JP 4-01.5 JTTP for Water Terminal Operations - BITS

Chapter I
followed when establishing command
authority relationships relating to the
operation of water terminals. Geographic
combatant commanders exercise combatant
command (command authority) (COCOM)
over assigned forces. COCOM includes the
authority to give direction over all aspects of
military operations, joint training, and
logistics necessary to accomplish the missions
assigned to the command. Geographic
combatant commanders are responsible
for maintaining an effective distribution
network across the range of military
operations and for prescribing policies and
procedures relating to that distribution
network. Thus, geographic combatant
commanders have overall responsibility for
water terminal operations within their
theaters. The geographic combatant
commander may delegate this responsibility
to subunified commanders or joint task force
(JTF) commanders in the conduct of their
assigned missions.
4. Selection and Operation of
Water Terminals
The selection and operation of water
terminals within the continental United
States (CONUS) is the responsibility of the
Commander in Chief, US Transportation
Command (USCINCTRANS). The selection
and operation of water terminals in an
overseas theater is the responsibility of the
geographic combatant commander. However,
the geographic combatant commander may
opt to enter into command arrangement
agreements (CAA) with USCINCTRANS to
allow the US Transportation Command
(USTRANSCOM) to operate some or all
water terminals in the theater.
5. Categories of Water
Terminals
Water terminals can be categorized based
on three main characteristics: physical
I-2
facility, commodity handled, and methods
for cargo handling. See Figure I-1.
CATEGORIES OF
WATER TERMINALS
Physical Facility
Fixed
Unimproved Facility
Bare Beach
Commodities
Commodity Handled
Methods for Cargo Handling
Container
Roll-On/Roll-Off
General Cargo
Lighterage
Figure I-1. Categories of Water Terminals
a. Physical Facility. The three types of
terminals based on the physical facility are
fixed, unimproved facility, and bare beach.
• Fixed. Fixed water terminals are where
deep-draft vessels come alongside for
berthing and discharge cargo directly
onto a wharf, pier, or quay. The cargo
is then moved to in-transit storage areas
to await terminal clearance or loaded
directly onto surface transport for onward
movement. Fixed terminals are generally
characterized by a high degree of
sophistication in facilities, equipment,
and organization to support cargo
handling and port clearance operations.
They are the most capable terminals for
handling large volumes of equipment and
Joint Pub 4-01.5