Sailors assigned to Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific (COMLOG WESTPAC) are supporting exercise Talisman Sabre 2015, July 4-19, by providing critical logistics and sustainment support to U.S. and coalition forces.

"Talisman Sabre provides our team with an excellent opportunity to rehearse our tactics, techniques and procedures in a multilateral environment," said Rear Adm. Charlie Williams, commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific. "These operations ensure we remain ready to sustain the fleet in the diverse environments in which we operate."

COMLOG WESTPAC provides the combatant ships in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR) with fuel, food, repair parts and ammunition. The replenishments are routinely conducted at sea to ensure U.S. 7th Fleet ships can operate forward throughout the vast Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

"We are the logistics experts," said Lt. Cmdr. Gentry Debord, COMLOG WESTPAC replenishment officer. "I match the ships' schedules, coordinate with other command task forces, and write the USNS schedules within the 7th Fleet AOR, so the combatant ships can carry out their missions."

According to the Deputy Assistant Chief-of-Staff of Logistics, Cmdr. Shane Strohl, COMLOG WESTPAC currently has critical supplies on hand in Darwin and Townsville, Australia, ready to load aboard participating ships.

"We have to plan the entire logistics sustainment of a carrier strike group, an amphibious strike group and coalition forces, not only for the exercise, but also the transit to the combat zone and the redeployment after completion," said Strohl.

COMLOG WESTPAC supports more than 20 exercises annually, including 30 or more combatant ships and 10 Military Sealift Command (MSC) ships operating throughout the U.S. 7th Fleet to accomplish its sustainment mission.

"Exercises like Talisman Sabre demonstrate interoperability with key allies and partners within the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region," said Strohl. "It's also important as it's one of the largest exercises that we conduct for sustainment."

Talisman Sabre, jointly sponsored by the U.S. Pacific Command and Australian Defense Force Headquarters Joint Operations Command, will incorporate U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force and the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army, and Royal Australian Air Force as well as other government agencies from each country.

This sixth iteration of the exercise will focus on joint training of a combined task force of U.S. and Australian forces in a mid-intensity, high-end operation, incorporating inter-agency participation. U.S. Pacific Command units and Australian forces will conduct land, sea, and air training throughout multiple training areas in and around Australia.

"We want to strengthen ties with our close allies, demonstrate logistics sustainment to forward deployed forces, and completely integrate the reserve support into our battle rhythm," said Debord. "We believe this will be a very productive exercise for enhancing our sustainment mission."

COMLOG WESTPAC is the U.S. 7th Fleet's provider of combat-ready logistics, operating government-owned and contracted ships to keep units throughout U.S. 7th Fleet armed, fueled, and fed. Additionally, COMLOG WESTPAC is U.S. 7th Fleet's Theater Security Cooperation agent for South and Southeast Asia.

For more news from Commander, Task Force 73, visit www.navy.mil/local/ctf73/.