Roll on Roll off Discharge Facility (RRDF)...the unknown part of the sea base.

A roll-on/roll-off discharge facility, or RRDF, serves as an area for loading and off-loading cargo at sea. The RRDF, assembled off Saipan in preparation for Freedom Banner/Cobra Gold 2011, includes nine connected modules, which are powered by two warping tugs and a power module.
U.S. Navy photos by Ensign Justin Bennett

The Roll On- Roll Off Discharge Facility is perhaps the most under reported part of the sea base....but its also arguably one of the most important.

I never realized it and the Marine Corps website doesn't play it up, but the sea base as envisioned isn't revolutionary at all...its actually evolutionary.  From the actions off the coast of Normandy to the work done in the Pacific even the work done by the Riverine Forces in Vietnam with their floating motherships which serviced not only watercraft but also aircraft are all building blocks upon which the modern sea base is being built.

When looked at in that light this is a common sense solution to historical problems.

USMC Sea Basing Docs.

The USMC Sea Basing Site is back up...but unfortunately its been scaled back to obscene proportions.  What drove this is beyond me but they did put up 3 new documents.  A Why, How and What in regards to the Sea Base.

What is Seabasing

Why We Seabase

How We Seabase

The beauty of the Sea Base is that it codifies the turn toward the Pacific and away from Europe/Middle East.  The bad thing about the Sea Base is that its still being promoted to allies that bring nothing to the table and will allow those same 'allies' to continue to sit on the sidelines with token forces...in this instance Naval Forces...while the US and its real partners will be engaging in real work---be it humanitarian assistance (Remember the Japanese Nuclear Crisis?  Who didn't you see there?  Many European countries!) to peace keeping and of course war.

UPDATE: 
USMC Seabasing Website.