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Navy Lt. Cmdr. Doug Kunzman explains the need for structural support where two pipes intersect at the Ramadi Fuel Distribution Center. Kunzman is part of Task Force Ramadi, one of the types of joint enabling capabilities which will fall under the new Joint Enabling Capabilities Command. (Official photo by Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Boucher) |
Joint Enabling Capabilities Command to stand up
USJFCOM’s Standing Joint Force Headquarters will transition to a new Joint Enabling Capabilities Command designed to be a more agile and responsive organization of smaller, functionally-focused teams Oct. 1.
By USJFCOM Public Affairs
(NORFOLK, Va. – Sept. 29, 2008) -- Four U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) organizations will join together later this week to establish a new command designed to more efficiently and effectively meet joint task force commanders’ requirements for low density, high demand joint functional competencies.
Starting on Oct. 1, the Standing Joint Force Headquarters (SJFHQ) will transition to a new Joint Enabling Capabilities Command (JECC) designed to be a more agile and responsive organization of smaller, functionally-focused teams.
JECC will consist of capability modules that can be tailored to specific needs. It includes seven deployable modules of joint functional area expertise including operations, plans, knowledge management and information superiority, and logistics.
The Joint Public Affairs Support Element (JPASE), Joint Communications Support Element (JCSE), and the Intelligence-Quick Reaction team (I-QRT) will provide public affairs, communications, and intelligence support.
Current SJFHQ Director Marine Corps Brig. Gen. William D. Beydler will serve as the new organization’s first commander.
“The vision of the Joint Enabling Capabilities Command is to ensure that our joint task force commanders that stand-up have what they need to be able to develop comprehensive plans and begin operations rapidly after they are assigned a mission,” said Beydler. “We bring the ability upon arrival to operate as a team and enhance linkages that were developed in habitual training relationships prior to the operational event.”
The former SJFHQ was created from experimentation now almost a decade old and predated many of the current conflicts. It was organized around two core elements, each representing packages of multifunctional joint subject matter expertise. However, operational experience and demand over time demonstrated that a more agile, responsive and tailorable organization was required. These characteristics, coupled with a sharper operational focus are incorporated into the JECC organizational structure.
Since 2005, USJFCOM joint enabling capabilities (JECs) provided rapid forward support to commanders around the world:
- SJFHQ elements deployed more than 15 times to assist joint task force commanders in establishing new headquarters and in support of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.
- JCSE deployed several times to provide command, control, communications and computer support to joint task forces and joint special operations task forces around the world. The organization, continuously deployed since 9/11, currently has more than 100 people deployed worldwide.
- JPASE deployed media and communications professionals in support of Hurricanes Gustav, Ike, Katrina and Rita, Pakistan earthquake relief operations, American citizen evacuation of Lebanon, President Gerald Ford’s funeral, southern California wildfires, and Operation Burnt Frost’s satellite shoot down mission.
- The I-QRT successfully coordinated joint and service training teams and supported rapid development, delivery, and assessment of timely intelligence training to hundreds of personnel assigned to Multi-National Forces – Iraq, Multi-National Corps – Iraq and those preparing to deploy to Iraq.
- Currently, 90 members from all four JECs are deployed in Al Anbar Province, Iraq as Task Force Ramadi.
The addition of public affairs, communications and intelligence units delivers a command with the capabilities joint task force commanders need to respond immediately to any crisis worldwide.
“What the JECs do is provide those capabilities that most joint task force commanders would need to operate rapidly at the joint task force level. They are typically operations and plans officers that can think jointly, plan jointly and operate jointly,” explained Beydler. “Our JECs are something that joint task force commanders needed but could not always get at the service level or combatant command level.”
The JECC commander reports directly to the commander, USJFCOM for forces and additional capabilities.
As part of the reorganization, Beydler also will serve as the deputy director for joint training with the Commander, JWFC and Director for Joint Training, Army Maj. Gen. Jason K. Kamiya. This partnership combines the JECC rapid deployment capability with the JWFC overall efforts to train and prepare joint warfighters for worldwide contingencies.
“The integration of the JECC into the JWFC will result in unprecedented synergy in how JFCOM executes its joint training responsibilities,” explained Kamiya. “Through the JWFC – JECC supporting-supported relationship, we will improve USJFCOM support to combatant commanders. This includes improved training support to joint force commanders as well as better training for our deployable JECs.”
JECC also gives USJFCOM the ability to identify and develop new JECs more effectively by tracking trends and lessons that emerge as capability gaps during exercises and operations.
“We will continue to develop those other capabilities that are not otherwise readily available to joint task force commanders and we will be the single point of entry within USJFCOM and the ‘one stop shop’ for those capabilities that most joint task force commanders will need quickly,” Beydler said.
As part of the JECC standup, Beydler and his staff will move to JWFC headquarters in Suffolk while some JWFC employees will occupy offices previously used by SJFHQ at Naval Station Norfolk. JPASE and I-QRT remain in Suffolk and JCSE remains at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
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