MARINE CORPS BASE, CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii -- In the Asia-Pacific region, there are enemies and natural disasters keeping Marines busy, whether it’s standing a post with a rifle or handing out bottles of water and food to Mother Nature’s victims.
U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific has to remain in an ever-ready state to answer the call of our nation.
Command and control is a necessity in these situations and MARFORPAC is displaying that ability during exercise Thunderdome 2007. The Marines deployed a mobile Command Operating Center on Bordelon Field here, Dec. 3-7.
“The deployable COC is a modular system of tents with various configurations to fit the needs of MARFORPAC’s mission,” said Capt. Zenon Keske, company commander, MARFORPAC Headquarters and Service Company.
“To improve our ability to rapidly deploy a COC anywhere in our [area of responsibility], we need to choose the configuration we want now and get it set up. Then we can store it and embark it efficiently for whatever the mission.”
Setting up the COC also provides MARFORPAC with the knowledge of what support is needed from Combat Service Support Group-3.
CSSG-3 provided the power generators and personnel to install them.
There were also 12 Marines from MARFORPAC that helped with the physical set up of tents and flooring.
“This exercise reminds the junior Marines of our expeditionary nature,” said Keske. “This exercise gives them knowledge they can use later if they have to assist in setting up a COC with a [Marine Expeditionary Unit] or a Marine regiment.”
The battalion has the ability to build any configuration of a COC that the general’s staff may require. But, it’s all theory until you actually build it with all its components and see it to determine the most effective configuration, said Keske.
“Ultimately, we’re building a fast, rapid and expeditionary capability to deploy a COC anywhere in our AOR,” said Col. Cosmas R. Spofford, battalion commander, HQSVCBN, MARFORPAC. “It’s one more thing we can add to our toolbox of capabilities.”