|
1999 | 1998 | 1997
| Blue
Advance 99, April 7-30, 19991 |
| Exercise
type |
Operational;
has Command Post and Field Training components.
An
"operational" exercise is carried out with a specific
threat or scenario in mind. Participants follow action plans devised
for dealing with these scenarios. Operational exercises seek to
gauge a contingency plan's effectiveness and the participants' ability
to carry it out.
A
"Command Post" exercise (CPX), which often relies on a
computer simulation, guides decisionmakers through a hypothetical
scenario. A CPX normally takes place in one central location, such
as a military headquarters.
A
"Field Training" exercise (FTX) simulates actual operations
"in the field," focusing more on improvement of skills
than on the making of command decisions.
|
| Mission |
In
April 1999, the U.S. Southern Command carried
out Blue Advance 99, an exercise whose three phases took place in
Miami and at remote locations. Carried out without foreign militaries'
participation, Blue Advance simulated a "migrant surge"
situation. The exercise sought to reinforce the U.S. participants'
abilities to carry out the following "mission essential tasks":
- Process
requests for forces to be deployed
- Determine
and prioritize theater strategic priority intelligence requirements
- Determine
and prioritize theater strategic information
- Collect
information on theater strategic situation
- Identify
theater issues and threats
- Manage
theater C4 (Command, Control, Communications, and Computers) systems
for communicating strategic orders and information
- Conduct
strategic estimates
- Issue
planning guidance
- Issue
theater strategic operation plans, orders, and ROE
- Synchronize
joint operations and subordinate campaign plans
- Plan
and provide for external media support and operations and ROE
- Provide
security for theater forces and means
- Tailor
joint forces for deployment
- Coordinate
and integrate policy for the conduct of theater operations
- Establish
theater interagency cooperation structure
|
| Implemented
by |
United
States Southern Command Headquarters. |
| Location |
Miami
and remote locations, including Naval Station Roosevelt Roads and
Vieques Island, Puerto Rico. |
A Southcom
document provides the following calendar for Blue Advance '99.2
| Phase
Red |
April
7, 1999
Mission analysis seminar |
- Reinforce
relationships among Southcom, component commands, and interagency
subject matter experts
- Review
contingency plans 6400 and 6103
- Promote
understanding of the AOR DOD missions (Defense Department missions
in Southcom's Area of Responsibility, Latin America and the Caribbean)
|
| Phase
Yellow |
April
12-16, 1999
Crisis action planning
|
- Exercise
contingency plans 6400 and 6103
- Exercise
Southcom battlestaff on joint operations
- Exercise
Southcom battlestaff with U.S. Government community during Positive
Force 99
|
| Phase
Green |
April
14-30, 1999
JLOTS/MPF
|
- Exercise
Southcom's capability to provide strategic / operational direction
over U.S. military forces in the Caribbean region
- Demonstrate
the ability to rapidly and effectively respond to a crisis situation
in the Area of Responsibility
- Exercise
maritime preposition force operations in the Area of Responsibility
- Exercise
joint logistics over the shore operations in the Area of Responsibility
- Exercise
the SCDJTFAC
|
| Blue
Advance 98, March 18-April 8, 19983 |
| Exercise
type |
Operational;
has Command Post and Field Training components.
An
"operational" exercise is carried out with a specific
threat or scenario in mind. Participants follow action plans devised
for dealing with these scenarios. Operational exercises seek to
gauge a contingency plan's effectiveness and the participants' ability
to carry it out.
A
"Command Post" exercise (CPX), which often relies on a
computer simulation, guides decisionmakers through a hypothetical
scenario. A CPX normally takes place in one central location, such
as a military headquarters.
A
"Field Training" exercise (FTX) simulates actual operations
"in the field," focusing more on improvement of skills
than on the making of command decisions.
|
| Mission |
In
March and April 1998, the U.S. Southern Command
began Blue Advance 98, a three phased exercise that took place in
Miami and at remote locations. Carried out without foreign militaries'
participation, Blue Advance simulated a disaster relief situation,
including "domestic operations in support of civil authorities."
The exercise sought to reinforce the U.S. participants' abilities
to carry out the following "mission essential tasks":
- Process
requests for forces to be deployed
- Determine
and prioritize theater strategic priority intelligence requirements
- Determine
and prioritize theater strategic information
- Collect
information on theater strategic situation
- Identify
theater issues and threats
- Conduct
strategic estimates
- Issue
planning guidance
- Issue
theater strategic operation plans, orders, and ROE
- Synchronize
joint operations and subordinate campaign plans
- Plan
and provide for external media support and operations and ROE
- Provide
security for theater forces and means
- Tailor
joint forces for deployment
- Coordinate
disaster relief (*starred in original document)
- Assist
in restoration of order (*starred in original document)
- Coordinate
and integrate policy for the conduct of theater operations
- Establish
theater interagency cooperation structure
|
| Implemented
by |
United
States Southern Command Headquarters. Other "players" included
Federal Emergency Management Administration, Department of Transportation,
Metro-Dade, USACOM, and USTRANSCOM. |
| Location |
Miami
and at remote locations (Bahamas and U.S. Virgin Islands are highlighted
in a map on a Southcom source document). |
A Southcom
document provides the following calendar for Blue Advance '98.4
| Phase
Yellow |
March
18-20, 1998
Joint operations and disaster relief training |
- Train
the Southcom staff and LNOs on joint operations procedures as
they apply to FUNCPLANs 6150 and 6175
- Train
the Southcom staff and LNOs on DOD 3025.1 procedures as they apply
to disaster relief in a U.S. domestic territory
- Reorganize
briefings on the Southcom:
- Crisis
Action Team (CAT)
- Operational
Planning Group (OPG)
- Deployable
Response Team (DRT)
- Future
Plans Cell
- LNO
support
|
| Phase
Red |
April
1, 1998
Mission Analysis Seminar
|
- Promote
understanding of the differences in domestic and foreign disaster
relief operations
- Reinforce
relationships among Southcom, component commands, the Federal
Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), OFDA, NGO subject
matter experts
|
| Phase
Green |
April
3-8, 1998
Disaster Relief / Civil Disturbance
|
- Exercise
Southcom's capability to provide strategic / operational direction
over U.S. military forces in the Caribbean region
- Exercise
FUNCPLANs 6150 and 6175
- Exercise
Southcom staff on joint operations and DOD 3025.1 procedures
- Demonstrate
the ability to rapidly and effectively respond to a disaster relief
crisis (*starred in original document)
|
| Blue
Advance 97, January 8-February 21, 19975 |
| Exercise
type |
Operational;
has Command Post and Field Training components.
An
"operational" exercise is carried out with a specific
threat or scenario in mind. Participants follow action plans devised
for dealing with these scenarios. Operational exercises seek to
gauge a contingency plan's effectiveness and the participants' ability
to carry it out.
A
"Command Post" exercise (CPX), which often relies on a
computer simulation, guides decisionmakers through a hypothetical
scenario. A CPX normally takes place in one central location, such
as a military headquarters.
A
"Field Training" exercise (FTX) simulates actual operations
"in the field," focusing more on improvement of skills
than on the making of command decisions.
|
| Mission |
In
January 1997, the U.S. Southern Command began
Blue Advance 97, a "multi-phased" exercise, in Panama and
at remote locations. The exercise sought to ensure that the Atlantic
Command and Southern Command are able "to provide strategic and
operational direction" over the Caribbean, which switched from
Atlantic Command to Southern Command control in mid-1997. Their ability
was tested by simulating a wave of migrants from the Caribbean to
the United States. |
| Implemented
by |
LANTFLT
(Atlantic Fleet) / JWFC (Joint Warfare Center) |
| Location |
Straits
of Florida |
A Southcom
document provides the following calendar for Blue Advance '97. Where known,
acronyms are spelled out in brackets "[ ]"6
| Phase
Red |
January
8-9, 1997
Mission Analysis Seminar |
- Caribbean
overview
- Political
- Economic
- Demographic
- Caribbean
Organizations
- Regional
Security System (RSS)
- Caribbean
Community (CARICOM)
- (CRDRA)
- Concept
Plans
- Cuba
- Haiti
- Noncombatant
Evacuation Operations
- Functional
Plan
|
| Phase
Yellow |
January
27-31, 1997
"Migrant Surge GITMO [Guantánamo Bay]"
CJTF
[Combined Joint Task Force] 160 (MARFORLANT [Marine Forces Atlantic])
|
- JOPES
[Joint Operation Planning and Execution System] CAP [Crisis Action
Planning] Training (one day)
- Planning
(3 days):
- Situation
Development
- (SC
DRT Deploys)
- Crisis
Assessment
- COA
[Course of Action] Development
- COA
[Course of Action] Selection
- Execution
Planning
- OPORD
[Operation Order]
|
| Phase
Green |
February
18-21, 1997
Mass Migration Straits of Fla.
Migrant Surge GITMO continues
CJTF
[Combined Joint Task Force] 120 (CINCLANTFLT [Commander-in-Chief,
Atlantic Fleet])
|
Situation
Development Mass Migration
- Situation
Development
- (SC
DRT Deploys)
- Crisis
Assessment
- COA
[Course of Action] Development
- COA
[Course of Action] Selection
- Execution
Planning
- OPORD
[Operation Order]
|
Sources:
1
United States, Department of Defense, U.S. Southern Command, "Blue
Advance 99," Slideshow document, May 20, 1998.
2
U.S. Southern Command, "Blue Advance 99."
3
United States, Department of Defense, U.S. Southern Command, "Blue
Advance 98," Slideshow document, January 28, 1998.
4
U.S. Southern Command, "Blue Advance 98."
5
United States, Department of Defense, U.S. Southern Command, Operations
Directorate (J3) Exercise Overview, (U.S. Southern Command: May 21,
1997).
6
U.S. Southern Command, Operations Directorate (J3) Exercise Overview.
Exercise "Blue Advance"
|
