Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group (United States)


The Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group is a reserve command in the United States Navy and part of the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command.

Mission

Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group is a vital enabler of Maritime Prepositioning Forces, Joint Logistics Over The Shore operations, and maritime forces ashore providing expeditionary cargo handling services for surface, air, and terminal operations, tactical fueling, and ordnance handling/reporting in support of worldwide Naval, Joint, interagency, and combined forces/organization.
NAVELSG is responsible for providing expeditionary logistic capabilities for the Navy, primarily within the maritime domain of the littorals, and conducts surface and air cargo handling missions, cargo terminal and warehouse operations, fuels distribution, postal services, customs inspections, ordnance reporting and handling, and expeditionary communications.
NAVELSG is an "Operational Reserve" command organized and staffed to provide a wide range of supply and transportation support critical for peacetime support, crisis response, humanitarian and combat service support missions.
NAVELSG delivers logistics capabilities with active and mobilization-ready Navy Reserve Force Sailors and equipment to theater commanders in support of the military strategy:
• Organizes, trains, equips and deploys active and reserve units for port and air cargo handling missions, ordnance handling and reporting services, and supply support to forces deployed ashore.
• Responds to humanitarian relief efforts and builds allies through humanitarian efforts among host nations.

Background

To most Americans, Williamsburg, Virginia, is known as the Colonial Capital. To the "Combat Stevedores" of the Navy, Williamsburg – or more precisely, Naval Weapons Station Yorktown – Cheatham Annex – is known as the capital of Navy expeditionary logistics.
The U.S. Navy's first "Combat Stevedores" were the 41 Special Naval Construction Battalions of the Seabees, created during WWII. Their primary function was stevedoring often in combat situations, 15 of which were segregated units. The men received the standard mix of USN/USMC training that Seabees received. After which they, would be put through stevedore schools with complete mock ships built on dry land at the Seabee training centers. By 1945 they were some of the Navy's first fully integrated units. The end of the war brought the decommissioning of all 41 battalions.
Of note were the actions of the 17th Special at Peleliu 15-18 Sept 1944. The Japanese mounted a counter-attack 0200 D-day nite. By the time it was over nearly the entire 17th had volunteered to hump ammo to the front lines, bring wounded back, fill where needed on the line and man 37mm that had lost their crews. C Co 1st Battalion 7th Marines was hit hardest that night and was very much in need of the 17ths support. The 17th remained with the 7th Marines until the right flank had been secured D-plus3.
Navy Cargo Handling Battalion ONE was commissioned 1 October 1949 and was organized after the Special Construction Battalions of World War II. In 1956 the battalion was an element of Operation Deep Freeze and has deployed there numerous times since.
In 1965 "the Cargo Handling Battalions from Yorktown, VA and from Subic Bay, PI were deployed to augment Task Group 76.4 in the actual discharge of ships' cargo" for I Corps of the III Marine Amphibious Force"..
More recently, the lessons learned from Operation Desert Storm identified a requirement for a single, multifunctional organization able to provide flexible, deployable transportation and supply support logistics services in any area of the world. Established in 1993, the Naval Expeditionary Logistics Support Group was built upon the solid foundation of the Navy Cargo Handling Force. The NCHF originated in the 1970s with the establishment of six Reserve Navy Cargo Handling Battalions to support the Marine Corps Maritime Prepositioning Force. The number of battalions grew to 12 in the 1980s.
Capabilities run the gamut from warehouse and freight terminal management, fuel distribution, tent camp, maintenance and personnel support functions, mail distribution and barbershop, laundry and ship's store to traditional shipboard cargo handling and expeditionary air cargo operations. The NAVELSG mission is to provide transportation and supply Advanced Base Functional Component support to Navy and Marine Corps operational units. NAVELSG is recognized by all major commanders as the force of choice for transportation and supply professionals, trained and equipped to deploy anywhere in the world and provide effective shore-based logistical support to naval operating forces – "Anytime, Anywhere".
NAVELSG, directs four Navy Expeditionary Logistics Regiments and their subordinate Navy Cargo Handling Battalions each battalion composed of one Headquarters Company, four Surface Companies, one Air Cargo Company, two Cargo Transfer Companies, one Fuels Company and two Expeditionary Support Companies. Additionally, each NELR has an Expeditionary Communications Detachment.

Subordinate Units