Blount Island team sustains maritime readiness in South Korea

POHANG, South Korea — U.S. Marines and Sailors offloaded hundreds of pieces of equipment — including nearly 300 vehicles — from the USNS Sisler at Dogu Beach during Combined Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore 26, a July 10–20 exercise that integrated U.S. and Republic of Korea lighterage and ship-to-shore connector capabilities.

Before the first vehicle came ashore, Sgt. Mariah Aparicio of Blount Island Command moved through the ship’s cargo holds with a load plan in hand, checking placements and sequencing with Marines from 3rd Maintenance Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 35, 3rd Marine Logistics Group. Two days ahead of schedule, crews had repositioned the final cargo near the stern for offload. “The goal at this point is to squeeze and compact,” she said. “Now we need to fit everything in so we’re not wasting any space.”

A roll-on, roll-off discharge facility connected to the Sisler’s stern ramp enabled vehicles to drive onto Improved Navy Lighterage System causeway ferries operated by Sailors, who built on experience from recent regional exercises. As the ferries grounded at Dogu Beach, vehicles rolled ashore through salt spray. U.S. Army watercraft also moved selected cargo to the Trident Pier, a modular floating pier extending from the beach.

Aparicio, one of two embarkation specialists assigned to Blount Island Command’s technical assistance and advisory team, worked with 3rd Marine Logistics Group to preserve the vessel’s loading sequence. “This is one of the easier decks,” she said. “There’s less stuff up here. Some of the others are a real puzzle.” The precise sequence was critical to avoid delays and potential damage. “If you move something to another deck, it may not fit, and you could cause damage getting it there.”

The operation drew on a 21-person contingent of service members, civilians and contractors from Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island, which manages service-controlled equipment for Marine Corps operations worldwide. The equipment also supported Korean Marine Exchange Program 26.2, a follow-on exercise aimed at strengthening interoperability.

An accelerated timeline allowed an early shift to joint limited technical inspections with Blount Island maintenance contractors, while Marines from 3rd Landing Support Battalion and Combat Logistics Regiment 35 conducted arrival and assembly operations amid blowing sand at a staging area. Cpl. Seth Waite, a Blount Island Command supply quality assurance specialist, led the disassociation of roughly 200 temporarily removed items to maintain the ship’s discharge sequence and ensure full accountability ashore. Nearby, Sgt. Abigail Raines, a data systems administrator specializing in the Marine Corps Platform Integration Center, guided digital asset tracking as vehicles departed for training, with each scan updating location data.

From sweltering cargo holds to causeway ferries and windswept staging lines, the team emphasized sequencing and accountability to support follow-on maneuvers. Long after the last vehicle left the beach, Blount Island Command’s advisory team continued preparing the maritime positioning set for its next mission.

“CJLOTS reinforces that interoperability extends beyond ships and connectors,” said Col. Robert Fairley, commanding officer of Combat Logistics Regiment 35, 3rd Marine Logistics Group. “It includes the technical expertise, sustainment systems and responsive logistics that allow combined forces to operate together.” Watching the ship-to-shore sustainment at Dogu Beach, he added, “Every piece of equipment that arrives where it needs to be, when it needs to be there, strengthens our ability to rapidly respond to crisis or contingency alongside our Republic of Korea allies.”