JACKSONVILLE, Fla. --
A liaison team from I Marine Expeditionary Force visited Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island, Florida, for program briefings and reviews Dec. 2-3 that will enhance interoperability, readiness and coordination for maritime prepositioning force operations.
The two-day visit allowed I MEF leaders, planners and logisticians from Camp Pendleton, California, to tap into decades of expertise in refining arrival and assembly operations, offload preparation and logistics management.
Blount Island Command, responsible for executing the Marine Corps' afloat and ashore prepositioning programs, works closely with Marine expeditionary forces to ensure prepositioned equipment and supplies are modernized, forward-deployed and combat-ready.
The command’s workforce is a unified team of service members, civilians and contractors, many of whom are veterans who retired locally and returned as leaders and subject-matter experts.
During the visit, Jacob George, chief mate contractor for Crowley, contracted by the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command, guided the team aboard the USNS Sgt. William R. Button, berthed along the facility’s 1,000-foot slipway. He explained the role of the cargo ship and its crew in supporting military operations.
George’s career began with a congressional nomination to attend the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York, where he was commissioned as a Navy ensign. With 12 years in the Navy Reserve, George has worked on government vessels for 22 years, supporting numerous military operations, including surge sealift capacity with the Bob Hope-class vessels.
“They’re the tip of the spear—we have to keep them in the fight,” George said, after the tour. “Our role is to keep the flow of the equipment and replenishments they need, to keep them moving forward.”
The I MEF team’s engagement with Blount Island Command’s operational experts is part of ensuring that prepositioned assets align with current requirements and remain adaptable for future cycles. This collaboration enhances readiness for rapid deployment and improves interoperability with Marine air-ground task forces, ensuring operational success in global crises.
“The collaboration with I MEF commodity experts strengthens Blount Island Command’s commitment to rapid response and global reach,” said Mike Harvey, a contracted senior logistics analyst at the Marine Corps’ Global Positioning Network and Strategic Mobility Branch, the focal point for current global prepositioning network operations and future plans.
Harvey first reported to Blount Island in 1993 as a Marine Corps staff sergeant and supply specialist. After retiring as a gunnery sergeant, he spent five years as a contractor developing the Marine Corps Platform Integration Center, enabling real-time tracking and monitoring of military assets. He then served 20 years as a sworn civilian employee, playing a key role in shaping Blount Island into the hub of global readiness.
“This visit underscores the command’s role in supporting efficient, sustainable operations,” Harvey said, after conducting a brief on arrival and assembly operations. “We’re reinforcing the Marine Corps’ ability to project power and maintain readiness across the globe.”
“It’s collaboration across all sectors and commodities that enables mission success, ensuring warfighters receive the equipment they need, when they need it.”