BY NAVSUP FLC SIGONELLA PUBLIC AFFAIRS
NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) Sigonella, Command Task Force-67 (CTF-67), and Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella co-hosted Rear Adm. Peter Stamatopoulos, director of Logistics, U.S. European Command (EUCOM), and 18 other members of the EUCOM Joint Logistics Board (JLB) August 15 through 16, 2019, for an in-depth look at how the base executes its mission as the Navy’s strategic hub of the Mediterranean, and how NAVSUP enables combat capabilities for fleet, ashore, and expeditionary forces operating across Europe.
Among the JLB members were representatives of the EUCOM Logistics Directorate, U.S. Naval Forces Europe, U.S. Air Force Europe, U.S. Marines Forces Europe, U.S. Army Europe and the 598th Transportation Brigade from Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, Special Operations Command Europe, and Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Europe-Africa.
“By directly engaging the Navy team in Sigonella - the ‘Hub of the Med,’ logistics experts across the Joint logistics enterprise saw firsthand the critical role Sigonella plays in enabling global operations,” Stamatopoulos said. “Sigonella’s team of patriots directly provides logistics expertise to the Joint warfighter, allies, and partners that are critical to our warfighting readiness in Europe.”
“As important as it was for senior members of EUCOM’s Joint community to see how our people support the Navy and Joint warfighter here at NAS Sigonella, the JLB visit offered us an important opportunity to address their questions that are specific to the European area of responsibility, discuss present and emerging challenges that hinder mission success, and solutions to overcome them,” said Capt. Alsandro Turner, NAVSUP FLC Sigonella commanding officer.
On-site mission briefings delivered to the JLB took place at the DLA Distribution Sigonella warehouse, Navy Munitions Command Detachment Sigonella facility, an RQ-4 Global Hawk drone hangar, the San Cusumano fuel depot, and the Augusta Bay NATO pier. The group also toured a P-8A Poseidon aircraft and observed a refueling simulation of NAVSUP’s pantograph fuels system.
While planning the JLB’s tour itinerary, NAVSUP FLC Sigonella Site Director and Action Officer Lt. Cmdr. Ryan Stickel said he and his team focused the visit around the theme of “Setting the Theater.”
“With this theme in mind, we wanted to paint a picture for the JLB of the full spectrum of logistics capabilities we employ at the tactical level to support not only base operations for NAS Sigonella, but also other service components and Joint partners who have missions here; U.S. Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and NATO,” explained Stickel.
The expertise NAVSUP FLC Sigonella delivers to the warfighters at NAS Sigonella includes products and services in customs, fuels, hazardous materials, and household goods management.
“By hosting the JLB leaders in-person, they were able to directly observe how NAVSUP is a force multiplier by delivering our products and services in a way that accomplishes mission success for the combatant commanders’ strategic objectives at the Naval Forces Europe-Africa and European Command levels,” Stickel added.