By Robbin Laird

During a visit to Camp Lejeune during the last week of April 2021, I had a chance to talk and interview the IIMEF leadership team. They had just concluded a major exercise, Dynamic Cape 21, which I will highlight in some of those in the forthcoming published interviews.

Dynamic Cape 21 was a continuation of an exercise conducted last Fall, MEFEX 21.1. These exercises are part of the shift from the training for the land wars to the high-end fight, and one characterized by greater integration with the U.S. Navy. The logistics side of supporting such operations was highlighted in both exercises, but notably in Dynamic Cape 21.

As a prelude to the forthcoming published interviews, it is helpful to review what IIMEF said in their press releases about the two exercises.

Marine Expeditionary Force Exercise 21.1

In a story by Sgt. Elizabeth Gerber, II MEF, published on October 9, 2020, this is how the exercise was described as it began:

In the upcoming weeks, II Marine Expeditionary Force will be sending Marines and equipment to A. P. Hill, Virginia and Fort Drum, New York starting Oct. 7 for Marine Expeditionary Force Exercise 21.1.

MEFEX 21.1 is a command and control exercise conducted in a simulated deployed environment designed to enhance the interoperability and command and control between II MEF command element staff and its higher, adjacent, and subordinate command headquarters.

By conducting exercises of this nature, II MEF maintains its operational readiness, ready to provide the Marine Corps with an experienced staff capable of integrating with international allies and partner nations in a combined joint task force, charged with accomplishing a wide range of military operations at a moment’s notice.

According to Major Newman, Future Operations Planner for II MEF, “MEFEX was created to support the Commanding General’s Campaign Plan, aligning with USEUCOM and service planning guidance.”

“The Marines have been preparing for this exercise since Nov. 2019 by taking part in professional military education and other simulated exercises,” explained Newman. Approximately 1,200 Marines and sailors will be participating across the eastern United States.

II MEF is keeping the health and wellness of all participants a top priority throughout the execution of MEFEX 21.1. Leaders at all levels continue to emphasize the importance of social distancing, handwashing, surface sanitation, and proper mask wear in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. II MEF’s staff is constantly monitoring and assessing the situation and are prepared to take measured actions to protect the health of our Marines and sailors.

II MEF will train to fight and win in a command and control contested environment, exercise naval warfighting in a joint and combined environment, and incorporate experimental focus areas.

In a story by  2nd Lt. Eric Bohnenkamp, II Marine Expeditionary Force published on November 18, 2020, this is how the exercise was described as it concluded:

II MEF concluded Marine Expeditionary Force Exercise 21.1, which took place across the east coast at Fort Drum, New York; Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia; and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, November 13.

The exercise occurred from November 4-13 and included Marines and Sailors with II MEF training alongside NATO allies: Norway’s Brigade North, French Army 6th Light Armoured Brigade, and the United Kingdom’s Royal Marine 3rd Commando, and U.S. Navy partners with Second Fleet.

II Marine Expeditionary Support Battalion provided and coordinated combat service support and administrative, training, and logistical support to the MEF Command Element during MEFEX 21.1. Additionally, II MSB served as the camp commandant for all tenants at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, and provided life support to a nearly 1000-person camp.

“We have a diverse group of talented Marines and Sailors across II MSB,” said Lt. Col. Robert Fairley, commanding officer, II MSB.

“Exercises such as MEFEX 21.1 provide our battalion with unique opportunities to come together and position ourselves to best support the MEF Command Element in a deployed environment.” Lt. Col. Robert Fairley, II MSB commanding officer

MEFEX 21.1 enhanced command and control and interoperability with allies and partners, focused upon facing a near-peer threat in the European theater and synchronized II MEF with its subordinate commands from 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, and II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group.

“This peer level exercise is focused upon a peer-level adversary where II MEF is dependent upon working with our allies and fleet partners,” said Lt. Gen. Brian D. Beaudreault, commanding general, II MEF. “This is very much a joint-combined exercise against a near-peer threat.”

The training objectives reached in the scenario were also matched by real-world accomplishments. Marines with Combat Logistics Regiment 27 drove 916 miles from Fort Drum, New York, to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina in only two-and-a-half days. CLR 27 is awaiting word from the USMC Historical Division concerning whether it was the longest the vehicle convoy in recent Marine Corps history.

 The key objective of MEFEX was to find ways to tighten our integration with the allies and partners. “That was woven into this exercise in addition to tightening up the relationship with key allies and really subset of our NATO allies who are most likely matched with the capability with the Marine Corps,” said Beaudreault.

Dynamic Cape 21

It started with a major logistics effort within the exercise.

As as II MEF story highlighted the focus of the exercise in a piece published on April 15, 2021:

U.S. Marines with II Marine Expeditionary Force began Dynamic Cape 21.1, a live maritime prepositioning exercise that includes an Operational Logistics Exercise with a subsequent final exercise event, taking place from Apr. 7-28, 2021.

As a part of DC 21.1, 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade, II MEF, and Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, are participating in an OPLOGEX taking place across the eastern United States.

Locations hosting the exercise include Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point, Wilmington, North Carolina; and Blount Island, Florida.

During the OPLOGEX, U.S. Navy and Marine Corps forces will transport materiel and equipment on rail and ship and conduct pier-side offload of the USNS Williams at Blount Island Command, Florida. II MEF will also maintain an element in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina to command and control the offload while rehearsing the command’s ability to deploy, employ, and redeploy a forward element.

This exercise facilitates the rapid deploy-ability of scalable naval expeditionary forces in support of major combat operations. Marines and sailors train to increase critical expeditionary capabilities and facilitate bridging the seam between operations on land and sea.

U.S. Marine Corps Col. David R. Everly, the commanding officer of 2d MEB, said units are prepared to coordinate and respond to any situation when it comes to logistics.

“They’re ready to respond to any crisis,” he said. “An exercise like this is just another opportunity for us to show that we have a focus on all different spectrum of challenges that are hitting us, and we’re ready to respond.”

The OPLOGEX provides an opportunity for II MEF to develop, refine, and test portions of theater opening and force deployment processes to gain MEF-level warfighting proficiency and readiness.

And as the exercise concluded, Sgt. Elizabeth Gerber, II MEF, provided this assessment in an article published on April 30, 2021:

II Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) executed Exercise Dynamic Cape (DC) 21.1, a live maritime prepositioning exercise that included an Operational Logistics Exercise (OPLOGEX) with a subsequent final exercise event, from April 7-28, 2021.

DC 21.1 was a MEF level exercise which supported the development of command and control and logistics capabilities across different areas of operations. The scenario-based training incorporated movement of military equipment, personnel, transportation, and cross communication between II MEF, its allies, and partners.

U.S. Marines assigned to II MEF, 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB), and 2nd Marine Logistics Group (MLG) participated in DC 21.1 with external support from the Norwegian Army’s Brigade North.

During DC 21.1, the OPLOGEX took place across the Eastern United States including Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point, and Blount Island, Florida. The logistical exercise showcased the Marines’ ability to transport military equipment by rail, motor transport, and ship.

The OPLOGEX component of DC 21.1 was conducted by the recently activated 2nd Landing Support Battalion (LSB), 2nd MLG.

“This is our first major exercise since the activation of 2nd Landing Support Battalion,” said Lt. Col. Randall Nickel, commanding officer of 2nd LSB, “Marines of 2nd LSB were supporting the reconstitution of the equipment that was assigned to the MAGTF during exercise Dynamic Cape. The realistic quality of the exercise was apparent when put to the test.”

DC 21.1 has served as a crucial exercise for many components of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) in refining and instilling combat readiness across many occupational fields.

“The processes that we established for Dynamic Cape 21 are exactly the same processes that we would use in a combat operation,” said Marine Corps Maj. William Hemme, the Arrival and Assemble Operations Group Supply Officer, “…as part of Dynamic Cape and the Operation Logistics Exercise, we have downloaded and we are reconstituting a single ship, the USNS D. T. Williams.”

Hemme stresses the importance of a realistic simulation for those who are responsible for the embarkation and disembarkation of equipment from one location to another.

“For this particular exercise, we intentionally set up so that we would have the most realistic training we could have with the supply processes implemented,” said Hemme.

Throughout DC 21.1, II MEF showcased command and control capabilities and achieved a major movement of personnel and equipment in a realistic training environment. 

Without doubt, the exercises reflect testing out the transformation efforts from the intersection of the North Carolina-based Marines with 2^nd and 6^th Fleet with whom they work.

Clearly, this is a work in progress.

But the focus of the effort is clear which is highlighted in this USMC article which highlighted an April 7^th meeting among the key commanders:

NORFOLK, Va. —  U.S. 2nd Fleet (C2F) staff met with U.S. 6th Fleet (C6F) and II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF) staffs virtually to discuss best practices for maritime effectiveness, Apr. 7.

Opening remarks were led by Vice Adm. Andrew Lewis, commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet, Vice Adm. Gene Black, commander, U.S. 6th Fleet, and Lt. Gen. Brian Beaudreault, commander, II Marine Expeditionary Force.

The senior leaders focused on high-end training and employment, and the capability of supporting the employment of forces, whether on the Western side of the Atlantic, the Eastern side of the Atlantic, or in the Arctic. The tri-lateral engagement strengthens security and promotes freedom across critical sea lanes in the Atlantic.

“Synchronization with our counterparts at both II MEF and Sixth Fleet is vital to seamless command and control across the vast Atlantic AOR,” said Lewis. “Whether American ships and Marines are ultimately deploying to the High North, the Eastern Med, or the Arabian Gulf, East Coast ships must first sail across the Atlantic and the relationship between our staffs is critical to success.”

The topics discussed among senior members of the respective fleet staffs included organizational structure, maritime operations center functionality, and naval integration.

“We have demonstrated our ability to operate alongside Second Fleet, integrating II MEF Marines at every step of our planning and operational execution, building our asymmetric advantage to defeat any maritime threat,” said Black. “When we operate together and with our NATO Allies, as one seamless force, we will achieve transatlantic maritime superiority.”

Discussions aimed to improve integration amongst the three commands to ensure a seamless trans-Atlantic bridge. The three commands are prepared to operate together in every domain, at all levels of warfare, from the tactical to the strategic, alongside NATO Allies and partners.

“II MEF is a maritime force inextricably linked to our Navy partners in Second and Sixth Fleets,” said Beaudreault. “Our continued discussions ensures our naval expeditionary team continues to leverage our collective capabilities and increase lethality across all domains.”

C2F exercises operational authorities over assigned ships, aircraft, and landing forces on the East Coast and the Atlantic.

C6F, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.

II MEF, headquartered in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, deploys and is employed in support of commandant commander (CCDR) requirements for contingency response or major combat operations. Aligning with the 38th Commandant’s Planning Guidance, II MEF is continuing to grow its naval expeditionary force alongside C2F and C6F.

By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake

During our visit to Norfolk in March 2021, we had a chance to meet with CDR Bobby Hanvey, Executive Director of the Mid-Atlantic Tech Bridge. The US Navy has set up a number of Tech Bridges to foster greater collaboration with the private sector in a way that does not rely on the traditional acquisition process. In addition, the Mid-Atlantic Tech Bridge is different from the others in that it is the only Tech Bridge with a formal tie to the operational Navy via its support of Second Fleet.

This is how the Department of the Navy has described the Tech Bridge concept:

“The NavalX Tech Bridges are a connected network that enhances collaboration between Naval Labs, industry, academia, and other military branches.

“A NavalX Tech Bridge offers a collaboration space in a commercial business space, rather than on base. An off base location offers a more easily accessible landing spot to foster a collaboration ecosystem to build productive partnerships and accelerate delivery of dual use solutions to the warfighter.

“A NavalX Tech Bridge offers access to State and Local government and academic agencies creating a richer regional innovation ecosystem and further supporting economic development.”

As the US Navy looks to modernize, it can be categorized in three ways;

• To gain some new capabilities not previously available;
• To add new components which provide for enhanced or more reliable operation of existing equipment-software upgradeable weapons and platforms;
• Simply replace worn out equipment that is no longer economical to operate or militarily useful.

Traditional methods to achieve the above have proven slow, and sometimes, unresponsive to existing and emerging threats. To expand the Navy and Marines ability to meet those threats, they have set up a number of Tech Bridges to foster greater collaboration with the private sector in a way that does not rely on the formal acquisition process.

Linking a Tech-Bridge operating philosophy with an operational fleet has tremendous potential for increasing the value of any technology modernization initiative by looking at the final output which is the condition of the operational inventory at a given point in time. This is a very significant change in how innovative technology initiatives can be validated much quicker by the operators who will fight the Fleet.

CDR Bobby Hanvey is a graduate of the Naval Academy. After about 10 years of active duty service, he entered the Navy Reserves and later joined the Reserves in a full time capacity, called Full Time Service, or FTS. Working in this capacity he led substantial efforts to create a learning culture and feedback framework in the Navy Reserves, conceived and launched a feedback portal for sailors to submit ideas to improve the Navy, and introduced design thinking and human centered design as methods to attack complex problems. With his wide experiences he has come to really understand the kind of cultural change which faces a 21^st century naval force.

He discussed with us the crucial role Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, (ASN RDA) Jim “Hondo” Geurts, has played in shaping what is now known as the Tech Bridges. Geurts came from SOCOM where he established SOFWERX, which has been a key force for innovation within the Special Forces. It is described as follows on the SOFWERX web page: “SOFWERX is a platform that helps solve challenging Warfighter problems at scale through collaboration, ideation, events, and rapid prototyping.”

Geurts brought that same mentality to the Navy, but recognized the SOFWERX model was not well suited for the Dept. of the Navy, (DON). The DON, unlike the other services, did not divest themselves of their multiple laboratories. These labs, called Warfare Centers, contain rich engineering, science expertise and knowledge, and are valuable assets which are not centralized in nature.

The Navy and Marine Corps have 22 warfare centers and many other laboratories.

According to CDR Hanvey, the problem is that “they aren’t designed to work together. They have what is called a working capital model and need to prove their value to ensure continued funding. In a simplified description, they must earn the work and only get funded for the work program offices and other entities award them to perform. This has positive and negative impacts. The positive impact is they must prove their worth or they don’t earn continued funding, thus ensuring they stay sharp in their field and continue to prove their value to the Navy and Marines. The negative is they have little freedom to explore outside what is funded and assigned.”

With the above, the opportunity to tap into the private sector innovations and the significant investments in that sector, is greatly reduced. Innovation and investment in the commercial markets dwarf what the government is able to do and tapping into those markets is key to increasing, maintaining, or even closing gaps in naval capability as compared to our peer competitors.

With NavalX, the approach is to cross these silos and discover cross-cutting innovations. They started with a key effort to “super-connect across the silos” as there is already substantial innovative solutions and approaches within the Navy and Marines.

Initially, NavalX was established under ASN RDA Geurts and is now largely part of the Office of Naval Research, while still working heavily with the ASN office. A key focus for Secretary Guerts, which he brought from SOCOM, is on ensuring that the Navy can find ways to talk with industry, and in particular, industry that doesn’t normally deal with or talk to the government.

This is how Hanvey characterized the focus: “What about industry? Industry is where stuff’s happening. Startups in the garage, entrepreneurs, small businesses. How do I get them to work with us?”

The process started by Guerts forging the Agility Cell, of which CDR Hanvey was a member. They visited the many “silos of excellence” with the Navy and Marines to understand how best to scale those efforts.  This included visiting other services and their innovation efforts to include SOCOM and SOFWERX to scope out how they did their approach to innovation. From these visits, the cell worked with Guerts to sort through how to adapt a similar approach in the Navy and this evolved into the NavalX effort and spawned the Tech Bridge concept.

With the establishment of the Tech Bridges, CDR Hanvey’s focus has clearly been upon how to establish an effective tech bridge in the very large naval operational world of Norfolk/Hampton Roads. His tech-bridge is different in that they work directly with Second Fleet. And because VADM Lewis and his team have prioritized C2 and distributed C2, the Mid-Atlantic Tech Bridge is also focused on those challenges.

For VADM Lewis, the team is working with current systems to deliver mobile command and control capabilities. The role then of the associated tech bridge is to look at evolving technologies which can do this better than current systems.

The process of examination is not just about new technologies, but also about technologies being used by other organizations which could be adapted to the Second Fleet environment.

According to CDR Hanvey: “Second Fleet is focused on a distributed C2 network, not just a unitary and centralized capability.  We’re going to use DJC2. We’re going to potentially use NETC2 and that’s great. Well, there’s a lot of commercial technology out there that can do this on a smaller and more agile scale. There’s a lot of technology already in the government, the Secret Service and the Special Operations user base, which does exactly what Admiral Lewis wants to be able to do. We can be disaggregated and distributed and work through a coalition network, or a commercial network, and still securely connect, consume and participate. We look to adapt such technologies and bring them to Second Fleet.”

“We are not here to replace existing innovation efforts, or avenues to solve complex problems.  The goal of the Tech Bridge is to enable finding solutions faster, better and which are less expensive. If the Tech Bridge can’t do it faster, better, or for less cost than the existing avenues we have through the Navy or the Marines, then we shouldn’t be doing it. But if I can make it happen faster, give you a much better result, and/or significantly less cost, that is our sweet spot.”

To achieve these goals, they are working ways to partner differently with organizations the Navy and Marines do not normally work with in order to make this work. They are utilizing Partnership Intermediate Agreements (PIA) which allow them to work with non-profits to work the evolving eco-system of technological innovation as well.

During our visit to Norfolk in March 2021, we have had a chance to deal with the two startup commands which are driving change in how to best shape maritime capabilities for the maritime fight – Second Fleet and Allied Joint Forces Command. Along with the Combined Joint Operations from the Sea Centre of Excellence (CJOS COE), the three organizations clearly understand the central importance of shaping effective C2 mission command capabilities.

The focus is on the fight tonight, which means they need to leverage what exists but to work these capabilities into an enhanced warfighting capability. But they are doing so with an eye to shaping the kind of template which can embrace significant change, the kind of change which their working relationship with the Mid-Atlantic Tech Bridge can help shape.

For further tech bridge information, see the following:

Also, see the following:

757 Accelerate: Contributing to the Evolving Ecosystem for Innovation