Story by Petty Officer 3rd Class Kenneth Gardner, Amphibious Construction Battalion 2
ACAJUTLA, El Salvador Sailors and Seabees from Naval Beach Group (NBG) 2 kicked off the Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS) 18 exercise with the successful lowering and assembly of Improved Navy Lighterage System Causeway Ferries 06 and 07 from the Military Sealift Command ship USNS Brittin (T-AKR) 305.
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Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Etheredge, attached to Amphibious Construction Battalion 2, looks on as a Maritime Prepositioning Utility Boat pulls two Yokohama fenders to the pier so the Improved Navy Lighterage Causeway Ferries can safely moor pier-side in preparation for load on/load off crane operations during Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS) 18. (Photo by MC2 Kenneth Gardner)
JLOTS 18 marks the beginning of U.S. Southern Command s Beyond the Horizon exercise focusing on Foreign Humanitarian Assistance to El Salvador.
NBG 2 and its component commands, Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) 2, Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 2, Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) 1 along with Naval Cargo Handling Battalion (NCHB) 1 joined with the Army s 7th Transportation Brigade, 11th Transportation Battalion, and component commands to form Joint Task Force (JTF) 11 to execute JLOTS 18.
JTF 11 s mission during JLOTS 18 is to successfully unload and transport essential military equipment from Brittin to shore. Once ashore, U.S. Army South will utilize the equipment to provide engineering and medical support to the local Salvadorian population.
JLOTS 18 provides the opportunity for the Navy and Army to work together as a joint force to deliver needed military equipment in support of Beyond the Horizon s humanitarian efforts, said Lt. Cmdr. Andrew Hunt, the JTF 11 deputy commander. It also provides a real-world situation to enhance interoperability and camaraderie between the branches and improve the JLOTS mission skill set.
Beyond the Horizon is an annual U.S. Southern Command-sponsored, joint foreign military interaction/humanitarian exercise. During the exercise, U.S. service members work with a variety of governmental and non-governmental agencies to train in civil-military operations skill sets while providing medical and dental care and engineering support to local populations.
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Sailors and Seabees from Amphibious Construction Battalion 2 use Improved Navy Lighterage System (INLS) Causeway Ferry 07 power module to come alongside an INLS intermediate module after being unloaded from USNS Brittin (T-ARK 305) during Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS) 18. (Photo by MC2 Kenneth Gardner)
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Improved Navy Lighterage System (INLS) Warping Tug 11 hip tows the INLS Causeway Ferry 07 power module into place along side USNS Brittin (T-ARK 305) in order to be fueled during Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS) 18. (Photo by MC2 Kenneth Gardner)