Navy Secretary Visits Blount Island Support Facility

Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao toured the Marine Corps Support Facility at Blount Island, Florida, on Nov. 4.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Military

Sunlit riverfront industrial yard with a concrete slipway, plain shipping containers, and a warehouse under a clear sky in Jacksonville, Florida.
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao toured the Marine Corps Support Facility at Blount Island, Florida, on Nov. 4, where equipment is staged for Marine deployments. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao visited the Marine Corps Support Facility at Blount Island, Florida, on Nov. 4. The installation prepares ready-for-issue equipment and supplies for positioning aboard ships and at sites ashore.

Why it matters

The facility supported the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, which needed to offload an armored recovery vehicle during its Caribbean deployment and urgently required replacement armored vehicle windows to meet a force-protection requirement.

The source records a single dated visit on Nov. 4 and reports no quantitative operational figures. The installation's role within Marine Corps Logistics Command is documented, but its throughput or inventory volume is not stated.

The players

Hung Cao

Hung Cao is the acting Secretary of the Navy, a civilian leader overseeing the Department of the Navy.

Blount Island Command

Blount Island Command is a unit of Marine Corps Logistics Command that prepares ready-for-issue equipment and supplies for deployment.

The details

Acting Secretary Hung Cao toured the installation, which includes slipway infrastructure, maintenance warehouses, staging areas, and waterfront access. In May, the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit offloaded an armored recovery vehicle at the installation's sand ramp, and Marine Corps contractors packaged replacement armor panels from prepositioning stocks for shipment.

Timeline

  1. May: 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit offloads an armored recovery vehicle at the sand ramp.

  2. Earlier in the deployment: Blount Island Command approves replacement armored vehicle windows.

  3. Late May: Sailors of the 2nd Navy Expeditionary Logistics Regiment practice crane lifts and equipment staging.

  4. Nov. 4: Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao visits Blount Island.

Logistics Framework

Blount Island Command operates as a component of Marine Corps Logistics Command, which stages ready-for-issue equipment for ships and shore sites. The secretary's visit highlights how prepositioned stocks support forward-deployed Marine units.

Readers in Jacksonville, where the Blount Island facility sits, may note the local presence of military logistics operations. The visit underscores how equipment staging on the St. Johns River supports deployed forces.

The takeaway

Prepositioned equipment and rapid repair capacity can determine whether deployed units keep their vehicles operational. The Blount Island visit shows how logistics infrastructure supports force readiness.

Further reading

Explore more Military coverage for context on Navy and Marine Corps logistics operations.

Source note: This article includes information reported by U.S. Department of War.