US sustainment enterprise rehearses Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore during Talisman Sabre 23.

U.S. service members across the joint force seized a narrow window of cooperating sea states to rehearse the critical capability of driving vehicles and equipment ashore via a causeway ferry during Exercise Talisman Sabre 23 on July 31, in Bowen, Australia. The operation commonly referred to as Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS, enables the discharge of vehicles and equipment from sea to shore in austere environments, or when port facilities are damaged or unavailable. Maj. Jonathon Daniell, US Army, reports.
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U.S. Army mariners discharge vehicles on the beach via the causeway ferry as part of the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore operation during Talisman Sabre 2023 in Bowen, Australia, July 31, 2023. (Picture source: U.S. Army/Maj. Jonathon Daniell)

As a means to continue with the mission, U.S. Army mariners loaded the equipment onto the causeway ferry to shuttle the vehicles to the beach landing site. The causeway ferry measures over a football field in length and 24 feet wide. The elongated pontoon-like conveyance was flanked by two motored vessels and made landfall just as the sun was rising, cementing this iteration of Talisman Sabre as the first ever with a U.S. Army-led JLOTS operation.

Of the many sustainment training objectives planned for Talisman Sabre, validating JLOTS remained a priority as it demonstrates a critical capability that can be leveraged in a contested logistics environment. Furthermore, it builds readiness across the Army maritime fleet and enhances combined and joint interoperability. In total, approximately 10 different units supported JLOTS in some capacity, with nearly 650 service members and civilians on the ground from the U.S. Army, Navy, Coast Guard and Australian Defence Force.

The level of planning and coordination that transpired started months in advance that included stakeholders across the joint and combined force, as well as the community members in Bowen to ensure access and support.

Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore during Talisman Sabre

“Over the past week we’ve been battling some pretty serious sea states,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Kyle Blue, maritime operations, 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary). “When we received the weather report there was a window of opportunity, the team executed the mission to perfection. The crews quickly reacted and prepared the causeway ferry to set sail. Once the crew reached the beach, they offloaded all the equipment in below 30 minutes, which is a testament to their training and readiness."

U.S. Army mariners assigned to the 368th Seaport Operations Company and 331st Transportation Company construct a causeway adjacent to the MV Maj. Bernard F. Fisher off the coast of Bowen, Australia, July 29, 2023. When complete, the causeway will form a floating pier enabling the discharge of vehicles from the Fisher to shore demonstrating the critical capability of Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore during Talisman Sabre (Picture source: U.S. Army/Sgt. Ashunteia’ Smith, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade)

Constructing the causeway

The harsh weather conditions stunted the Army mariners from grounding the trident pier to the shore, the preferred method for JLOTS. The trident pier resembles a floating bridge that can span 1,800 feet in length and connects the vessel, to the roll-on/roll-off discharge facility, to the shore.

“It’s unfortunate we haven’t been able to stab the pier to the shore yet,” said 1st Sgt. Randall J. Gibson, first sergeant, 331st Transportation Company, 11th Transportation Battalion (Terminal). “But at the same time, we’re proving that at the end of the day, we’re going to get the job done and bring the equipment ashore one way or another.”

Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore during Talisman Sabre

As a means to continue with the mission, Army mariners loaded the equipment onto the causeway ferry to shuttle the vehicles to the beach landing site. The causeway ferry measures over a football field in length and 24 feet wide. The elongated pontoon-like conveyance was flanked by two motored vessels and made landfall just as the sun was rising, cementing this iteration of Talisman Sabre as the first ever with a U.S. Army-led JLOTS operation. Of the many sustainment training objectives planned for Talisman Sabre, validating JLOTS remained a priority as it demonstrates a critical capability that can be leveraged in a contested logistics environment. Furthermore, it builds readiness across the Army maritime fleet and enhances combined and joint interoperability.

In total, approximately 10 different units supported JLOTS in some capacity, with nearly 650 service members and civilians on ground from the U.S. Army, Navy, Coast Guard and Australian Defence Force. The level of planning and coordination that transpired started months in advance that included stakeholders across the joint and combined force, as well as the community members in Bowen to ensure access and support.

Capt. Jared McCully, 7 TB(X), played an integral role as one of the lead planners for JLOTS, and was a primary source for queries on evolving requirements and operational updates: “It’s not every day the mission you’re doing is arguably the most important mission in the Army,” said McCully. “Expeditionary logistics is not designed to be easy, but we are here with our partners to take on a mission many would shy away from.”

Participating units for JLOTS included: 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), 8th Theater Sustainment Command, Navy Beach Group 1, U.S. Coast Guard – Port Security Unit 312, 86th Engineer Dive Detachment, 307th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, 593rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, U.S. Transportation Command, and ADF liaisons.

The Indo-Pacific area of responsibility remains the priority theater for the U.S. Army, and exercises like Talisman Sabre provide the setting to rehearse large-scale sustainment objectives alongside combined and joint partners.

Defense News August 2023