Blount Island Command Blount Island Command ( BICmd ) is responsible for the United States Marine Corps ' Maritime Prepositioning Ships ( MPS ) Maintenance Cycle operations and oversight of the Marine Corps Prepositioning Program - Norway ( MCPP - N ) . History . The concept of a Maritime Prepositioning Force ( MPF ) was first envisioned during the late 1970s . The initial program , established in 1979 , was called the Near Term Prepositioning Force ( NTPF ) . NTPF used existing operational force equipment and supplies to load on available ships belonging to the Military Sealift Command ( MSC ) . These ships were based in Diego Garcia and initial equipment and ship maintenance was done in Naha , Okinawa and Subic Bay Naval Base . The Marine Corps immediately recognized the advantages of prepositioning equipment and seized the opportunity to improve combat readiness . In March 1983 , the Commandant of the Marine Corps directed Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany to acquire the assets for the MPF program . MSC leased thirteen ships for the MPF program . The ships were formed into three Maritime Prepositioning Squadrons ( MPSRONs ) . MPSRON 1 and 2 were loaded in Wilmington , North Carolina and MPSRON 3 was loaded in Panama City , Florida . The ammunition for all three squadrons was loaded at Military Ocean Terminal , Sunny Point , North Carolina . Property leased . In 1986 , the Marine Corps established the Biennial Maintenance Command ( BMC ) at Blount Island , Jacksonville , Florida on leased from Gate Maritime Properties ( GMP ) for $ 11M per year . In 1989 , Blount Island Command was established as a subordinate command to Marine Corps Logistics Bases , Albany , Georgia . Property purchased . The lease between GMP and the Marine Corps was due to end in 2004 , and in 2000 , the Corps stated their intentions to purchase the property when the lease expired . The Marine Corps budget included $ 115 . 7 million for the acquisition , but extended negotiations did not result in an agreement . GMP contended that the land was worth between $ 160M and $ 200M , so in August 2004 , the Marine Corps seized on Blount Island ( GMP ' s entire Blount Island holdings ) by eminent domain and paid $ 101M ( later increased to $ 160M ) . When land is seized by eminent domain for uses that benefit the public , the government is required to pay landowners " just compensation " , so GMP asked for a jury to decide the land ' s value . On November 14 , 2005 , a jury determined that the government should pay $ 160M for the parcel . Facility . The base falls under the command of the Marine Corps Logistics Command located at Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany , Georgia . The portion of the Blount Island currently occupied by Blount Island Command began transitioning to become a Marine Corps Logistics Base in 2005 . As of 2010 , $ 55M had been spent on projects to expand capabilities and improve security , including better fencing and gate access . Blount Island offered a variety of advantages not available at any other site , including : Operation . Each Maritime Prepositioning Ship ( MPS ) can supply a Marine Expeditionary Unit ( 2 , 200 members ) for 30 days . Ships are loaded with thousands of different items required for logistical support . The vessel then departs Blount Island and journeys to an assigned ocean location , where they await a destination . If the ship is utilized in a mission , it will return to Blount Island to be resupplied and the cycle begins again . Every 36 months , all cargo is offloaded and the ship goes into dry dock . Every piece of equipment is inspected , cleaned and tested . Vehicles are repaired and painted . If upgrades are available , they are applied or items are swapped out . The work is performed by 250 military / government employees assisted by 1 , 000 civilian contractors . Mission . Plan , coordinate & execute the logistics efforts in support of Maritime Prepositioning Force ( MPF ) and Global Prepositioning Program – Norway ( GPP - N ) programs . Maritime Prepositioning Force ( MPF ) . The MPF concept provides for rapid deployment of personnel and equipment of a Marine Air Ground Task Force ( MAGTF ) , by aircraft , to link up with prepositioned equipment and supplies embarked aboard forward deployed Maritime Prepositioning Ships ( MPS ) . They do require an airfield for air delivery of MAGTF personnel close to a benign port and / or beach for offload of equipment . MPS have no inherent forcible entry capability ; however , they can reinforce amphibious operations . These equipment and supplies reduces strategic lift requirements , reduce force deployment time and provides an immediate , creditable force in time of crisis . Maritime Prepositioning Forces serve as a naval power projection capability that significantly supports the deployment and employment of Naval expeditionary forces worldwide . The three current MPS squadrons , composed of 16 ships , provide a unique , strategic warfighting capability . Employment of MPS assets during Operation Desert Storm , Operation Vigilant Sentinel , Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom against Afghanistan and Iraq , and Operation Restore Hope and Operation Continue Hope in Somalia , demonstrated the value of these expeditionary assets . Humanitarian efforts following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the 2010 Haiti earthquake also utilized the capabilities of the MPF .