NAVSUP FLC Norfolk Supports Navy's 250th Birthday Celebration

Contracting specialists from the NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk Contracting Department (Code 200) provided husbanding and contracting support for Navy ships and events celebrating the U.S. Navy’s 250th birthday with the International Naval Review 250 in New York and Sail 250 events in Baltimore and Boston.
According to Fleet Technical Director Omar Roque, the support included having team members on-site and extended well beyond the traditional services normally associated with a port visit. In all, the team awarded and oversaw the execution of over 50 contracts during the port visits.
“The team worked tirelessly through the July 4 weekend to ensure event success,” he added.
The team coordinated contracts for a wide range of services required to support visiting U.S. and foreign naval vessels, as well as numerous public events associated with the celebration.
“We contracted for traditional port visit items like CHT (collection, holding, and transfer) offloads, barges and other routine services, but also had contracts for tugs and pilots, water taxis, fleet landing support and security, reception items, advertising, a performance rider, lodging, and the Javits Center command center,” Roque said.
Planning for an event spanning multiple cities and involving numerous Navy organizations required extensive coordination months before the first ships arrived in port.
“Code 200 has been coordinating with multiple Navy stakeholders for contractual advice and support for approximately 18 months,” Roque explained.
NAVSUP FLC Norfolk supported ships participating in events in Baltimore, New York, Albany and Boston, including the USS Arlington (LPD 24), USS Marinette (LCS 25), USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), USS Nimitz (CVN 68), USS Farragut (DDG 99), and USS Nitze (DDG 94); four U.S. Naval Academy yard patrol craft; and visiting ships from Senegal, Morocco and the Republic of Korea.
According to Laura Donson, the Code 213 division director, the Contracting Department’s previous experience with husbanding support for large events like this was critical to the effort.
“Understanding how location, holidays and other events impact resource and labor availability and costs allows the team to advise our customers and negotiate with our providers,” she added.
Fifteen contracting professionals deployed across the three cities to provide on-site support, enabling the team to respond quickly to changing requirements throughout the celebrations.
“Due to the size of the event, having a large team on the ground allowed for multiple issues to be handled simultaneously and quickly,” Roque said. “The preparation leading up to the event, the structure and organization employed by the team, and the size and skill of the team on-site and in Norfolk were key to the event’s success.”
He added the team’s planning and coordination resulted in the successful execution of contractual support throughout the celebrations, enabling them to respond to any surprises along the way.
“From a contracting standpoint, everything went incredibly well, and the team addressed any contractual challenges in real time and found solutions for our customers,” he said.
Roque credited the team’s professionalism and dedication throughout the high-visibility events.
“I couldn’t be prouder of this team,” he said. “They executed multiple high-visibility 250th birthday events quickly and expertly. They performed exceptionally and represented NAVSUP FLC Norfolk with distinction.”
NAVSUP FLC Norfolk is the largest of eight globally positioned fleet logistics centers that provide the full range of solutions for logistics, business and support services to its mission partners. The more than 1,300 sailors, civilians and contractors who make up NAVSUP FLC Norfolk support operations at more than 30 sites across three regions and 12 states, plus Washington, D.C.