JULY 27, 2016, SAN DIEGO (NNS) – Expeditionary Combat Readiness Center mobilized over 100 Sailors from Coastal Riverine Squadron (CRS) 11 at Naval Air Station North Island, July 25.
Reserve Sailors from Expeditionary Combat Readiness Center (ECRC) on annual training led the mobilization process which normally occurs in Norfolk. The mobilization process usually takes about a week and involves preparing a Reserve Sailor for active duty or for a transition to a new mission for Sailors already on active duty.
The mobilization of the Reserve Sailors in San Diego allowed ECRC to flex the knowledge of ECRC Reservists assigned to its various detachments.
“ECRC has a regular schedule to mobilize Selected Reservists from sites other than Norfolk in order exercise the capability to stand up additional Mobilization Processing Sites that would be needed in a large scale Navywide mobilization,” said ECRC Commanding Officer Capt. Joseph Rehak. “This mobilization event ensures ECRC Sailors are ready to meet the nation’s Navy manpower requirements. Selected Reserve ECRC Sailors will learn, train and do the actions required to process Reserve Sailors into the active component. ECRC Sailors who have practiced will then be able to train their shipmates during drill weekend and other events.”
The use of a location far-removed from Norfolk has many benefits.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to exercise our capabilities in the ECRC Reserve Component drawing Selected Reservists from our four mobilization detachment units for hands-on experience,” said ECRC Detachment San Diego Commanding Officer Cmdr. Michael Schwerin. “We’ve had outstanding collaboration from Navy Region Southwest, Naval Base Coronado, Fleet and Family [Support Center], Navy Medicine West, Personnel Support Detachment North Island, Navy Legal Services North Island, and many others. This has also deepened our already strong relationship with [Navy Expeditionary Combat Command], [Coastal Riverine Group 1], and CRS-11.”
The fact that some CRS-11 Sailors are from the Southern California area is a benefit to the mobilization events’ locale, but another factor made San Diego the right place, too.
“All of our training is in Southern California so mobilizing in San Diego gives us additional time not spent on travel,” noted CRS-11 Mission Commander Cmdr. Keith Fernandez. “Each day is valuable to training — training that is critical to mission success.”
Of the remote mobilization, CRS-11 Senior Enlisted Leader Master Chief Jeremiah Witters agreed and added, “This allows the Sailor to focus on the training and this has a fiscal benefit for the Navy, too, since potentially less cross-country travel is involved.”
Naval coastal riverine squadrons are able to defend high value assets on land or at sea and, when ordered, conduct offensive combat operations.
Following training, members of CRS-11 will serve in U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) theaters.