For the past decade, U. S. Reserve forces have become more operational and are constantly conducting overseas contingency operations worldwide. In order to facilitate their expeditionary needs, a thought-out logistical plan must be in place.



During Exercise Western Accord 2012, all the basic needs, and more, for each service member to successfully complete their mission must be provided, as well as food and water for each one of them.



Planning for exercises such as this one starts a year in advance in order to provide enough supplies for more than 600 U.S. forces and more than 700 West African troops.



With no U.S. bases in Senegal, it is essential for the units to plan and bring all the necessary tools to conduct the mission down to the last detail.



"This is an exercise that we don't have a base nearby where we can reach back and get stuff," said Gunnery Sergeant Kevin Evans, the Task Force logistics chief for the exercise with 4th Marine Division. Preparation needs to be at the finest detail. "Things like extension cords, tape and everything that you would use at the shop needs to be here as well."



Water is also an important element of sustainability in this austere environment. Through a lightweight water purification system, the water equipment Marines are providing clean water for service members to drink, shower and do laundry.



"The most impressive thing we're doing out here is providing water for everybody and all the training areas," said Captain Matthew D. Riggs, the camp commandant with 6th Engineer Support Battalion. "It's reverse osmosis and micro filtration that takes water from the Thies water main and puts it through a system and micro filter to remove contaminants and we add chlorine to sustain the shelf life."



The Marines came out here planning to support 1,200 people, but ended up having to support 1,500.



"My biggest concern has been water production," said Riggs. "We haven't been able to shower very often or do laundry, but the little that we have done has really helped the moral of the camp."



Another necessary component of the exercise is communication abilities. Communication Marines came prepared to provide services such as secure and non-secure internet connections and phone call capabilities through a support wide-area network antenna.



"Having the capability just to check the weather is important because a lot of what is done here during the rainy season is dependent on the weather," said Lance Corporal Ruben Ware, a data network specialist with Communications Company, Headquarters Company, 4th MarDiv.



"Communication is key to success with anything," said Ware.



All these things and more contribute to the success of the operational Reserve and its capability to be an expeditionary force.



"We were told this is going to be an exercise that would test our expeditionary nature," said Riggs. "For the last ten years the Marine Corps has gotten away from doing types of operations with very little contracting; we are used to rolling onto a forward-operating base and ripping out."



Due to logistical support like this, Exercise WA-12 was able to successfully sustain U.S. service members and African military partners for over two weeks training.



Western Accord focuses on various types of military training to include: live-fire training, peacekeeping operations, intelligence capacity building, command post, and disaster response training.



In addition, a medical humanitarian assistance project and exercise-related construction will run concurrent with the training. The exercise is coordinated by U.S. Marine Forces Africa and runs from June 26 Ã? July 24. More than 600 U.S. service members and approximately 700 members of the Armed Forces of Senegal, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Gambia and France will participate.



See also: Docs and Corpsmen keep Marines and Multi-National Forces Fit during Exercise Western Accord