Reservist Magazine is the award-winning official publication of the United States Coast Guard Reserve. Quarterly issues include news and feature articles about the men and women who comprise America's premier national maritime safety and security
Issue link: https://uscgreservist.epubxp.com/i/498190
MOL Jacksonville: More Than a Decade of Support Starting in February 2003, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, over 190 Coast Guard reservists were mobilized to USCG Group Mayport, Jacksonville, Fla. The Reserve contingent, known as the Military Out Load or MOL, worked with the Army's 832nd Transportation Battalion, whose mission was to synchronize Defense Transportation System surface cargo movements. Operating in the Port of Jacksonville, activated reservists established and maintained 24-hour security zones and hazardous materials (HAZMAT) inspection teams. In the first four months of operations, the teams provided protection for over 30 ships and 3 million square feet of cargo, including high explosives. Shortly after the initial operation began, some reservists were demobilized, but many remained on active duty for the next two years, doubling the peacetime strength of boats and crews in the port. MOL crews established and maintained 24-hour stationary security zones around 51 Military Out Load vessels during their uploads and downloads of military supplies, while also enforcing mobile security zones around 64 MOL vessels and Military Preposition Ships transiting the Port of Jacksonville. Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville (formerly Group Mayport) was established on August 16, 2005. Around this time, the initial MOL "call up" developed into a long-term mobilization that would span more than a decade. The waterside division comprised of mostly Boatswains Mates and Machinery Technicians, maintained ten 25-foot Response Boat Small (RB- S) and was appropriately named Security Detachment Mayport (SDM) and co-located with Station Mayport. The SDM's primary responsibility was to conduct security escorts and waterside security zones around the MOL vessels. Often working extremely long hours under less than ideal conditions, the members of SDM ensured that the military equipment was protected and kept the waterways of the Jacksonville Port safe for military transit. The shore-side division on Blount Island, primarily comprised of Marine Safety Technicians, conducted vessel inspections and landside security operations, while reporting directly to the newly established Sector Jacksonville Prevention Department. The Blount Island MOL team's duties included assisting the U.S. Army in ensuring that their military equipment arrived safely overseas. Some of the work details included coordinating with multiple security assets, conducting safety inspections, and ensuring overall compliance with any HAZMAT to include compatibility issues, undeclared HAZMAT, as well as blocking and bracing concerns, structural serviceability of containers, and proper shipping papers. MOL personnel also supervised and acted as liaison for the United States Marine Corps Prepositioning Program. Strategically positioned around the globe, the Maritime Prepositioned Ships (MPS) provided sufficient equipment, supplies and ammunition to support a Marine Air-Ground Task Force for 30 days. MOL personnel supervised and worked closely with the USMC and the Navy's Military Sealift Command on a regular basis to conduct explosive load operations on an average of 6 vessels per year in the Port of Jacksonville. Lessons learned in the early years revealed that several containers were being placed on a Captain of the Port (COTP) hold due to safety concerns. Realizing that these issues would continue to bottleneck necessary equipment in the ports and prevent equipment from arriving to our soldiers in a timely fashion, Jacksonville MOL members developed a plan to deploy to Army installations to assist Department of Defense personnel with packing the containers at point of origin. Taking the proactive action of assisting Army soldiers with the packing not only educated numerous soldiers, but eliminated almost all COTP holds at the various ports where the equipment was transported to be loaded onto MOL vessels. The deployments to Coast Guard Security detachment Mayport boat crews conduct waterside security on the M/V , a military cargo vessel. 10 RESERVIST � Issue 2 • 2015