you don’t see every day, working with this type of element and expeditionary group,” said Utilitiesman 1st Class Malcom Thompson, a native of Hillsboro, North Carolina, who is assigned to NEFCPAC’s Reserve Guam Detachment unit. “This training is very important because we’re setting up a command center, a control center, someplace where the higher ups can go and discuss our next strategic plan and what’s right for the Navy.”
Since NEFCPAC’s creation in January 2015, expeditionary forces in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) region have become completely integrated into the seventh fleet combat readiness scheme and have built and maintained multinational partnerships that have been providing regional stability and security for more than seventy years.
As an organization, NEFCPAC executes operational command and control of assigned and attached Navy Expeditionary Combat Forces in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations and serves as the core Navy battle staff for crisis response and major combat operations. They plan and execute coastal riverine, explosive ordnance disposal, diving operations, construction and Navy expeditionary logistics operations.
NEFCPAC is capable of providing the fleet diverse warfighting capabilities such as coastal riverine support, explosive ordnance disposal, diving, salvage and construction capabilities, as well as expeditionary intelligence and logistics in near-shore waters, littoral regions and inland areas.