U.S., ROK Forces Demonstrate Expeditionary Bulk Fuel Capabilities at CJLOTS 26

POHANG, South Korea – U.S. and Republic of Korea service members executed a Joint Petroleum Over-the-Shore operation during Combined Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore 26, completing the JPOTS evolution in Pohang, South Korea, July 14, 2026.

The evolution demonstrated the joint and combined force’s capability to deliver bulk fuel from sea to shore in austere environments, directly supporting the operational readiness and combined interoperability of the ROK-U.S. alliance.

JPOTS operations enable military units to sustain theater operations without relying on established maritime ports of entry and debarkation. During the training scenario, the maritime prepositioning ship USNS Lummus pumped simulated fuel from an offshore position through the Amphibious Bulk Liquid Transfer System to a beach unloading assembly managed by Marines with 3rd Marine Logistics Group. During this evolution, the joint force successfully deployed and tested the system and pumped 30,000 gallons of fuel ashore in eight hours, meeting the exercise’s primary training objective. ROK partners also successfully pumped approximately 10,000 gallons of fuel through their system, which they set up several days in advance.

This complex operation required close coordination among multiple participating commands. Command and headquarters support was provided by the U.S. Marine Corps’ 3rd Marine Logistics Group and Combat Logistics Regiment 35; the U.S. Army’s 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) and 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command; the U.S. Navy’s Naval Beach Group 1; and the Republic of Korea Navy’s 5th Flotilla. Hands-on tactical execution of the bulk fuel transfer was carried out by the U.S. Marine Corps’ 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group; the U.S. Army’s 498th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion; the U.S. Navy’s Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, Assault Craft Unit 1 and Maritime Prepositioning Ships Squadron 3; and the Republic of Korea Navy’s 55th Logistics Over-the-Shore Battalion alongside units with the Republic of Korea Marine Corps Marine Logistics Group.

“Logistics dictates the pace of combat,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Trevor Simler, the 3rd MLG fuels officer. “Fuel is often the most difficult resource to move across a theater of operations. What we are demonstrating is how we sustain our joint and combined partners when fixed deep water ports are denied or unavailable and continue to push fuel to the maneuver units.”

Integrating multiple military services and international partners required detailed synchronization. Warrant Officer Pablo Mendoza, an expeditionary fuels officer with 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd MLG, served as a primary planner for the Marine Corps’ portion of the combined exercise.

“My role was to plan, coordinate and supervise the Marine Corps portion of the JPOTS operation,” Mendoza said. “The most challenging part was validating the interoperability of three different services’ fuel systems without the ability to conduct a full rehearsal. That detailed planning and shared technical understanding allowed us to maximize joint interoperability and successfully integrate all three services.”

At the tactical level, noncommissioned officers led the physical emplacement of the system under constraining beach conditions.

“The most difficult aspect of setting up the fuel system was working on the beach’s uneven and constantly shifting terrain,” said Sgt. Cameron Smith, an expeditionary fuel technician with 9th ESB. “We worked through those challenges by working as a team and adapting to the environment while maintaining safety and keeping the mission on schedule.”

The hands-on environment also required Marine NCOs to coordinate directly across service lines to establish functional joint capabilities on the beachhead.

“One of the most challenging parts was not being familiar with the gear and equipment used by the other services,” said Cpl. Alex McGeathy, an expeditionary fuel technician with the battalion. “We overcame it by communicating, sharing knowledge and working together to understand each other’s systems, which made the setup more efficient and strengthened our ability to operate as a joint team.”

This successful deployment of expeditionary logistics directly supports the core tenets of the ROK-U.S. alliance. By validating these critical combined tactics, techniques and procedures, the alliance ensures it can maintain operational momentum, sustain shared logistics requirements and remain prepared to respond to any contingency in the region.