NAVCENT LRC established and engaged.

The Logistics Readiness Cell (LRC) is an integral player in the War on Terrorism. The LRC is a component of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command N4 (NAVCENT), which is responsible for logistic support of every Sailor, every aircraft, and every ship of NAVCENT and 5th Fleet.

NAVCENT is the naval component of the unified Central Command (CENTCOM). CENTCOM spans an area from Central Asia through the Middle East to the Horn of Africa. Twenty-five countries and seven-and-a-half million square miles of ocean are watched over.

CAPT Julius "Gus" Gostel, SC, USNR, Assistant Chief of Staff, Logistics, and CDR Chuck Cleckler, SC, USNR, Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, Logistics lead N4's support to NAVCENT and 5th Fleet. The idea of an LRC dates to fall of 2000 resulting from a review of the Joint Reception Staging Onward Movement and Integration for Forces into Bahrain (JRSO&I), a plan for personnel movement into the theater during contingency operations. A couple of shortcomings were identified: (1) N4 lacked a capability to rapidly screen, compile, and analyze information and (2) there was no N4 24-hour logistics response capability. The LRC was established to handle unique logistics needs, not to address the day-to-day fleet logistics functions already performed by CTF-53 (although the LRC serves as an important liaison between N4 and CTF-53).

The team envisioned was comprised of 20 Supply Corps, Civil Engineer Corps (CEC), and various ratings, primarily storekeeper, for duty around the clock.

In the flurry of events following 9/11, many wartime contingency plans were implemented. The N4 LRC concept was one of them.

Personnel to fill the various support roles were sought. By Oct. 12, CAPT Robert Marcinek, SC, USN, and CDR Lawrence Coleman, SC, USNR, reported as Senior Watch Commanders. Supporting them were nine active duty members from various commands, literally from coast to coast.

A location for the LRC was readily available as the former N4 conference room had recently become an Automated Information System Training center. Ideal for the LRC, the room contained telecommunications and a local area network.