The Navy this month officially stood up its new Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, which will be responsible for fielding a riverine force and getting it ready for a deployment to Iraq by early 2007.

The Marine Corps currently has a riverine force protecting a dam in Iraq, but the service is eliminating its river component as part of a force structure reorganization. The Navy's new river force will take over the Iraq dam protection mission from the Marine Corps starting in March 2007, said Rear Adm. John Bowling, deputy director of the expeditionary warfare division.

Training for the first riverine force sailors is scheduled to begin in June, and the Navy plans to brief a riverine force concept of operations to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Mullen next month, Bowling said Jan. 11 at the Surface Navy Association's annual conference in Arlington, VA. U.S. Special Operations Command also plans to help in training the sailors, he said.

The Navy expects to stand up three riverine squads, consisting of 12 boats each, he said. The Navy has not yet decided what kind of boats to use, though the Marine Corps' Small Unit Riverine Craft and SOCOM's river craft are candidates, Bowling said. Both craft cost more than $500,000 each, he added. Missions envisioned for the riverine force include surveillance, barrier operations, patrol, interdiction, and delivery of land forces from a river, he said.

“The riverine crew's mission includes stemming the flow of illegal drugs, cutting lines of communication for terrorists, stopping pirates and basically making the ports more secure and safe,” said NECC chief Rear Adm. Donald Bullard in a Navy statement.

The river craft could be transportable by air on C-17 and C-130s, or by sea on a large-deck amphibious ship with a well deck, Bowling said. As part of the CONOPS generation process, the Navy is looking at supporting the river force 24 hours a day, seven days a week, he said. Air support could come from aircraft carriers or amphibious assault ships, he noted.

“If it's required, we'll have it there,” he said. “I don't see us putting these units anywhere where we are not able to support them.”

The Navy officially stood up NECC at a ceremony Jan. 13 at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, VA, according to the Navy statement. In addition to the river force, NECC will be responsible for naval anti-terrorism and force protection, shore-based logistical support, and construction missions, it states.

NECC will consolidate the current missions and functions of the 1st Naval Construction Division, Naval Expeditionary Logistics Support Force and Maritime Force Protection Command, according to the Navy. About 40,000 to 50,000 sailors will join the command in phases over the next two years. NECC will oversee units ranging from bomb-disposal crews, expeditionary logistics specialists, the naval coastal warfare groups, and the master-at-arms forces.

Navy officials have stressed that the new naval combat troops will not compete with the Marine Corps but instead will support and augment Marines.

“The NECC has an ongoing discussion with the Marines,” Bullard said in the statement. “Our procedures must be in sync with Marines in order for this to work.”