SASEBO, Japan – Task Force 76/3 Logistics department hosted a symposium with fleet-wide commands to ensure upcoming deployments, exercises and operations are prepared for success.

The symposium was held Nov. 7-8, at Fleet Activity Sasebo where approximately 40 service members and civilians participated.

“It was awesome to see such comprehensive representation of stakeholders from across the region,” said Cmdr. Joe Cozart, Task Force 76/3 N4. “As a Task Force and as a Supply Corps officer, we owe Sailors, Marines, ships, aircraft and units as a whole the best logistics support that exists. While our capabilities are incredibly extensive from humanitarian assistance and disaster response to crisis management and operational planning, we as a Navy and Marine Corps will absolutely not achieve our objectives if the logistics aspects are not built in.”

Representatives from more than 20 organizations attended to conduct the needed coordination and planning. Organizations included U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. 7th Fleet, Naval Surface Forces, Naval Supply Systems Command, Defense Logistics Agency, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Task Force 73, Military Sealift Command Far East, plus more than a dozen ships, squadrons or subordinate units.

The two-day symposium afforded groups the opportunity to discuss deployment schedules plus exercise time lines in order to draft concepts of logistics support spanning the continuum of events.

“As Supply Officer aboard USS America it was great to meet and synch with other enablers across the Navy/Marine Corps team ahead of our patrol,” said Cmdr. Danny Ewing, USS America’s (LHA 6) supply officer. “A lot of people don’t realize the amount of coordination and planning that happens behind the scenes to accomplish the mission. From ensuring our units have the appropriate ammunition to getting our Sailors and Marines their mail, what the Navy and Marine Corps do on a daily basis wouldn’t happen without a robust theater logistics network.”

Task Force 76/3, headquartered in Okinawa, Japan is the sole forward-deployed amphibious force in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility and is responsible for conducting expeditionary warfare operations to support a full range of U.S. 7th Fleet theater contingencies, ranging from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to full combat operations.

U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.