Marine Corps Logistics Command, Albany GA - Chris Shaw, G3/5 COMMSTRAT, Marine Corps Logistics Command -- Marine Corps Logistics Command (LOGCOM) responds to DoD level COVID-19 requirement by entering into a joint partnership with the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command to provide integrated logistics support to the Negatively Pressurized CONEX (NPC) program.
Designed to air transport COVID-19 passengers and patients from theatres of operation around the globe, the NPC systems are essentially shipping containers that have been outfitted with air-handling equipment that negatively pressurize the unit to ensure nothing can get out. Each unit is also equipped with secure ambulatory seats and litter systems engineered to protect infected personnel during transport and enable Air Force Aeromedical Evacuation Medical experts to provide care in transit, all while containing the virus from spreading to the aircrew.
To date, the Air Force Program Executive Office for Agile Combat Support (PEO ACS), in partnership with the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO CBRND), have developed two variations of the platforms. The NPC Light is 30’ long, designed for intra-theater airlift, capable of transporting 13 ambulatory and 4 litter patients via C-130 aircraft and C-17 aircraft. The longer version, designed for inter-theater airlift at 40’ can safely transport 22 ambulatory and 8 litter patients via C-17. To date these systems have already transported more than 267 Marines, Army, Navy and Air Force Service members across 39 missions to receive follow-on care and treatment while protecting the aircrew from the virus.
When the USTRANSCOM Joint Urgent Operational Need (JUON) for high capacity airlift of COVID infected passengers initially registered, the Air Force had to act quickly for design and acquisition of the NPC systems. From concept to first operational use over CENTCOM and EUCOM theatres, they were developed and fielded in just 95 days. This time-critical requirement to achieve operations in such a short order did not allow heavy consideration for long-term storage and sustainment of the assets.
With this in mind and as the result of JPEO CBRND’s existing relationship with LOGCOM’s Joint Enterprise Fielding and Surveillance (JEFS) team of the Supply Chain Management Center (SCMC), a robust joint integrated logistics support agreement has been established between LOGCOM and Air Mobility Command (AMC) through which LOGCOM will execute lifecycle sustainment of both the NPC and the NPC Light systems for the DoD.
This support agreement will generate approximately $700,000 in revenue for LOGCOM from the combined efforts of SCMC and Marine Force Storage Command (MFSC). Established by the SCMC’s JEFS team, the agreement provides AMC with routine testing, surveillance and inspection of the NPCs while MFSC provides 40,000sqft of state-of-the-art warehouse storage capability and material handling support.
Various stakeholders from PEO ACS and AMC met with LOGCOM leadership and staff at a site visit on 13 Jan to discuss the budding development of the existing joint relationship with the command. Present during the visit was Lt Col Paul Hendrickson, Materiel Lead for Air Force CBRN Defense Systems (part of PEO ACS), and Lt Col Andrew Severt with AMC Command Surgeons Office who is responsible for the long-term sustainment of the joint program.
Currently, only 21 of the 60 NPCs have been completed with a portion of those currently fielded. Hendrickson commented, “Once we procured the systems, we had to find a long-term storage and maintenance solution.” LOGCOM’S ability to provide these operational-level integrated logistics solutions fills a critical requirement for the nation’s joint war-fighting team in the fight against COVID 19 and has direct implications to the FMF in their expeditionary environments while expanding LOGCOM’s customer base and positioning the command for future joint logistics work.
Also present at the site visit was Capt Alexis Todaro, Program Manager for the NPCs. She offered in a brief discussion, “MFSC’s receipt of the first system was the quickest, smoothest offload we had ever seen. From location coordination on site, to asset delivery and storage, the whole process was flawless!” The extremely large size and weight of the NPC systems have made it very difficult to load, offload, and store the systems in other locations around the world without problems or damage. “We can’t tell you how much we appreciate LOGCOM’s fantastic support”, Todaro added.
The visitors toured LOGCOM’S storage facilities at Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany and were impressed with the modern and well-organized warehouse space where their systems were being stored. With a one-team, one-fight attitude, LtCol Fred Glencamp, MFSC’s 2nd Force Storage Battalion Commander offered, “we have skin in the game. Our motto here at MFSC is to store everything that we can inside because it preserves assets and saves millions of dollars in avoidable maintenance costs. So it should not be a surprise that your assets are being stored inside the way you see them. When you call, your weapon system will be here-> maintained and ready for issue!”
As the team’s visit drew to a close, Hendrickson shared “The longer strategic need will be having the NPC’s ready at a moment’s notice to respond to future pandemics and threats. LOGCOM is going to be the connective tissue that ensures the next time there is an outbreak, there is a rapid response and the systems will be ready to rock and roll.” Severt continued “COVID-19 isn’t going away anytime soon; this partnership will continue with LOGCOM well into the future, because this is a weapon system that is going to be needed well into the future.”
The additional efforts of SCMC’s JEFS team as laid out in the service agreement to perform data collection on preventive maintenance will enable projected sustainability for this DoD joint program for the long term and greatly extend the lifecycle of the NPC systems.
Stay tuned to https://www.logcom.marines.mil/ for future news on this and other exciting LOGCOM initiatives underway.
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