NCFA Visited MARAD Vessels at Sperry

An earlier blog article wrote of the upcoming visit by the National Commission for the Future of the Army’s (NCFA) to JBLM and the public hearing available to the community to share its comments with the commission.

The NCFA is a non-discretionary Federal advisory committee established by the Secretary of Defense to conduct a comprehensive study of the structure of the Army, and policy assumptions, related to the size and force mixture. The NCFA visited Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) September 22-25.

During the public hearing, members of the community, including the Tacoma-Pierce Co. Chamber, the South Sound Military & Communities Partnership, the Washington (State) Military Alliance/Washington State Dept. of Commerce and the City of Lakewood spoke of logistics, the Great Circle, quality of life, the Pivot to the Pacific, relationships with the Washington National Guard and other matters relevant to a grand design for tomorrow’s Army from the perspective of the Pacific Northwest and JBLM.

However, an aspect of their visit not reported has been the NCFA’s visit to the MARAD vessels in ready reserve condition at Sperry Ocean Terminals (aka Sperry Dock) at the Port of Tacoma, Commencement Bay.

On September 23, Miguel Jimenez, Director PNW-D and Christopher Donohue, PNW-D Marine Cargo Specialist joined with the Port of Tacoma (Andre Elmaleh, Military Liaison; Sean Eagan, Director Governmental Affairs, Robert Meyer, Senior Manager Port Operations, Gerry Fiola, Chief of Security, Louis Cooper, Senior Director Security and Labor Relations, and Bari Bookout, Executive for Non-Containerized Business and Commercial Strategy) and Military Sealift Command (MSC) (Bruce Leach, Director), and the USCG (Captain of the Port,CAPT M.W. “Joe” Raymond) to welcome the NCFA members at the Port and aboard the Ready Reserve Force (RRF) vessel CAPE ISLAND berthed at the Sperry Ocean Terminals. The joint team facilitated the continuation of JBLM's presentation to the NCFA addressing the unique regional power projection capabilities at JBLM and the PNW Strategic Seaport.

Jimenez began the discussion by setting the stage with some history about military port operations in the PNW, transitioning to present SDDC PNW-D capabilities. He explained the difference between Strategic and Alternate Seaports noting all of the key ports in the PNW and the metrics measured through Strategic Analysis through the Ports for National Defense program conducted by SDDC, Transportation Engineering Agency. The Port of Tacoma highlighted their ability to rapidly receive, stage, and load military cargo. MSC discussed how they are postured regionally and along the West Coast to support rapid movement from the PNW. The Commission asked questions regarding the life of steam powered ships (both CAPE I vessels berthed at the Sperry Dock are steam powered). The Captain of the Port discussed water side security response and relationships through committees like the Port Readiness Committee.

The Commission members included Thomas Lamont, former Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower, former Sergeant Major of the Army Raymond Chandler, III (retired), and LTG Jack Stultz (retired).

The Commission will issue its report no later than February 1, 2016.  Contact:

Col.Kristen Dixon, Public Affairs Officer, Commission Staff, 571-294-2914, NCFA or Joe Eule, 571-256-2643, or at 2530 Crystal Drive, Taylor Bldg., Suite 5000, Arlington, VA 22202, (o) 571.256.2651. 

Opportunity with Government Contracting

Businesses looking to win government contracts will have the opportunity at the Greater Pierce County Purchasing Forum on Wednesday, Oct. 14, from 8:00 a.m. to noon at the STAR Center, 3873 S 66th St in Tacoma. Click here for map and directions.

Learn first-hand how to register and compete for contracts with federal, state, and local government agencies, meet one-on-one with purchasing agents, network with other Pierce County business owners and managers, and participate in breakout sessions.

• Panelists and exhibitors include 
• Pierce County
• City of Tacoma
• Port of Tacoma
• Washington State Department of Transportation
• Washington State Department of Enterprise Services
• Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC)
• Native PTAC
• NAVSUP Fleet Logics Center-Puget Sound
• U.S. General Services Administration (GSA)
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• Joint Base Lewis-McChord
• Tacoma Public Schools
• Pierce Transit
• Northwest Minority Supplier Development Council
• King County Director Association (KCDA) School Purchasing Consortium
• Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises

Register online or contact Hans Kueck at (253) 798-2335 or email.

Counter-terrorism Exercise at Port

A number of local, state and federal agencies will participate in a simulated improvised explosive device (IED) exercise at the Port of Tacoma on Friday. There will be two scenarios along the Blair Waterway where IEDs will be discovered and disposed of. The purpose of the exercise is to demonstrate how agencies and companies will respond together to a potential terrorism threat within the Port of Tacoma. It will also evaluate the improved interoperable communications between the agencies. Along with emergency responder agencies, several Port of Tacoma terminals and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) are participating in this event. Participants include the Port of Tacoma, Tacoma Police Department, 10th Civil Support Team, APM Terminal, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Husky Terminal, International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), Olympic Container Terminal, Pacific NW Terminal, Pierce County Department of Emergency Management, Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, Pierce County Terminal, Regional Intelligence Group, South Sound 911, Tacoma Fire Department, Totem Ocean Trailer Express (TOTEM), Transportation Security Administration, United States Coast Guard, Washington State Department of Ecology, Washington State Fusion Center, and the Washington State Patrol Bomb Squad. This exercise is funded through the Port Security Grant program of the federal Department of Homeland Security. Media Only: Media are invited to the first disarming scenario at the TOTE terminal from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. on the day of the exercise. Please meet at the Incident Command Post at the Naval Reserve Center, 1001 Alexander Ave. E in Tacoma. Views of the initial assessment, detection of a radiological device and the deployment of the bomb squads will be available during this time.

Tank Transits Port

A fully-restored Sherman tank rolled onto the Port of Tacoma's Terminal 7 Monday. The vintage, WWII tank will be transported by truck to Paine Field in Everett, Wash., and displayed with the Flying Heritage Collection.

Operated by the U.S., Russia and the United Kingdom during WWII, the U.S. manufactured more Sherman tanks than any other tank. With an uncomplicated design, the tank could be produced in factories that made automobiles, trucks and train cars before the outbreak of the war.

The tank that arrived in Tacoma was built at Pressed Steel Car Company in Chicago. After it was accepted into the U.S. Army in 1943, it was released to the Dutch Army in 1945. C&C Military Services in England spent the last two years restoring the tank to WWII form.