Established March 17, 2005, Commander, Task Force (CTF) 68 commands all Naval Expeditionary Forces in U.S. European Command (EUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) areas of responsibility in direct support of Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa and Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet (CNE-CNA/C6F) Maritime and Theater Security Cooperation (TSC) Strategies and Maritime Support Plans. Specific capabilities include:

Security:

Navy Coastal Riverine Squadrons (CRS) and Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Teams (USMC) ensure maritime, littoral, land and aircraft point defense; anti-terrorism/force protection of high-value assets; critical infrastructure protection; and augment or reinforce U.S. Embassies.

Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD):

EOD Mobile Unit 8 and attached EOD platoons provide critical and unique EOD, diving, mine counter measures, and mobility capabilities that render safe conventional munitions, improvised explosive devices (IED), and weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

Expeditionary Construction:

Naval Construction Forces, the “Seabees,” provide unique civil engineering skills and organic construction capabilities that support a diverse range of operations and projects including Humanitarian Civil Assistance (HCA), Exercise Related Construction (ERC), Counter Narco-Terrorism (CNT), underwater construction, multilateral exercises, and TSC engagements.

Diving and Salvage:

Naval Auxiliary Diving and Salvage ships (T-ARS) and Mobile Diving and Salvage (MDS) companies deliver unique marine salvage capabilities including diving, lifting, towing, off-ship firefighting, harbor clearance, underwater search and recovery, and underwater emergency repairs.

Counter-IED:

This critical unit synchronizes and coordinates the activities of military commands, government organizations, and partner nations to integrate multiple efforts across east Africa for Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa in order to attack enemy networks, train U.S. and partner nation forces, and defeat IEDs.

Hydrographic Survey:

Fleet Survey Team (FST) detachments conduct harbor survey and ocean floor mapping operations in support of EUCOM and AFRICOM priorities.

Expeditionary Intelligence:

Intelligence Exploitation Teams (IET) provide tactical indications and warning, enhance force protection, and conduct intelligence preparation of the operational environment, which enables C6F and CTF 68 to perform missions across the full spectrum of expeditionary operations. Navy IETs provide a flexible, scalable, and adaptable Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance platform, which collects and disseminates information vital to the commander’s ability to achieve information dominance between blue water, the littoral environment, and land.

CTF 68 assesses, plans, and executes specialized Adaptive Force Packages (AFP) that integrate these tactical capabilities by tailoring them to the mission requirements. These AFPs perform disaggregated tactical operations, exercises, and engagements with U.S. and partner nation General Purpose and Special Operations Forces for CNE-CNA/C6F-directed operations, TSC engagements, Crisis Response Forces, Navy Region Europe and Africa, NATO Response Forces, Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, U.S. Special Operations Command and Theater Special Operations Commands. CTF 68 is the Forward Command Element (FCE) for C6F and, when established, serves as CTF 158 in a similar role for NATO.