The Navy Reserve mission for MSC is to provide cargo afloat rig teams (CART), expeditionary port units (EPUs), Tactical Advisor (TACAD) units, headquarters (HQ) support units, logistics support units, and strategic sealift units (SSUs) for operations which require additional manpower not normally required during sustained peacetime operations. The Navy Reserve is MSC's manpower solution for surge mission sets.
Nearly 900 selected Navy reservists are assigned to 40 MSC units worldwide. When mobilized, these reservists quickly take charge of establishing MSC port offices to assist with sealift operations wherever and whenever needed.
- CART – Provide qualified and experienced underway replenishment rig teams to augment U.S. government civil service crews aboard combat logistics force ships which transfer food, fuel, ammunition and other critical supplies to Navy combatant ships at sea. CARTs are composed of reservists who are highly trained at the MSC UNREP Training Center in underway replenishment operations, both by connected replenishment and by using military or commercial helicopters during vertical replenishments. MSC has four CART units providing 12 rig teams.
- EPUs – Provide liaison and ship husbandry support for forward-deployed port operations. MSC has 15 EPUs aligned under MSC's five area commanders.
- HQ support units – Provide trained watchstanders and staff support personnel to augment MSC HQ, MSC's U.S. Transportation Command Detachment at Scott Air Force Base, the five area command staffs, and an Afloat Mission Control unit to provide tailored command and control support for adaptive force package missions. MSC has eight HQ support units. Additionally, one unit supports the Inactive Ready Reserve (IRR) Strategic Sealift Officer (SSO) community of 2,100 officers.
- Logistics support units – Provide direct support to operational logistics and fleet sustainment activities. MSC has three reserve logistics support units.
For more information about the Navy Reserves, visit: https://www.navy.com/who-we-are/about-navy-reserve