Navy Sailors around the world have a duty to be prepared for the unexpected. In an instant, events like Pearl Harbor and 9/11 took the U.S. by surprise and changed the status quo for the U.S. military around the world. Even as recently as 2011, U.S. servicemembers in Japan had to respond to the devastation that occurred as a result of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

Thinking ahead and planning for the unexpected is exactly what the Sailors onboard Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY), set out to do during their participation in Citadel Pacific 2022, Aug. 15-19.

Citadel Pacific is an annual exercise conducted AROUND CFAY CFAY Executes Base Defense Plan during Citadel Pacific 2022 by Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) and Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet to evaluate command & control capabilities and to ensure the readiness and effectiveness of antiterrorism programs throughout the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility.

In years past, Citadel Pacific exercises have placed an emphasis on force protection from an antiterrorism perspective. This was no less true this year, as CFAY engaged with tenant commands to conduct drills including an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) attack, an active shooter drill, small boat probes and an entry control point penetration. What was different this year, however, was that U.S. Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT) also evaluated CFAY on the planning and execution of a Base Defense Plan (BDP).
A BDP is the set of measures that take place during an emergency or wartime scenario which causes non-essential personnel to be evacuated. Rather than being a response to any particular threat, the decision to develop a BDP as part of Citadel Pacific ’22 was made in an effort to ensure the adaptability of the force in a crucial overseas region.

“These types of scenarios cause a major shift in our day-to-day operations,” said Lt. Cmdr. Roel Rosalez, the security officer onboard CFAY. “Not only do we lose a significant portion of our workforce as we begin to evacuate personnel, but our Sailors must also continue to operate while their families are being transported out of the country.”

The changes in that result from such an evacuation can have significant effects on the requirements imposed upon and the services offered by an installation. Providing water and power to base facilities become even more critical as the shape of other auxiliary functions changes.

“By asking questions like ‘How can we sustain the mission when the lights go out?’ we can ensure that our installation is as resilient and adaptable as possible, no matter what we face,” said Rosalez.

The BDP required an immense amount of coordination between the various departments and tenant commands onboard CFAY, particularly with the requirement being placed alongside the existing antiterrorism requirements of Citadel Pacific. Every department – from public works and emergency management to logistics and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) – played a role in developing the overall contingency plan.

Their efforts culminated in a tabletop exercise (TTX) held between CFAY and a USPACFLT representative.

“The amount of professionalism and dedication it took from all of these players – from the department heads down to the Sailors in the thick of it – was outstanding,” said Capt. Les Sobol, CFAY. “Not only did they perform brilliantly during these very demanding drills, but they did so while continuing to support the dynamic, real-world operational requirements of U.S. 7th Fleet without missing a beat. They knocked it out of the park.”

Sobol added that the real value in performing these drills was in the lessons learned, and that CFAY would place a focus on the BDP in future training exercises as CFAY continues to emphasize force resilience.
CFAY concluded CP ’22 Aug. 19 with a debrief involving all departments that participated in the drill.

For 75 years, CFAY has provided, maintained, and operated base facilities and services in support of the U.S. 7th fleet’s forward deployed naval forces, tenant commands, and thousands of military and civilian personnel and their families.