BREMERTON, Wash. –
The U.S. Navy Reserve is an essential element of the workforce that makes up America’s Navy. Wherever the important work of the Navy is done, Reservists are there to support the mission. Reservists seamlessly support, actively contribute, effectively lead and serve a key role in helping the U.S. Navy meet its mission of fleet readiness.
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility recently hosted an impactful two-week deployment exercise, DEPLOYEX24. This exercise brought together more than 110 Surge Maintenance (SurgeMain) Sailors across its six areas of responsibility: PSNS & IMF Bremerton; IMF Everett Detachment, Trident Refit Facility Bangor, Guam Detachment, Yokosuka, Japan Detachment, and San Diego North Island Detachment. DEPLOYEX24 was strategically crafted to showcase the capability to mobilize and engage in warfighting scenarios.
Additionally, it served as a platform for evaluating and refining processes, ensuring continuous improvement in readiness, and operational efficiency.
The primary objective of DEPLOYEX24 was the “Clear the Pier” effort at the Combatant Commander’s request. “Clear the Pier” focuses on prioritizing critical ship availabilities.
Supported vessels included:
• Everett Detachment: USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53), USS Barry (DDG 52), USS John S. McCain (DDG 56), USS McCampbell (DDG 85), USS Gridley (DDG 101) and USS Sampson (DDG 102).
• TRF Bangor: USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN 730) and USS Nevada (SSBN 733).
• Yokosuka Detachment: USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).
Additionally, processes stressed were travel and pick up, temporary berthing and check-in, indoctrination, training, and demobilization. Total training and exercise time exceeded 5,000 hours.
“Officers must know ship systems, ship safety and maintenance organization,” said Lt. Cmdr. Erin Spindle, officer in charge, PSNS & IMF and Northwest Regional Maintenance Center SurgeMain. “Enlisted must be a master of their rate at all ranks and know their rate well enough they can be creative when needed. As Naval Sea Systems Command's Warfighting Readiness mission is focused on force generation, so is the NAVSEA reserve force.”
Established in 2005, SurgeMain has more than 2,000 reserve Sailors across 75 units. Created to augment the Navy’s civilian shipyard workforce in times of need, SurgeMain Sailors have technical and trade backgrounds that allow them to have an immediate, positive impact on operations. In addition to their direct work on availabilities, SurgeMain Sailors also provide valuable technical overhead support, using skills from their civilian experience to perform critical machinery maintenance, return needed equipment to service and fill key supervisory roles within the shipyard.
“The 2024 DEPLOYEX is an excellent way to evaluate our mobilization capabilities, especially as we navigate the challenge of supporting multiple locations simultaneously,” said Lt. j.g. Travis McGee, division officer, Yokosuka Detachment flyaway team. “This dynamic scenario helps us refine our ability to efficiently manage resources across diverse operational areas, while staying committed to the SurgeMain mission.”