ACB 1 conducts JLOTS, OCT sets readiness record during Exercise Balikatan 2023

by Petty Officer 1st Class Storm Henry

25 May 2023
SAN DIEGO — Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) 1 conducted Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS) operations in April in conjunction with U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC) ships USNS Dahl (T-AKR 312) and USNS PFC Dewayne T. Williams (T-AK 3009) during Exercise Balikatan 2023 (BK 23) in Casiguran, Philippines.

ACB 1 Sailors embarked Dahl in Diego Garcia ahead of the exercise to conduct and approve inspections of Improved Navy Lighterage System (INLS) craft. Dahl then transported ACB 1 INLS and craft operators to the island of Luzon to commence JLOTS operations. ACB 1 Offload Control Team (OCT) readied the equipment necessary to conduct major offload operations during BK23.

Working aboard PFC Dewayne T. Williams, ACB 1 OCT worked alongside the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to install eight craft side-connectors, utilized the ship’s crane to place 21 positioning craft into the water, and ensure all equipment was operational to conduct Combined Joint Logistics Over the Shore (CJLOTS) operations. The Sailors also overcame nighttime darkness with expert training, maneuvering crafts without the use of navigational aids.

ACB 1 Sailors, working in tandem with the U.S. Army, U.S. merchant mariners, and the AFP, successfully moved 167 pieces of equipment during the CJLOTS mission. They worked together to ensure maximum readiness for safe and effective operations, completing their task in a record five days.

“Our OCT Sailors exemplified the concept of proficiency and capability,” said Lt. j.g. Shuairen Chen, ACB 1 Offload Control Officer. “Their ability to work through all obstacles and integrate with the larger team speaks volumes, and to do so in record time with no mishaps - I could not ask for a better team.”

Roll On/Roll Off and Amphibious Bulk Liquid Transfer System missions are major operational components of CJLOTS, allowing for a forward presence to be resupplied with equipment, fuel, and water in locations where there would otherwise not be logistical capabilities. ACB 1 utilizes INLS craft to conduct CJLOTS missions due to the crafts’ portability and modular capabilities. JLOTS exercises maintain the U.S. Joint Force and allied capability to strategically maintain ship-to-shore logistics around the world.

ACB 1 is headquartered in San Diego and is the sole Navy unit to conduct INLS missions. ACB 1 supports Joint Force operations and humanitarian aid response with ship-to-shore logistics and rapidly deployable construction teams around the globe.