translog

THE JOURNAL OF SURFACE 

DEPLOYMENT AND DISTRIBUTION

Fall 2009

Rapid Port

Opening

Elements:

global

enablers
2 translog Fall 2009

TRANSLOG is published by the Office of Command Affairs, 

Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, 

Headquarters, 709 Ward Drive, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois 

62225, in accordance with Army Regulation 360-1.

All photos property U.S. Army, unless otherwise noted.

Views expressed in TRANSLOG are not necessarily those of 

the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Army, or the Military Surface Deployment 

and Distribution Command. Reference to commercial products or services does not imply Army endorsement. Unless 

otherwise stated, TRANSLOG material may be reprinted if 

credit is given to TRANSLOG and the author.

Submissions: TRANSLOG considers all manuscripts, photo essays, artwork, white papers and general news about military 

transportation, its history, and related human endeavors. 

Material, including photos, may be mailed or sent electronically. Scanned and digital images should be in full-color TIFF 

or JPEG format, at resolution of 300 pixels per inch at 100 

percent size (at least 3” x 5”; preferably larger).

For additional guidance on submissions, content, distribution, 

or address changes contact the editor: 

Mike W. Petersen, Editor

(618) 220-5197

sddc.safb.translog@us.army.mil

translog

THE JOURNAL OF SURFACE 

DEPLOYMENT AND DISTRIBUTION

is a quarterly publication of

Military Surface Deployment and 

Distribution Command 

Maj. Gen. James L. Hodge

Commanding General

Command Sgt. Maj. Tomás Hawkins

Command Sergeant Major

Scott D. Ross

Director of Command Affairs

Mike W. Petersen

Editor

Todd Young

Graphics

features 

departments 

Fall 2009

From the Commanding General 4

From the Command Sergeant Major 5

ITV: In Transit Visibility 6

History: The Culminating Point 10

Transitions 13 

White Papers: Tacoma to Afghanistan 29 

Professional Development: Knowledge Management 36

SDDC in pictures 38

Rapid Port Opening Elements 14

Kargo Kings make huge ammo move 20 

Defense Access Roads 23

Azores Detachment: Doing More With Less 26 

Strengthening the Bond: AC/RC Conference 28 

Special Delivery: Moving a C-17 fuselage 34

23 34

10 38

SDDC

6

14
3 translog Fall 2009

2010 SDDC Training Symposium 2010 SDDC Training Symposium

Atlanta Marriott Marquis

Atlanta, Georgia

March 8-10, 2010

Register at 

www.sddcsymposium.org

Monday, March 8

Registration, Tack-On Meetings, 

Welcome Social

Tuesday, March 9

Opening General Session, Exhibits, 

Functional Breakouts

Wednesday, March 10

General Session, Exhibits, Functional 

Breakouts, Symposium Banquet

Thursday and Friday, March 11-12

Tack-On Meetings

DEPLOYMENT AND DISTRIBUTION 

IN AN ENTERPRISE ENVIRONMENT

MILITARY SURFACE DEPLOYMENT & DISTRIBUTION COMMAND

Single Source Information Management 

 

 

The SRC provides technical support services, 24/7/365, to all 

military and commercial partners supporting the warfighter. 

x Our self-service website enables users to submit their 

own trouble ticket as well as providing a means of 

checking existing requests status. 

x To understand the full extent of the user's problem / 

issue, we gather necessary customer profile information 

and support documentation. 

x The SRC employs a continually updated knowledge base 

that focuses on current customer relationship 

management techniques. 

x Annually responding to more than 120,000 calls & eͲmails

https://www.sddc-srchelpme.com

PROGRAM COVERAGE

GFM CWA CAB

IBS DPS ETA

WPS TOPS ICSS

DTOD GOPAX TFMS-M

800-462-2176 / 618-220-SDDC (7332) / DSN: 770-7332
4 translog Fall 2009

from the Commanding General

Delivering equipment and sustainment on time is one 

of SDDC’s core competencies, and we continue to earn a 

reputation for excellence by delivering dependable support to the warfighter. As you can see in these pages, the 

servicemembers and civilians of SDDC are deepening and 

expanding their knowledge and capabilities. 

Operationally, we are finding new ways to meet the 

demands of two wars and global contingency operations. 

SDDC’s newest units, the Rapid Port Opening Elements 

(page 14), are a great example of how we have adapted to 

provide the best deployment and distribution support possible. The RPOEs are first responders: they’re prepared to 

deploy on short notice as part of USTRANSCOM’s Joint 

Task Force – Port Opening to establish air and sea ports of 

debarkation in austere environments and to provide crucial 

in-transit visibility for the joint force. 

Our mission to provide defense transportation engineering support continues to make a difference on a national level. The Defense Access Roads program is a major 

contribution SDDC’s Transportation Engineering Agency 

makes to the uniformed services. For example, the access road for Pohakuloa Training 

Area in Hawaii (featured on page 23), illustrates how TEA’s collaboration with other 

agencies can benefit local and state governments. 

SDDC’s workforce truly deserves the title of Global Surface Transportation Experts, 

as we have worked to overcome the challenges of distribution and sustainment in Afghanistan, Iraq, and in support of contingency operations around the world. 

The pace of change for SDDC continues to be rapid, and throughout this period of 

transition, we have relentlessly accomplished every mission, proving our commitment to 

the warfighters around the world that SDDC is dependable and relentless in its pursuit of 

excellence.

JAMES L. HODGE

Major General, USA

Commanding
5 translog Fall 2009

Surface Warriors,

“It’s been one heck of a ride.” 

“This has been the most rewarding assignment of my career.”

“Boy I’m glad this is over.” 

These and so many other remarks have been made about how 

one feels when it is time for them to move on. Though as cliché 

as it may sound, it is very true when they say:

“You don’t know how much you miss or enjoy something until 

you no longer do it.”

Being the SDDC command sergeant major has taken me 

around the world a few times. From the East Coast to the West 

Coast of the United States; to the sands and heat of Kuwait, Iraq 

and Afghanistan, to the ruins of Greece, the canals in Holland, 

to the sites and sounds of the Far East – Korea, Japan, Guam 

and Okinawa, to the greetings of Aloha and Mahalo in Hawaii. 

Everywhere I had a chance to go, there was one thing that remained consistent: a COMMITTED, DEPENDABLE and RELENTLESS workforce with a performance-based reputation of 

proven excellence that inspired trust and confidence from everyone we did business with. I will 

always hold my head up high every time I see the Arrow, which is like the “Bat Signal” (thanks 

Command Sgt. Maj. Offord, 597th Transportation Group). When you’ve done all you can do and 

can’t do any more – flash the sign, call for the Surface Warriors and with a thunderous cry of 

“Let’s Roll,” we’ll be there to take care of you – anytime, anywhere in the world.

We’ve had great leaders during my tenure – Dunwoody, Fletcher, Gainey, Hodge, and a dynamic cast of NCOs – who have and will continue to make an impact on energizing formations 

of the warfighter. The workforce of military and civilian personnel are the true lifeline of deploying, distributing, sustaining and redeploying America’s forces in order to successfully carry out 

our Nation’s business. For that, I salute you!

As this is my last article for the Translog, it has been a joy to serve with you, break bread 

with you, laugh and even at times, shed a tear with you. As I depart from SDDC, I will only be a 

phone call or an email away. I thank you all so very much for your hard work and support. 

Take care, all of you Global Surface Transportation Experts, and continue to be Committed, 

Dependable and Relentless.

For the last time ... Let’s Roll!

from the Command Sergeant Major

TOMAS R. HAWKINS

CSM, USA
6 translog Fall 2009

in transit visibility in transit visibility ITV transportation and logistics news in brief

SDDC soldiers win, place in AMC competition

Two SDDC Soldiers earned honors from 

Army Materiel Command during the command’s annual Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer of the Year competition. The 

AMC Soldiers and NCOs competed alongside those from the National Capital Region 

at Fort A.P. Hill, July 20. 

SDDC’s Spc. Darwynn McPherson was 

named the 2009 Army Materiel Command 

Soldier of the Year. With this significant 

accomplishment under his belt, McPherson 

went on to compete at the Army-level for 

Soldier of the Year in September. Though he 

did not place in the competition, he represented SDDC and AMC proudly.

McPherson graduated from Leroy 

High School and entered the Army in 

July 2003. He is a transportation management coordinator assigned to the 688th 

Rapid Port Opening Element at Ft. Eustis, 

Va. McPherson earned top honors after 

the weeklong competition which included 

marksmanship; specific Soldier, combat, and 

life saving skills; urban warfare and other warrior tasks. 

Sgt. Billy Richardson, a cargo specialist also 

with 688th RPOE, was named Runner-Up for 

2009 Army Materiel Command Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. Richardson entered 

the Army in October 2003. He is a cargo specialist assigned to the 688th Transportation 

Battalion, Rapid Port Opening Element at Ft. 

Eustis, Va. 

SDDC welcomed the 688th RPOE, along 

with the 689th RPOE, into its family during a 

patch changing ceremony held May 15 at the 

command’s Fort Eustis facility. The ceremony 

signified the transfer of authority of the 688th 

and 689th from the 7th Sustainment Brigade to 

the 597th Transportation Terminal Group. 

Spc. Darwynn McPherson, SDDC and AMC Soldier 

of the Year, leaps over a wall during the U.S. Army 

Best Warior Competition 2009 at Fort Lee, Va.

Sgt. Billy Richardson, SDDC Noncommissioned Officer of the Year and runner-up for 

the AMC title, completes the written portion 

of an AMC task at Fort A.P. Hill July 21. 
7 translog Fall 2009

SDDC’s Greece Detachment celebrated its 

60th anniversary with an event at their office in 

the Port of Piraeus Sept. 30. 

Guests at the event included Brig. Gen. 

George Kasparis, Hellenic Army Port Commander, 598th Transportation Group senior leaders, 

representatives of the U.S. Embassy in Athens, 

Greece Detachment retirees, personnel and family members. 

Greece Detachment personnel execute and 

enable expeditionary port and surface distribution operations throughout Greece and countries 

in the area, including Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Israel. 

SDDC Greece started as a small port liaison 

team July 1, 1949, to coordinate the movement 

of U.S. cargo sent to Greece as part of the postWorld War II rebuilding effort. The Detachment 

came under command of MTMC Eastern Area 

April 1, 1965 (later aligned under the 598th 

Transportation Group). 

The unit has had numerous notable missions, 

including the reception of 276 refugees from 

Beirut, Lebanon on June 22, 1976. One of the 

unit’s most intense periods was the deployment 

of U.S. Forces to Kosovo during 1999 and 2000, 

moving more than 10,000 pieces of rolling stock 

and equipment and 7,000 containers, all with 

minimal augmentation.

Col. Steve Farmen, commander, 598th Trans 

Group, congratulated the Detachment on their 

60th anniversary and praised the Detachment for 

their work over the years.

“From World War II through ... ongoing 

contingency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, 

and the full range of military missions, activities, 

and exercises that spans all the gaps and seams 

in between, the Greece Detachment has played 

a power projection role that led to the execution 

and success of all those events,” Farmen said. “I 

remain inspired by the passion and professionalism of the entire team.”

In the warehouse where the ceremony took 

place, photos of past missions illustrated the 

event.

“People do their work not when they have 

been told they have to, or when they worry that 

their paycheck depends on it, but when they feel 

an obligation to do their best,” said Spero Pekatos, Greece Detachment director. “That comes 

from inside the person, and this is what I see 

every day here at the Greece Detachment!”

Pekatos finished the ceremony with the Detachment’s motto: “There is a way.”

Greece Detachment celebrates 60 years 

Story and photo by Bram de Jong, 598th Transportation Group Command Affairs

Col. Steve Farmen applauds members of SDDC’s Greece Detachment on their 60th anniversary.
8 translog Fall 2009

in transit visibility ITV transportation and logistics news in brief

Maj. Gen. James L. Hodge, SDDC commanding general, presented the Excellence in 

Traffic Management Awards at a luncheon held 

Sept. 23 during the National Defense Transportation Association’s 63rd Annual Forum and 

Exposition in Nashville, Tenn.

The awardees included representatives from 

the uniformed services, Defense Logistics Agency, Army/Air Force Exchange Service and the 

Defense Contract Management Agency. 

The awardees were honored for a wide range 

of transportation duties, including support for deployment readiness operations, ammunition and 

ordnance delivery, military airlift routing, logistics support, mobility training, personal property 

shipments, and petroleum movement.

The Excellence in Traffic Management 

Awards are presented each year by SDDC to 

exceptional traffic managers, both civilians and 

enlisted military personnel, that best represent 

SDDC’s competencies as global surface transportation experts who are committed, dependable 

and relentless. 

Recipients of the 2009 Excellence in Traffic 

Management Award include:

Gary Robinson, Army, Installation Management 

Command Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea;

Holly Greer, Marine Corps, Marine Corps Logistics Base, Barstow, Calif.;

Brian Bialas, Navy, Navy Munitions Command, 

Detachments Sewells Point and Oceana, Va.;

Staff Sgt. Melissa Saccoccio, Air Force, 39th 

Logistics Readiness Squadron, Incirlik Air 

Base, Turkey;

Petty Officer Cecilia DuPree, Coast Guard, Integrated Support Command, Ketchikan, Alaska;

Warren Boone, Defense Logistics Agency, Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va.;

Danielle Hernandez, Army/Air Force Exchange 

Service West Coast Distribution Center, French 

Camp, Calif.; and

Calvin Lockhart, Defense Contract Management Agency, Transportation Southwest Division, Denver, Colo.

SDDC presents traffic management awards

SDDC’s 832nd Transportation Battalion and other members of the Jacksonville Port Readiness Committee held a ceremony Sept. 15 at the Port of Jacksonville Security Operation 

Center to sign Revision 4 of the Memorandum of Understanding on Port Readiness. 

The committee is comprised of seven signatory agencies: 

the Coast Guard, Navy, Marine Corps, Army, the U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers, the Maritime Administration, and the 

Transportation Security Administration. 

The JPRC establishes working relationships to support 

safe deployment of military personnel and cargo through the 

port of Jacksonville. By outlining each agency’s authorities, 

areas of jurisdiction, and functional responsibilities, the MOU 

enhances cooperation and coordination while minimizing disruption of commerce. 

Coast Guard Military Outload and 

832nd Trans. Bn. personnel conduct 

joint inspection of cargo containers 

in the Port of Jacksonville, Fla.

JAXPORT teams for port readiness 
9 translog Fall 2009

Gordon Lowe, Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command’s 

detachment chief with the 836th Transportation Battalion Guam, received the 

Department of Army’s Transportation 

Civilian of the Year award for 2008 during 

a ceremony at Fort Eustis, Va., July 31.

The award was presented by Brig. 

Gen. Brian R. Layer, chief of transportation and commandant of the U.S. Army 

Transportation School.

Lowe was recognized for his planning and coordination efforts at the Port 

Authority of Guam for future reception of 

thousands of military personnel and their 

professional and personal goods. 

He achieved a myriad of accomplishments to include exceeding the Department of Defense surface movement 

standard by ensuring 100 percent required 

delivery dates were met and property accountability was maintained. 

Other accomplishments he was recognized for include achieving 100 percent writing and attaching Radio Frequency Identification tags to Joint Chiefs of Staff exercise 

deployment shipments and unit movement cargo; exceeding the Department of the Army 

documentation standard with 100 percent of surface cargo booked and documented according to guidelines; and achieved a 99.6 percent Vehicle Processing Center customer 

satisfaction rate.

Lowe also developed an initiative that ensures all military related cargo, including military construction cargo, moves to Guam in the Defense Tracking System under 

SDDC ocean transportation contracts. This action allows SDDC to ensure customers 

receive the highest level of ocean transportation services.

The 836th Transportation Battalion Guam is aligned under SDDC’s 599th Transportation Terminal Group.

Guam Detachment chief named Army’s best 

transporter for 2008

Brig. Gen. Brian R. Layer, chief of transportation and 

commandant of the U.S. Army Transportation School, 

presents the Department of the Army’s Transportation 

Civilian of the Year award for 2008 to Gordon Lowe, 

Guam Detachment chief, 836th Transportation Battalion.
40 years ago

An article titled “Gourmet Gimmicks of the Airlines,” by Nancy L. Ross, details food and beverage services commercial airlines used to draw 

customers. Menu items included six-course meals, 

hand-tossed salad, steak and free beer.

Transportation Proceedings, September, 1969

30 years ago

“Government studies show life expectency among 

Americans improved by 1.7 years from 1972 to 

1976, an increase greater than in the previous ten 

years. Insurance companies credit the 55 mph 

speed limit as a leading cause to that extension.”

Newsreview, TRANSLOG, September 1979

from the archives

translog

September 3rd was the 66th anniversary of 

the allied invasion of Sicily. With that historic event in mind, I would like to discuss 

some of the operational art in WWII that led up to 

the invasion.

Probably, no concept of operational art is as 

complex as culmination. Culmination did not 

receive proper attention until operational art was 

revived during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The 

notion of a culmination point is identified with Carl 

von Clausewitz. This is what 19th century strategist 

and military theorist Carl von Clausewitz says about 

culminating points:

“Beyond that point the scale turns, there 

is a reaction; the violence 

of such a reaction is commonly much greater than 

the force of the blow. This 

we call the culminating 

point of the attack.—As 

the object of the attack is 

the possession of the enemy’s territory, it follows 

that the advance must 

continue till the superiority is exhausted; this cause, therefore, impels 

us towards the ultimate object, and may easily lead us beyond it.—If we reflect upon the 

number of the elements of which an equation 

of the forces in action is composed, we may 

conceive how difficult it is in many cases to 

determine which of two opponents has the 

superiority on his side. Often all hangs on 

the silken thread of imagination.

Everything then depends 

on discovering the culminating point by the fine tact of 

judgment. Here we come 

upon a seeming contradiction. If the defense is stronger than the attack; one 

would think that the latter 

can never lead us too far, for 

as long as the weaker form remains strong 

enough for what is required, the stronger 

form ought to be still more so.”

Fall 2009 10

The Culminating Point

The lessons of Clauswitz and Operation TORCH

As logisticians, we must understand how a lack of logistical 

support can also cause culmination; for instance, poor organization of the forward movement of 

supplies and lack of transportation, ammunition, fuel, or food. 

Carl von Clausewitz

Col. Michael Sean Tuomey

Commander, 1398th DSB
11 translog Fall 2009

20 years ago

An article by Charles Woolf details the first time 

commercial storage was used for cadets at the 

U.S. Military Acaademy at West Point. Approximately 350 Cadets pre-packed their belongings, 

which were picked up in containers.

TRANSLOG, August, 1989

10 years ago

“Once the [RFID] system matures and we begin to 

feed this data into the Worldwide Port System ... 

we’ll really see a dramatic improvement of realtime updates into the WPS.” 

Robert Shepherd, DSC G6, on the new use of 

RFID tags, TRANSLOG, Fall, 1999

Clausewitz saw the diminishing force of the 

attack, the culminating point of the attack, and the 

culminating point of victory as related concepts. 

Anticipating the modern concept of strategic consumption, Clausewitz wrote: “All attackers find that 

their strength diminishes as they advance.” 

He then went on to identify seven factors which 

cause the depletion of the attackers strength: 

1) occupation of the enemy’s country; 

2) the need to secure lines of communication; 

3) losses incurred through combat and sickness; 

4) the distance from replacements of both material and personnel; 

5) by sieges and investment of fortresses; 

6) by a reduction of effort (moral and physical)

7) by the defection of allies. 

Yet, he was also quick to point out that “a weakening of the attack may be partially or completely 

cancelled out ... by a weakening of the defense.” 

Thus, the depletion of the attacker’s strength, while 

demonstrably true, has no meaning unless it is considered in relation to the strength of the defender. 

Arrival at the point of culmination can be 

caused by various factors. Attack or defense can 

be temporarily overextended by exhaustion on the 

part of commanders and their forces or depletion of 

supplies. Among other things, this problem could 

be solved by simply replacing the commander or 

entire units, sending reinforcements, or rushing in 

provisions. Terrain, time and distance are also factors. Another contributor is the reduction of combat power through attrition, possibly exacerbated 

by fatigue and disadvantage in position, terrain, or 

weather. Another factor could be the inability to 

protect friendly forces.

As logisticians, we must understand how a lack 

of logistical support can also cause culmination; for 

instance, poor organization of the forward movement of supplies and lack of transportation, ammunition, fuel, or food. 

Constant combat and overextension of supply 

lines aggravate the problem. 

Ever-lengthening supply lines and corresponding sustainment difficulties were principal reasons 

for the failure by German General Erwin Rommel 

to continue his offensive in North Africa, beyond El 
12 translog Summer 2009

Alamein in 1942. The drive into Egypt culminated 

in late June because of exhaustion after almost five 

weeks of continued combat that began at Gazala. By 

early July 1942, German forces were woefully short 

of manpower, especially infantry. Their line of supplies was some 1,600 miles while that of the Allies 

from Egypt was roughly 100.

Also, both attackers and defenders can reach 

culminating points because of a lack of intelligence. 

For example, during the first battle of El Alamein 

in July 1942, Rommel lost his intelligence assets, 

making it more difficult to determine an accurate 

picture. A culmination for attackers can also occur 

when their forces move faster than intelligence support. Commanders and their staffs can reach wrong 

operational conclusions, although they are otherwise 

in possession of good intelligence. 

In Operation TORCH, Generals Bernard Montgomery and Rommel had earlier provided examples 

of not anticipating culmination points, by simply 

chasing each other’s armies around the desert in 

1941-42. 

During TORCH, there were two allied culmination points. The first was the seizure of beachheads 

during the assault landings and subsequent operational pause for logistical consolidation prior to 

moving to the east. The second allied culminating 

point occurred when the British First Army was unable to break Axis defenses in Tunisia in December 

of 1942. Without sufficient combat power and logistics support, the second phase of the North Africa 

campaign came to a halt. 

The Axis also reached culmination as a lack of 

supplies prevented further offensive operations. The 

lack of synchronization of logistics with operations 

hampered both forces, and forced them to culminate. 

With the successful North Africa TORCH landings behind them and the gradual clearance of Axis 

forces from Tunisia underway, the resources were 

becoming available to undertake a series of amphibious landings in the Mediterranean. 

The ambitious “Round Up” (Normandy) was 

still not feasible so the objective of the next phase 

in the conduct of the war was to tie down Axis 

forces, thus relieving pressure on the Eastern (Russian) front, and to force Italy out of the war. This 

was agreed at the Casablanca conference of January 

1943. 

For a while, the Americans were inclined toward increasing pressure in the Pacific and attacking 

Germany directly later in the war. In the end, it was 

agreed to plan for a large scale assault via the periphery of Europe, or as Churchill preferred to call it 

“the soft underbelly of Europe,” initially Sicily.

American troops 

hit the beach near 

Algiers, Algeria, during Operation Torch, 

1942. (Photo courtesy of the National 

Archives.)

Colonel Tuomey holds a Master of Strategic Studies from The Army War College, where he 

also served as a faculty instructor prior to deploying in support of Operation Iraq Freedom. 

He has also served as an adjunct faculty member at the National Defense University.
13 translog Fall 2009

transitions

Summer 2009

SDDC’s previous deputy commanding general, Brig. Gen. John R. 

O’Connor, departed SDDC to serve 

as deputy commanding general, U.S. 

Army Sustainment Command, with 

duties as commanding general, Army 

Materiel Command-Southwest Asia 

and G-4, U.S. Army Central Command. O’Connor was promoted to 

the rank of brigadier general Sept. 2, 

and served with SDDC since Apr. 15, 

2008.

Col. (Promotable) Edward F. Dorman III has assumed duties as SDDC’s 

deputy commanding general at Fort Eustis, Va. Dorman’s previous assignment was assistant chief of staff, 

G-4, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C., with 

duty as CJ-4, Multinational Corps-Iraq.

SDDC also welcomes Col. (Promotable) Ivan Neal 

Black, deputy commanding general for mobilization at 

Fort Eustis, Va. Black’s previous assignment was as director, Theater Liaison Element - Afghanistan, Special 

Operations Command Central in Kabul, Afghanistan. 

Command Sgt. Maj. Tomas R. Hawkins has been 

selected to serve as the senior enlisted advisor for U.S. 

Transportation Command at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. 

Hawkins has served as SDDC’s top noncommissioned 

officer since 2004. 

Stepping in as Hawkins’ replacement to take 

care of SDDC’s enlisted 

Soldiers is Command Sgt. 

Maj. James E. Riddick, a former command sergeant major for 

598th Transportation Group, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. 

In Bremerhaven, Germany, the 950th Transportation Company welcomed its new commander, Maj. Gina D. SanNicolas, 

in a ceremony Aug. 5. SanNicolas previosly commanded Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 101st Combat Aviation 

Brigade, Fort Campbell, Ky. 

Col. Edward F. Dorman III, 

SDDC deputy commanding general

 Maj. Gen. James L. Hodge administers the oath of 

appointment to Brig. Gen. John R. O’Connor during 

his promotion ceremony Sept. 2.

Maj. Gina D. SanNicolas, commander, 950th Trans. Co. 
14 translog Fall 2009

The addition of three Rapid Port Opening Elements to the Army’s Military Surface 

Deployment and Distribution Command brings an expeditionary answer to the challenge 

of logistics support in contingency response operations for the Department of Defense.

As the surface piece of U.S. Transportation Command’s Joint Task Force – Port 

Opening, the RPOEs deploy as part of a joint expeditionary logistics force to establish a 

port of debarkation and forward distribution node. The RPOEs provide in-transit visibility 

and conduct clearance and distribution operations. They also receive and transload cargo 

as an initial-entry port opening force until relieved by – or are integrated into – follow-on 

sustainment forces. Initially conceived to support aerial port of debarkation operations, 

the capabilities of the RPOEs are expanding to include sea port of debarkation operations.

The 688th RPOE completed JTF-PO Air Port of Debarkation and Sea Port of Debarkation verification in May. They currently serve as the RPOE on alert for JTF-PO missions globally. The newest unit, the 690th RPOE, was officially activated in a ceremony 

Oct. 16.

For the 689th RPOE, the move of the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry 

Division to Afghanistan (see page 29), represented the unit’s first operational deployment 

with the JTF-PO. In training for SPOD missions, the 689th teamed with the 833rd TransSoldiers of the 689th RPOE get a safety briefing in view of Mt. Rainier at Port of Tacoma, Wash.

Rapid Port Opening Elements

SDDC’s newest units are logistics first responders

Story and photos by Mike W. Petersen, Editor
15 translog Fall 2009

portation Battalion for a training exercise that coincided with a real-world mission at the 

Port of Tacoma, Wash.

Strykers and equipment belonging primarily to 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division 

were redeployed from Operation Iraqi Freedom for reset work at Fort Lewis, Wash. The 

move provided an opportunity for the RPOE to hone their SPOD operations and build the 

relationships that will be crucial to their success in a real-world contingency operation.

Brian Ford, who works with JTF-PO on training and exercises for USTRANSCOM, 

was at Port of Tacoma for the exercise. Getting the RPOE hands-on familiarity with port 

operations is vital to their quick-response capability, said Ford. 

“A theater sustainment command takes about a month to get on the ground,” he said. 

Maj. William Costice (right), 

commander, 689th RPOE, 

confers with his Soldiers 

during nighttime operations 

at Port of Tacoma.

Lt. Col. Robert J. Lehman (left), commander, 833rd Transportation Battalion, watches discharge operations at Port of Tacoma. Lehman served as JTF-PO commander for the training exercise.
16 translog Fall 2009

“The JTF-PO is a non-standing task force that comes together in a time of need. The reason we do these exercises is so we’re not playing a pick-up game.” 

The teams that deploy to support a mission 

are tailored to the mission. An advance party, 

the Joint Assessment Team, is sent to initially 

determine the needs of the mission. For air port 

operations, Air Mobility Command and the 

RPOE on alert send a team within 12 hours, 

with the full team ready to fly in 36 hours. For 

sea port operations, Military Sealift Command 

and RPOE personnel hit the ground within 36 

hours, with the team ready to fly in 60 hours. 

Once an assessment is complete, the report 

is sent to the JTF-PO commander, who determines whether the location suits the mission. If 

the location is suitable, the commander determines the size of the element, categorized as 

heavy, medium or light, to be sent on the mission. A heavy package can include more than 

50 Soldiers and 136 pieces of equipment. For 

some missions, the element can be as small as a 

few people and vehicles.

“For the recent move of the 5th Stryker 

Brigade Combat Team through Diego Garcia, it 

was a specially tailored package of 15 people,” 

Pvt. Aliana Schroeder, 689th RPOE, scans the 

shipping label of a Stryker at Port of Tacoma.

A Stryker is driven toward the ramp of the Green Point during discharge operations.
17 translog Fall 2009

Maj. William Costice, commander, 689th RPOE said. “Our main purpose was to provide 

command and control and in-transit visibility.”

For an SPOD mission, the 689th faces several challenges. Their mission was to maintain in-transit visibility of 95 Strykers through discharge from the cargo ship Green Point, 

staging, onward movement and reception at the forward node at Fort Lewis. To accomplish this, however, would take coordination and collaboration.

“In many ways, the JTF-PO serves as the maestro of an orchestra. As with any port 

operation, there are many different players in a mission like this,” said Lt. Col. Robert 

J. Lehman, commander, 833rd Transportation Battalion and JTF-PO commander for the 

exercise at Tacoma. “Our goal is to get every player trained and synchronized with their 

piece of the operation so that when called upon, we all know what to expect and the mission is well executed.”

In Tacoma, the players included the 689th RPOE, the 833rd Deployment and Distribution Support Team (DDST), and the contracted stevedores and trucking company 

moving the equipment. The current operational tempo prevents capable Navy assets from 

remaining on-call for contingency response, so for SPOD missions, the JTF-PO relies on 

civilian stevedores for heavy lifting, said Ford.

The Coast Guard provided water-side security, while Port of Tacoma Patrol and the 

Tacoma Police Department coordinated with the 833rd for security ashore. The mission 

also included PM Stryker personnel working the reset of the equipment, and the Fort 

Lewis Operations Center for coordination.

The 833rd DDST served two roles. In a JTF-PO SPOD mission, the RPOE is complemented by the local transportation battalion. In addition, the 833rd was carrying out its 

real-world mission in support of the redeploying Stryker brigade. 

The establishment of a rapid response port element addressed the need for better 

intra-theater in-transit visibility, according to Ford. 

Stevedores guide a Stryker down a 

narrow ramp inside the Green Point. 

With the addition of slat armor, the 

Strykers had only inches of clearance 

on the interior ramps.
18 translog Fall 2009

“We’ve always had good visibility of strategic airlift, 

but in theater, once the equipment was off-loaded, we’d 

lose visibility,” he said. “Once the enablers are in place, 

including the people and systems a unit like a sustainment 

brigade would bring, you can track what’s moving. But 

they’re not on notice to hit the ground in the event of a 

contingency.”

With the JTF-PO in place, the standard throughput 

of the port of debarkation is 560 short tons per day with 

round-the-clock operations. This includes clearing the airfield of cargo and maintaining visibility for commanders on 

the ground. At a forward node, the RPOE tracks and organizes the equipment. 

“In the past, some units lost visibility of their equipment,” said Maj. William Costice, commander, 689th 

RPOE. “During Desert Storm, many containers and equipment were shipped to Kuwait without an efficient way to 

track them once in theater. As a result, a lot of equipment 

wasn’t claimed by the owning unit. Our job is to arrive on 

sight before the deploying unit or commodities. Once our 

area of operation is established, we would track all equipment as it arrives to our location. This information is fed to 

a national server that allows every commander track their 

equipment as they would track a FedEx package. “

Another benefit of the JTF-PO is the streamlining of 

coordination to establish or augment a deployment and 

distribution network. The capabilities required to open and 

operate these networks are dispersed among a number of 

services in both the active and reserve components. What 

A Stryker is lifted onto a trailer for 

onward movement to Fort Lewis, Wash.

More than 100 Strykers returning 

from Operation Iraqi Freedom 

are staged at the Port of Tacoma.
19 translog Fall 2009

previously required coordination with the Secretary of Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff 

can now be initiated with a phone call to USTRANSCOM. When the USTRANSCOM 

commander authorizes the JTF-PO for a mission, the RPOE Soldiers are standing by.

“They’ve got to be ready at all times. They have to have bags packed, bills paid, cars 

ready to store, and Powers of Attorney in place,” Costice said. “They have to be ready to 

roll.”

Costice recounts a recent call in which he received notification that the 689th might 

be called to return to Diego Garcia: “I immediately called the unit. Within an hour, the 

unit was ready.”

Warrant Officer Stephen Armstrong 

(center), acting commander, passes 

the 690th RPOE guidon to 1st Sgt. 

Pablo Santiago as Col. Jeffrey 

Helmick (left), commander, 597th 

Transportation Terminal Group, and 

guidon bearer Spc. Christopher 

Acey (right), look on.

Soldiers of the 690th RPOE at 

their unit’s activation ceremony, 

October 16 at the Transportation 

Museum, Fort Eustis, Va.

690th Rapid Port Opening Element activated

Photos by Master Sgt. Lewis Silverman

597th Transportation Group

Spc. William Benge, 689th 

RPOE, checks the shipping 

label on a Stryker at the 

exercise’s forward node at 

Fort Lewis, Wash.
20 translog Fall 2009

When tasked with sending years’ 

worth of excess ammunition 

from the Republic of Korea 

back to the U.S., the 837th Transportation Battalion, stationed in Daegu, Korea, 

realized it was in for more than business as 

usual. 

From Aug. 3-11, the Kargo Kings managed the biggest ammunition move in the 

history of the port at Chinhae, Korea, loading 1,127 containers onto the general cargo 

ship Black Eagle.

“This has been a total team effort,” said 

Lt. Col. Samuel C. Blanton III, 837th commander. “We began planning for this move 

three months ago, and started staging at the 

first of July.”

Blanton said the 837th’s most important 

role as single port manager for U.S. Forces 

Korea is to make sure that every player on 

the team knows his role during a move.

“There are lots of colonels and lieutenant colonels in theater involved with this 

move,” said Blanton. “It’s important for 

them to know that the 837th has the overall 

responsibility as the single port manager.”

Blanton said the team effort includes 

the ROK Port Operations Group, Department of the Army civilians, Korean nationals, noncommissioned officers, officers, 

the Military Sealift Command, the 19th 

Expeditionary Sustainment Command, and 

the 6th Ordnance Battalion, which has four 

support units on the Korean peninsula.

Blanton said he particularly valued the 

opportunity to work jointly with the ROK 

Port Operations Group.

Lt. Col. Jung I.K. Hwa, battalion commander for the 665th Port Operations Battalion, stationed at Pusan, Korea, said he 

also enjoyed working with the Americans.

“I appreciate the chance to work with 

our U.S. allies,” Jung said. “Thanks to 

them, this has been successful, and I believe in the future it will be successful as 

well,” he said.

Kwak Chong Chu, marine cargo specialist for the 837th, said the two cranes 

at Chinhae, a smaller and slower harbor 

crane, and larger and faster gantry crane, 

A gantry crane lifts cargo off of trucks 

onto the Black Eagle at Chinhae, Republic 

of Korea, Aug. 6, during the largest ammunition load-out in the history of the pier.

“Kargo Kings” manage huge ammo move from Korea

By Donna Klapakis

Command Affairs Officer

599th Transportation Group
21 translog Fall 2009

move from hold to hold on the ship to 

ensure the ship is properly balanced for its 

voyage across the Pacific.

The transportation specialists also made 

sure the ship was balanced with equal 

weights from side to side. Heavier loads 

must be stowed in the bottom of the hold, 

while lighter containers are stowed on 

deck after the holds are full and the hatches 

closed, Kwak said.

Kwak said the team had worked until 

7:30 p.m. Aug. 3-4, but had stopped at 6 

p.m. Aug. 5 because the crane operators 

from the 665th Port Operations Battalion 

had become more proficient at loading. 

“As they get more used to operating the 

cranes, they are able to move faster,” he 

said. “Then we’re able to clear the amount 

we planned for that day earlier,” Kwak 

said.

Blanton said the primary consideration 

on Aug. 6 was the weather.

“Right now, our major concern is monsoon season and all that ammo out there,” 

he said.

Indeed, most of the daily 3 p.m. status 

and planning meeting Aug. 6 was devoted 

to discussion of the next day’s weather 

forecast of thunderstorms, and how that 

would affect operations.

Some members of the team felt that the 

group should continue to load until 7:30 

p.m. to take advantage of the fair weather 

that day; however, in the end the majority 

felt that a thunderstorm would probably 

only delay work for a maximum of two 

hours, and a more important consideration 

was to allow the workers to get a proper 

rest that night.

“Although rain may slow down the 

work, it won’t halt it,” said Kwak, “But 

all work must stop during thunderstorms 

The orange gantry crane and gray harbor crane load the Black Eagle at Chinhae, Republic of Korea, 

Aug. 6 during the largest ammunition load out in the history of the pier.
22 translog Fall 2009

because of the wind and lightning.”

Just as the weather forecast had predicted, a thunderstorm materialized at 

Chinhae Aug. 7 and, because of the wind 

and lightning, work stopped for one and a 

half hours, but the team took the down time 

as an early lunch to compensate, and did 

not lose daylight hours of work, said Luis 

Lansangan, terminal operations chief for 

the 837th.

Phillip Moss, quality assurance specialist for ammunition surveillance with the 

84th Ordnance Co., said all four ordnance 

companies in Korea had sent ammunition 

to be loaded out, and the load out was going smoothly. Moss also said the move had 

become faster with each successive day of 

the load-out. 

Lansangan said the gantry crane, which 

had cleared only 75 containers on the first 

day, was up to 120 containers at its peak, 

while the harbor crane, which began with 

40 pieces the first day, managed to move 75 

containers at its peak day during the load 

out.

Lansangan said the load-out was even 

smoother at the finish than at the midpoint. 

All 1,127 pieces had been loaded on the 

ship Aug. 10 at about 7:30 p.m. The team 

finished final lashing down of containers 

and all documentation by Aug. 11 at 11 

a.m., and the Black Eagle was underway by 

1 p.m.

Moss said that because of a new agreement between the ROK and U.S. governments, the retrograde ammunition moves 

will become larger and more frequent than 

in years past.

“I’ve done many of these moves, but 

we used to do only about one on and off 

load a year. For the next five years at least 

we will be doing three to four a year,” 

Moss said.

The Koreans from the 665th Port Operations Battalion and the Americans from 

the 837th Transportation Battalion will 

continue to work every ammunition move 

together.

Lansangan said, “The 837th Kargo 

King team is excited about the next ammo 

on-load which will be even bigger.”

Jung said the stepped-up schedule of 

moves will affect also his battalion positively.

“Being busy is always good,” said Jung. 

“This is our job and we just do our job.”

Workers close the 

hatch on the Black Eagle’s hold two following loading at Chinhae, 

Republic of Korea.
23 translog Fall 2009

A recent ceremony in Mauna Kea State 

Park, Hawaii, illustrated that Military 

Surface Deployment and Distribution 

Command not only moves over the roads, but 

has a role in creating them as well.

Representatives from SDDC’s Transportation 

Engineering Agency joined officials from partner 

agencies in an Aug. 18 ceremony opening the 

latest 6.5 miles of the Saddle Road construction 

project. The project is administered by TEA as 

part of the Defense Access Road program.

Robert Korpanty, chief, Office of the Special 

Assistant for Transportation Engineering and 

Infrastructure, spoke on behalf of TEA at the 

ceremony. He said key partners involved in the 

project include the Federal Highway Administration, TEA, the Department of the Army 

at multiple levels, U.S. Army Garrison, Hawaii, Pohakuloa Training 

Area, and the Hawaii Department 

of Transportation. 

The DAR program is the 

method for DOD to pay for public 

highway improvements required 

because of sudden or unusual DODgenerated traffic impacts. The program is co-administered by TEA and the Federal 

Highway Administration for the Department of 

Transportation. Within DOD, this responsibility 

falls under SDDC’s core competency to ‘Provide 

Defense Transportation Engineering.’ 

TEA’s mission is to provide DOD with the 

research, engineering, and analytical expertise to 

improve the deployability of U.S. armed forces, 

the transportability of equipment, the infrastructure of the Defense Transportation System, and 

the management and execution of the DOD 

transportation programs for national defense.

Since its original incarnation more than 60 

years ago, SDDC has worked with installations, 

FHWA and local highway authorities to address 

impacts resulting from sudden or unusual military actions. Discussions on the importance of Saddle Road to national 

defense began more than 20 years 

ago, and the road was certified 

under the DAR Program in June 

1989. 

“Since that time, DOD has 

been committed to seeing this 

project successfully executed 

through DAR Program in coordiDefense Access Roads

Hawaii road shows program’s 

benefits to military and nation

By Donna Klapakis and Mike Petersen

SDDC Command Affairs

The Saddle Road project, administered by TEA as part of the Defense Access Road program, allows 

better access to the Pohakuloa Training Area and links the east and west sides of the Island of Hawaii.
24 translog Fall 2009

nation with HI-DOT, FHWA and other local 

transportation officials,” Korpanty said. “Congressional members and their staffs have been 

key supporters of the project and integral in the 

complete funding of the project.”

“This is the third portion of the project, and 

completes 23 miles of road,” 

said David Gedeon, overall 

program manager for the 

project from the Central Federal Lands Highway Division of the FHWA. 

Gedeon said the Aug. 18 

ceremony marked the end of 

the original 15-mile Defense Access Road program 

project. Ground was broken 

on the project five years ago, 

with 23 miles built to date 

including portions that have 

been funded by the State of 

Hawaii.

County of Hawaii Mayor 

William Kenoi said each 

time another section of Saddle Road is completed, the 

Island of Hawaii benefits. 

“Saddle Road links east 

Hawaii to west Hawaii so 

people can spend more time 

with their families,” Kenoi 

said. 

Debra Zedalis, the director for Installation Management Command, Pacific, said a new Saddle 

Road is also a great benefit to the military in 

Hawaii. 

“This is a great improvement, and we’ve 

had great support from the State of Hawaii. Of 

course, we get to benefit from that improvement. 

We’re glad to be partners. This is the spirit of 

aloha,” she said. 

During his keynote speech at the ceremony, 

Senator Daniel Inouye said he insisted that a 

citizen advisory group task force comprised of 

representatives from all interested parties be set 

up, so any problems relevant to the construction 

of a new Saddle Road could be ironed out long 

before construction began. 

On the east side of the island, 12 miles 

remain to be constructed using funds from the 

State of Hawaii. Eight of the 12 miles should be 

completed within the next 18 months. On the 

western end of Saddle Road, a Supplemental 

Environmental Impact Statement will have to 

be completed in order to start 

work on the last 10-mile section, said Gedeon. Because 

the Army purchased additional land for training at PTA in 

2006 that would be bisected 

by the route of the highway 

proposed in the original EIS 

in 1999, the SEIS will evaluate the impact of an alternate 

route, which the Army suggested, that will not affect 

training. 

Inouye, a Medal of Honor 

recipient, said when he 

originally became a territorial representative for Hawaii 

55 years ago, he thought 

something should be done to 

link the two sides of the Big 

Island, but at the time there 

wasn’t much local interest. 

He said that once PTA 

became the most important 

training area for troops in the 

Pacific, and funds were available under the DAR program, 

he saw a chance to not only 

benefit the troops, but to join the east and west 

sides of Hawaii. 

“Although SDDC is an Army command, 

the DAR program supports all branches of the 

military. By mitigating DOD-generated traffic 

impacts on public highways, the DAR program 

allows installations to meet their mission goals 

while improving daily traffic conditions, reducing congestion, increasing safety and decreasing 

travel times near military facilities,” said Darryl 

Hampton, the senior engineer in TEA’s DAR 

program office. “As the Army continues to grow 

and transform to meet future needs, the DAR 

program is a potential tool to meet transportation needs.”

Robert Korpanty speaks at the 

ceremony opening the latest section 

of Saddle Road in Hawaii.
25 translog Fall 2009

Recent major DAR initiatives include projects associated with Army Base Realignment and 

Closure 2005 actions, the Grow the Army initiative and other DoD growth initiatives.

Since the BRAC announcement in 2005, 

yearly Military Construction appropriations have 

more than doubled for the DAR program, and 

additional requirements are expected to support 

the Grow the Force initiative, leading to even 

further increases.

The future requirements include potential 

projects at seven military facilities affected by 

BRAC and three facilities affected by GTF. As 

the DOD representative for the DAR program, 

TEA managed more than $371 million of DAR 

program projects over the past year at 11 military 

service locations throughout the country. 

TEA has been working with Fort Belvoir, 

Va., HQDA, FHWA, and the Virginia Department of Transportation over the past three years 

to address the impact of relocating nearly 19,000 

DOD personnel to the post. The DAR program is 

working with FHWA to construct $38M in new 

public highway access roads to DOD facilities at 

the Engineering Proving Ground there.

Over the past four years, TEA has been 

working with Army installations to identify any 

access road deficiencies that present mission 

critical needs on the public highway system to 

support the BRAC implementation. The DAR 

program has certified projects at four installations (Fort Belvoir, Fort Lee, Fort Bragg and 

Fort Carson). The projects will implement over 

$100M in projects to support the relocation associated with BRAC actions.

TEA is also providing support to Air Force, 

Navy and Marine Corps facilities as they implement BRAC and Grow the Force. The DAR 

program is integral in supporting the Minuteman 

Missile Program for the Air Force. The DAR 

program provides the mechanism for the maintenance of 1,700 miles of roadway that are used 

between the Air Force Bases and the silo sites for 

the 73-ton Transporter Erector vehicle.

Representatives from local, state and federal agencies involved in the Saddle Road project take part 

in a blessing ceremony August 18.
26 translog Fall 2009

Over the course of the 

last 15 years, the 838th 

Transportation Battalion’s Azores Detachment has 

gone through many significant 

changes that have affected their 

organization structure, their unit 

designation, their chain of command, and how they conduct 

operations.

In 1991, the Azores port 

operations were supported by 

a total of 136 personnel. Today, the Azores detachment is 

comprised of 12 local national 

employees and one Department 

of Army Civilian.

“They are some of the hardest working and loyal people 

he has had the opportunity to 

work with in almost 30 years of 

service to the U. S. Government,” said Guillermo Mosquera, a former Azores Detachment 

commander now working for the 838th in Rotterdam. “While many things have changed over 

the years, one thing has remained constant: the 

Azores Detachment serves as the lifeline for all 

U.S. forces and their families stationed on the 

small island of Terceira, Portugal.”

The installation consists of approximately 

800 service members and their families, and 800 

local national employees.

The majority of operations for the Azores 

Detachment are generated by dedicated missions. 

During the conduct of these missions, the detachment performs all functions to include receipt, 

handling, documentation, and port clearance of 

DOD-sponsored surface cargo. While operations 

in the Azores may seem routine, every operation 

presents its own unique challenges and struggles. 

For Xavier Esteves, acting Azores Detachment commander, quick thinking and an intricate 

knowledge of the services and personnel within 

his area make him a tremendous asset to the 

Azores team on challenging missions. 

The detachment’s largest mission during 

2009 proved to be just such a mission. During 

the course of the operation, it was shutdown 

initially due to torrential downpours, then the 

100-ton crane broke, the generator on the vessel keeping the reefers cool broke, then it rained 

some more. 

During the conduct of the mission, there was 

seamless communication between the detachment and their higher headquarters in Rotterdam. 

Maj. Robert Park, battalion support operations 

officer, followed the mission every step of the 

way. While there was never any doubt in Park’s 

mind that the mission would succeed, there 

were times when the duration of the mission 

By Capt. Anderson W. Raub, 

Operations Officer

838th Transportation Battalion

Azores Detachment

Doing more with less

Xavier Esteves, administrative supervisor and acting director of 

838th Transportation Battalion’s Azores Detachment, monitors the 

discharge of the MV Geysir in the Port of Praia di Vitoria on the 

Azores, Portugal. (Photos by Helio Faria, Azores Detachment.)
27 translog Fall 2009

was in question. To successfully complete the 

mission would require creative thinking and 

negotiating. 

“There was substantial difficulty in designing optimal solutions while under pressure,” 

Park said, paraphrasing a quote from “Getting to Yes” by Roger Fisher, William Ury 

and Bruce Patton. “Having a lot at stake often 

inhibits creativity, but in the case of the 838th 

Azores Detachment, friction seems to equal 

creativity and success.”

During his recent visit to the Azores, the 

new 838th Battalion Commander, Lieutenant 

Colonel Riley J. Cheramie, was able to see 

how the detachment operated and the significance the detachment plays both strategically 

and operationally for SDDC.

“If anyone wants to see how to do more 

with less, how to solve complex problems, and 

how to consistently make the mission a success, come and watch the 838th Azores Detachment in action,” Cheramie said.

The Azores Detachment, from left to right: Fernando Borges, heavy equipment operator; Jorge Moniz, 

warehouseman; Regina Maciel, secretary; Claudia Avila, cargo traffic specialist; Helio Faria, systems 

administrator; Luioc Pires, clerk; Xavier Esteves, acting director; Jose Silva, cargo traffic specialist; 

Hamilton Valadao, warehouseman; Arnaldo Coelho, heavy equipment operator.

Maj. Gen. Hodge briefs 

foreign military attachés 

Maj. Gen. James L. Hodge, 

SDDC commanding general, 

briefed foreign military attachés from 29 countries on the 

missions, vision and capabilities 

of SDDC during their visit to 

U.S. Transportation Command 

Oct. 20.
28 translog Fall 2009

The Deployment Support Command 

and the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command 

conducted their annual DSC Conference 

and Active Component/Reserve Component Workshop at the Marriot Hotel in 

Newport News, Va., from Aug. 14-16.

This year’s conference focused on unit 

readiness, deployment and mobilization, 

and current and future outlooks. 

 “This conference was created to further the 

habitual relationships that have been formally developed between our Active Component soldiers 

and their Reserve Component counterparts,” said 

Col. Lynn Locklear, director of SDDC’s G7 Training, Readiness, and Mobilization directorate.

The event began with an evening social that 

enabled conference attendees to meet key staff 

members from both commands and participate in 

an informal dialogue and exchange of ideas.

“With the majority of SDDC’s military support located in our DSC units, it’s highly beneficial to come together and discuss current issues 

that affect us all,” said Col. Stanley Wolosz, 

SDDC chief of staff. “Having dealt with many of 

the individual units over the last year and a half, 

it was great seeing old friends and meeting new 

ones.”

The SDDC commanding general, Maj. Gen. 

James Hodge, underscored the significance of 

the conference by delivering the keynote address. 

Hodge’s speech identified his guiding principles, 

command focus, and vision of the command’s balance between its Active and Reserve forces.

The conference then opened with a series of 

briefings delivered by the DSC staff that provided readiness updates of the units assigned to 

the command. SDDC staff officers followed with 

presentations that articulated the mobilization and 

demobilization process for SDDC aligned units. 

The next phase of the conference centered on 

operational breakout sessions and panels where 

conference participants engaged in a lively atmosphere of questions and answers. 

“The SDDC AC/RC conference is an excellent opportunity for the Reserve leaders to coordinate with their Active counterparts, and to address 

both short term operational issues, as well as 

discuss and influence long term strategies facing 

the command,” said Col. Ronald Lane, G7, DSC.

“The conference has proven to be a valuable 

venue for synchronizing priorities and programs 

around the world,” said Col. Mark Anspach, G3, 

DSC. “Our Reserve commanders come away 

from these meetings with a much better understanding of the challenges facing the SDDC 

enterprise.”

Anspach’s comments were echoed by other 

conference participants. 

“What was important to me about the AC/

RC conference is the team effort that it takes to 

support our group missions as we move the Joint 

War Fighter Equipment,” remarked Col. Jeffrey Helmick, commander, 597th Transportation 

Group. “It’s a team effort and I’m truly amazed at 

the sacrifices that our reserve team members make 

with their families as they support our mission. 

There is no way we can do our mission without 

their support. Their talent and experience only 

makes our jobs easier and benefits the deploying 

and redeploying units.”

Strengthening the Bond:

Active Component/Reserve 

Component Workshop

By Carol Mayo 

SDDC G7

Training Readiness and Mobilization

Maj. Gen. James L. Hodge gives the keynote address at 

the Active Component/Reserve Component Conference.
29 translog Fall 2009

white papers:

Tacoma to Afghanistan: 

Deploying the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team

By Maj. Jim Congrove, 599th Transportation Group

The recent deployment of more than 3,800 troops and 900 pieces of the equipment for the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team to Afghanistan was historic by 

many measures. It was the first deployment of an SBCT to Afghanistan, the first 

combat deployment for the 5th SBCT, and the first operational deployment of USTRANSCOM’s Joint Task Force - Port Opening to expedite the move. 

The following is a first-person account of the unique move from beginning to end.

I

n mid-January, a U.S. Transportation Command Request For Information came across 

my desk inquiring as to the feasibility of 

moving a brigade-sized element of Stryker 

vehicles into the Afghanistan theater through 

Diego Garcia.

 The thought was to deliver the equipment 

to Diego Garcia by surface, then facilitate its 

onward movement to Afghanistan by air. Having 

never been to the tiny British territory in the Indian Ocean, I scanned a wall map in the Operations hallway of the 599th Transportation Group 

in Hawaii, noting Diego Garcia to be located in 

a cluster of islands approximately 1,000 miles 

south of India. Ambitious, I thought, not necessarily for the port piece but certainly for the air 

mission that would follow. 

Prior to responding, I conducted some research. It included gathering technical data on 

the port’s capabilities, calls to the island, and 

staffing the scheme through several people at the 

599th who had been involved with missions on 

Diego Garcia in the past. 

I responded to the RFI, hitting the send key, 

closing out the tasker and thinking, “This is 

never going to happen...”

Never say never... 

Planning and Rehearsal

In mid-March, on my first day back after 

returning from the group’s semi-annual exercise 

on the Korean Peninsula, Col. Susan Davidson, 599th commander at the time, handed me 

a folder containing a warning order. The order 

directed the 599th to start the planning process 

for an operation to discharge the 5/2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team in Diego Garcia following 

an upload in Tacoma, Wash. The timeframe was 

identified as late May-early June for an operation that would morph into the discharge of more 

than 300 Strykers, 500 containers and approxiMore than 500 20-foot equivalent units were 

discharged from the vessel using the mobile 

construction crane on Diego Garcia.
30 translog Fall 2009

mately 60 other wheeled vehicles and trailers. 

The commander’s instruction to me was 

simple, “Put together a team and make it happen, 

keep me informed.”

With the high visibility of this mission, she 

fielded what seemed like daily inquiries into the 

status of the mission. Consistently, her message 

was, “This is what SDDC does on a daily basis 

at ports around the globe. We’ve got it.” 

The weeks of planning that followed culminated in a Rehearsal Of Concept drill May 5th at 

Fort Shafter, Hawaii. It was the first time all the 

players were together under one roof. 

The Joint Task Force- Port Opening under 

Air Force Col. James Hamilton was eventually identified to have Command and Control 

of the mission, with elements of the 8th Theater 

Sustainment Command’s Task Force-10, U.S. 

Army Pacific, the 515th Air Mobility Operations 

Wing at Diego Garcia, representatives from the 

5/2 SBCT Port Support Activity, as well briefers 

from Project Manager Stryker and the 599th. 

As the ROC drill unfolded, Stryker buildup 

and retrofit became a significant talking point. 

The 5/2 SBCT, working off of a deployment 

timeline that had been moved up to meet mission 

objectives, was deploying with nearly 70 percent 

of its Stryker vehicles still in need of retrofit 

work. These upgrades were now to take place on 

Diego Garcia prior to the vehicles being airlifted 

to Kandahar Airbase in Afghanistan. The upgrades ranged from the installation of fire suppression and boomerang kits to upgrading troop 

seating and armor.

While representatives from the various supporting units ironed out issues related to the 

mission at the ROC drill in Hawaii, the 599th 

Transportation Group was also fully engaged in 

ensuring mission success in the Indian Ocean by 

assisting the 833rd Transportation Battalion with 

the 5/2 upload at the Port of Tacoma. 

Upload at the Port of Embarkation

Deployment and Distribution Support Team 

members had been identified for the discharge 

mission in Diego Garcia. Frank Viray, lead 

marine cargo specialist, and Jon Myrick, staging 

yard lead, traveled to Tacoma to participate in 

the upload. This would give them eyes on cargo 

they would later discharge. 

Throughout the planning and coordination 

process, the folks at Diego Garcia drove home 

One of nearly 300 Strykers beloning to 5th SBCT rolls off the Green Dale at Diego Garcia.
31 translog Fall 2009

the notion, “If you need it, make sure you bring 

it with you because if we don’t have it, there is 

no Home Depot or Federal Express office on the 

island.”

The two vessels identified in the contracting process to call at Diego Garcia were the MV 

Great Land, arriving on berth in Tacoma May 7, 

and MV Green Dale May 12. Both operations 

in Tacoma were Roll-On, however some quick 

thinking on the part of the team working on the 

upload identified an additional requirement for 

the discharge. After calls between the team in Tacoma, 599th and DG21 (the U.S. Navy contractor at the port in Diego Garcia), it was revealed 

that no 20-foot chassis existed on the island to 

facilitate the discharge of the containers. The 

offload of more than 500 20-foot equivalent units 

would need to be picked from the vessel by Lift 

Off operations using the island’s mobile construction crane. 

The upload went very smoothly. Both vessels 

departed on time, the Great Land May 9 and the 

Green Dale May 13. A noteworthy bit of pre-coordination information was that the Great Land 

departed Tacoma with cargo that had been Joint 

Inspected by a team of experts from McChord 

Air Force Base prior to departure. The JI process 

is a labor intensive task required prior to onward 

movement by air.

In addition to Viray and Myrick, the four 

other members of my DDST were Nefftaly 

Lugardo, information management officer and 

system administrator; Stacey Vande Linde, working the Worldwide Port System; Bill Plumber, 

a marine cargo specialist from SDDC’s Alaska 

Detachment, and Staff Sgt. Julius Lagarde from 

837th Transportation Battalion out of Korea, to 

work documenting the discharge. 

DDST in action on Diego Garcia

The seven of us set out May 22 with the 

team’s equipment, including the Early Entry Deployment Support Kit, on the four-day journey 

to Diego Garcia. Our team was greeted May 25 

at the Air Mobility Command passenger terminal 

on Diego Garcia by Col. James Hamilton, the 

JTF-PO commander, as well as Lt. Col. Shelia 

Bryant, TF-10 commander from the 83rd Ordnance Battalion out of Kure, Japan. 

After breakfast the following morning, our 

team met first with Steve Schaeffer, DG21’s 

director for port operations, and Rod Mangalino, 

his assistant. We were provided office space to 

set up our Terminal Operations Center and were 

able to establish communications and test the 

EEDSK. We learned DG21 and their team of 

stevedores had never been involved in a RO-RO 

operation, only the island’s sustainment mission. 

It was explained to us that when a Pre-position 

vessel’s cargo was swapped from one contracted 

vessel to another on the island, a Navy Cargo 

Handling and Port Team is flown in to work the 

stevedoring piece of the mission. They 

were enthusiastic about having the lead 

for the port piece of this trans-load mission. 

As we rehearsed the discharge 

process it was identified that we needed 

a pintle-hook attachment for one of the 

smaller forklifts to maneuver trailers 

from their stow locations in the lower 

deck onto the ship’s elevator as well as 

facilitate the process of attaching trailers to prime movers. From a sketch that 

was dropped off at the island’s metal 

fabrication shop we had two custommade pieces of equipment the following 

morning! 

After being discharged, Strykers are staged for refit and 

onward movement via airlift.
32 translog Fall 2009

After a meeting with NSF Diego Garcia 

Security, our convoy plan was finalized. It was 

decided that cargo would free flow to the airfield 

staging area with the exception of the Strykers. 

The Stryker vehicles, now in excess of 12 feet 

wide with the slat armor installed, would need 

to be convoyed to allow the vehicles to use the 

center of the roadway in an effort to keep them 

off the soft-paved shoulder. Another meeting 

was held with the 5/2 PSA to identify vehicle 

operator teams to drive vehicles from the vessel, 

a team for convoy operations and a third team 

to use at the airfield staging area. There were 

approximately 50 drivers and 13 maintenance 

personnel in all that had arrived on the island. It 

was requested that 5/2 supercargoes from each 

vessel serve as ramp and safety officers aboard 

ship. More office calls were made with Military 

Sealift Command, Harbor Operations and DG21 

Transportation in reference to the use of their 

crane. The final piece was to get with PM Stryker and rehearse their needs as far as the reset 

work schedule was concerned. 

With a well thought-out plan in place, the 

JTF-PO, TF10, and NSF commanders and the 

island’s British Representative were briefed. The 

four commanders were pleased with the concept 

of the port operation. All that was needed was 

the arrival of the ships and their cargo.

Discharge Operations

The weeks of planning paid great dividends 

during the port operation. The discharge piece of 

‘Operation Island Stryker’ went extremely well. 

The Great Land arrived pier-side in the afternoon 

of May 31. It was decided due to the vessel’s 

arrival time no Stryker vehicles would be discharged the following morning. After safety 

briefings, the stevedore gang worked their shift 

into the evening unlashing cargo in an effort to 

get a jump on operations the next day. 

The key task for the DDST on day one was 

to download PM Stryker’s containers and get 

them transported to their designated working 

area at one of the ‘clam shells’ (fabric covered 

bomber hangers) located at the airfield where the 

vehicles and cargo were to be staged awaiting 

its onward movement. The containers held PM 

Stryker’s shop equipment, supplies and retrofit 

parts. Getting their work space set up and ready 

to receive vehicles the following day was a priority that had been set by the JTF-PO commander. 

Equipent and vehicles are delivered to the PM Stryker working area at one of the ‘clam 

shells’ located at the airfield for upgrades before being moved on to Afghanistan.
33 translog Fall 2009

All went according to plan and by the afternoon 

of the following day, the vessel discharge was 

complete and PM Stryker was able to report that 

they were already ahead of their upgrade schedule. 

Just before dark June 2, all cargo had cleared 

the port and was staged at the airfield. In addition 

some minor discrepancies in the cargo manifest 

were reconciled, the Hazardous Declarations 

were signed over to TF-10, and the cargo Record 

Status was changed in WPS. The Great Land 

departed for a follow-on mission June 3.

In the morning of June 5, the Green Dale arrived at Diego Garcia. The Green Dale’s cargo of 

all Stryker vehicles was easily discharged before 

dark, to include 13 additional PM Stryker containers. 

The only noteworthy operational issue was 

using a front-end loader to assist DG21’s tophandler up the ship’s ramp to retrieve containers 

that had been stowed in the aft section of the vessel. The top-handler was unable to make it up the 

ramp’s incline under its own power. In the early 

afternoon of June 6, the port was cleared of the 

Green Dale’s cargo. The RSTAT was changed in 

WPS and SDDC’s role in the mission drew to a 

close. 

The air piece had kicked off even before the 

arrival of the second vessel. Contracted Anotov 

AN-124 cargo planes and Air Force C-17s had 

already started ferrying cargo in daily flights to 

Afghanistan. Because of the limited schedule 

of channel flights back to Singapore, our team 

didn’t head home until June 8th. This offered our 

DDST plenty of time to enjoy some of the many 

Morale Welfare and Recreation opportunities 

available on Diego Garcia. The evening before 

we left, our group was congratulated with certificates of appreciation for a job well done from 

both the TF-10 and JTF-PO commanders at a 

dinner gathering at the island’s Officer Club.

Mission Complete

I was called back to Diego Garcia August 

31st to brief the USTRANSCOM commander 

on our success with the port piece of operation 

‘Island Stryker’. Gen. Duncan McNabb and his 

travel party seemed very pleased with the mission’s success and the outstanding job SDDC 

was doing worldwide. USTRANSCOM had a 

clear way ahead to deliver sensitive cargo into 

Afghanistan. 

I explained to the general that I have been 

an SDDC Reservist for nearly 15 years, and had 

been involved in mission planning and support 

and execution on many levels. For me, the difference between a good mission and a great mission 

is how much you enjoyed doing it and the stories 

you get the privilege to tell when it’s over: this 

was a great mission. 

An Air Force C-17 waits to fly the Stryker Brigade’s equipment to landlocked Afghanistan.
34 translog Fall 2009

A5,000-mile sea and land odyssey that 

began at an Orange County, Calif., testing facility came to an end Aug. 22 at 

Fort Lee, Va. 

A hulking Air Force C-17 aircraft fuselage is now in its final resting place just off of 

Sisisky Boulevard following a 32-day, segmented movement from the west coast.

The 160-foot fuselage will be used at Fort 

Lee by the Joint Transportation Center and 

School to help train nearly 2,000 military 

members annually in airload procedures. 

The JTCS will move to Fort Lee from Fort 

Eustis and become operational here by 2011.

Col. Tod Mellman, JTCS Base Realignment and Closure officer, said the idea to move 

the C-17 to Fort Lee was the result of a training requirement and a bit of resourcefulness 

to fulfill it. That requirement called for the 

construction of a roughly $2.7-million fuselage 

at Fort Lee to support courses taught under the 

JTCS.

Sometime earlier this year, however, word 

got around that a C-17 was available at a Long 

Beach airport, and it would cost considerably 

less to transport it here rather than build a new 

one. 

“They were going to chop it up for scrap 

and get rid of it,” said Mellman, noting that 

it cost about $1.7 million to transport. “We 

decided to get the real thing, the best training 

device we could get.”

The mission of transporting the structure 

across several time zones would prove to be 

a challenging one, but one that logisticians 

accomplish routinely in operational environments, said Mellman. 

With assistance from SDDC at Fort Eustis, 

coordination was made with several state and 

federal entities and contractors to make the 

move a reality. The plans were solidified about 

four months prior.

“We thought about ways to get it here and 

found out that one of the Army’s Logistics 

On the final leg of its journey from California to Fort Lee, Va., a C-17 fuselage is guided between 

traffic lights. The move required several road closures and temporary power outages along the route. 

SPECIAL DELIVERY: C-17 fuselage moved 

to train future transporters

Story and photos by T. Anthony Bell, Fort Lee Public Affairs
35 translog Fall 2009

Support Vessels (LSV-7 Robert T. 

Kuroda) out of Hawaii was coming to the East Coast for maintenance (at the Norfolk Naval 

Shipyard),” said Mellman. 

The fuselage was moved in 

a nine-hour trip from the Long 

Beach airport to Seal Beach 

Naval Weapons Station, Calif., 

via commercial transporters July 

11. It departed Seal Beach on the 

Robert T. Kuroda the following 

day and began a journey that took 

it southward along the Baja California peninsula, through the Panama Canal and northwest around 

Cuba and eastward around the 

Florida keys.

The trek then turned upward 

along the United States east coast 

to the Chesapeake Bay and up the 

James River to Fort Eustis. From there, the fuselage was transferred to a floating causeway, 

and watercraft operators of 7th Sustainment 

Brigade used tug boats to pull it up the James 

to the Vulcan company docks on the Appomattox River. 

The trip was scheduled to meet its endpoint 

during the early morning hours on Saturday but 

was delayed several hours. The fuselage was 

lifted from the causeway Saturday morning, 

and in a three-hour trip from the Vulcan dock, 

transported down Puddledock Road, along 

Temple Avenue, through the Ordnance Center 

and School and across Route 36 to Fort Lee. 

It required several road closures and power 

outages along the movement route. Mellman, 

a Transportation Corps logistician, said the 

fuselage will rest at a location to be called the 

Multi-modal Training Site currently under construction adjacent between B and C Avenues 

near Fire Station No. 2.

“The Multi-Modal Training Site will have 

four rail cars, with ramps on either end that 

will cut our training time for rail-loading 

in half,” he said. “It will have a real C-130 

(aircraft) and a real C-17 fuselage. You can’t 

get any better training than actually using the 

real equipment that you would be using in the 

operational Army.”

The training that Mellman mentioned currently takes place at Fort Eustis, Va., but not on 

the scale and level of quality that Fort Lee will 

feature.

“The facilities that we have at Fort Eustis 

are wooden mock-ups,” he said. “It is not a 

real aircraft and you can’t beat training on a 

new aircraft versus a wooden mock up.”

The C-17 won’t be ready for training until 

the MMTC is complete and is renovated for 

training, said Mellman.

“We have to make sure that the doors and 

other equipment are operating properly and 

safely,” he said. “We have to get hydraulic 

links and hookups (for the ramp) as well as 

lighting so that it is similar to the real aircraft.”

The C-130, currently located at the Dinwiddie County Airport, won’t require as many 

upgrades for training. It has wings, lighting 

and a working ramp unlike the C-17. It will be 

transported to Fort Lee sometime next year. 

The JTCS is scheduled to occupy what was 

the Quartermaster Noncommissioned Officer 

Academy located on B Avenue across from 

the Regimental Club. Its headquarters element 

will relocate to Fort Lee within the next few 

months, and the school is expected to be operational in 2011.

The fuselage is secured aboard the LSV-7 Robert T. Kuroda during its move from Seal Beach Naval Weapon Station, Calif. to 

the James River in Virginia via the Panama Canal.
36 translog Fall 2009

professional development

Army Knowledge Management

Why Knowledge Management?

The Army needs the ability to rapidly access 

information and transfer knowledge to facilitate 

situational awareness and decision-making. 

The government estimates the federal workforce spends at least 10 percent of its workday 

trying to locate information and subject matter 

experts.1

 People do not know who to get information from within their own organization. Add 

the retirement of “baby boomers”, personnel 

departures caused by Base Realignment and Closure, and normal Soldier rotations in any Army 

organization and the result is an organization 

that loses information and doesn’t know what it 

knows.

A well-orchestrated Knowledge Management 

program can alleviate knowledge inefficiency, 

capture worker expertise, and create organizations that capture, share, and utilize knowledge 

in a way that optimizes decision-making.

What is KM?

KM is a structured approach to the creation, 

organization, application, and transfer of knowledge. KM is not a separate program unto itself. 

It is a holistic way of looking at an organization 

to improve processes and bridge gaps in staff 

processes and technology.

Many civilian organizations have been successfully practicing KM for the last decade to 

include IBM, Lockheed Martin, BP, and HP. The 

goal of KM in the corporate world is to shorten 

decision cycle times and maintain a competitive 

edge.

Army KM is a component of Army Transformation and the strategy to transform into a 

net-centric, knowledge–based organization. The 

goal of Army KM is to:

Create a culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing in the Army where key information 

is pushed and pulled within the global enterprise 

to meet mission objectives – an Army where 

good ideas are valued regardless of the source, 

knowledge is recognized and rewarded, and the 

knowledge base is accessible without technological or structural barriers.2

Army KM Implementation

In 2008, the Secretary and Chief of Staff of 

the Army developed a set of 12 Principles in 

support of Army KM as the first step to developing an enterprise approach to knowledge sharing 

in the Army. These principles fall into one of the 

three KM components: people, processes, and 

technology. 

All three of these components work in tandem to provide the most effective knowledge 

management environment, but it takes an organization working together to see the power of 

actionable knowledge. 

Army organizations, to include Army Service 

Component Commands, are required to develop 

plans that support these principles. SDDC has 

drafted a KM plan that provides guidance for the 

formal establishment of Army KM in the command. The SDDC KM goal is to connect those 

who have the knowledge to those who need it in 

support of the commanding general’s vision and 

guiding principles.

KM Tools

Most, if not all, of the Army organizations 

implementing Army KM are using portals as a 

central part of their overall KM effort. A portal is 

a site that functions as a point of access to information and collaboration for an organization. It 

provides capabilities that include content management, enhanced search capabilities, and collaborative tools. Over time, the portal becomes 

an organization’s workspace, and the requirement for massive shared drive space diminishes. 

SDDC is developing a SharePoint portal that will 

be released in four spirals between December 

2009 and January 2010. 

At the recent Army Operational KM conference, sponsored by the Combined Arms Center, 

keynote speakers included leaders from comBy Lt. Col. Karen Conley - Knowledge Management Project Officer
37 translog Fall 2009

People/Culture Dimension 

Principle 1: Train and educate KM leaders, managers, and champions. 

Principle 2: Reward knowledge sharing and 

make knowledge management career rewarding. 

Principle 3: Establish a doctrine of collaboration. 

Principle 4: Use every interaction whether faceto-face or virtual as an opportunity to acquire 

and share knowledge. 

Principle 5: Prevent knowledge loss. 

Process Dimension

Principle 6: Protect and secure information and 

knowledge assets. 

Principle 7: Embed knowledge assets (links, videos, documents, simulations, wikis...) in standard 

business processes and provide access to those 

who need to know. 

Principle 8: Use legal and standard business 

rules and processes across the enterprise. 

Technology Dimension 

Principle 9: Use standardized collaborative tool 

sets. 

Principle 10: Use Open Architectures to permit 

access and searching across boundaries. 

Principle 11: Use a robust search capability to 

access contextual knowledge and store content 

for discovery. 

Principle 12: Use portals that permit single signon and authentication across the global enterprise 

including partners. 

The principles provide authoritative guidance to Army Commands and organizations developing 

or engaging in knowledge management efforts. 

The full descriptions, including the rationale and implications of each principle, is available online 

at: http://www.usaservices.gov/pdf_docs/AKMPrinciples25JUN2008.pdf

Knowledge Management Principles

KM

Technology Process

People/

Culture

mands throughout the Army and a major theme of every 

speaker was the use of a portal to conduct business and 

communicate. 

Benefits of KM

The Army’s current operational environment is 

continuously changing and demands that we learn and 

decide faster. We live in a world were technology enables us to collect, store and share a staggering amount 

of information. Leaders must be able to quickly separate what knowledge has value. 

Any Army organization that implements Army KM 

successfully will see improvements in planning and 

staff processes, reduce waste and rework, increase situational awareness and foster a learning and adaptive organization. Once an organization develops a knowledge 

sharing culture, the KM practices will become part of 

the everyday routine leading to more effective decisionmaking and operational synergy.

Works cited:

1. Olonoff, Neil. K. “Federal Knowledge Management Initiative.” Federal Knowledge Management Working Group 

February, 2009.” http://wiki.nasa.gov/cm/wiki/?id=6251 

2. Sorenson, Jeffrey A. DA Memo to Principal Officials of Headquarters, Dept. of the Army. Jan. 15, 2009

Other resources:

AR 25-1. Army Knowledge Management and Information Technology Management. Dec. 4, 2008

FM 6-01.1. Knowledge Management Section. August 2008.
38 translog Fall 2009

SDDC in pictures

The 838th Transportation Battailon staged several old U.S. Army vehicles in the Port of Antwerp, Belgium. The 

vehicles, primarily from the World War II era, will be shipped to Fort Bliss, Texas. where they will be put on display at the museum. (Photos by Martin Weteling, 598th Transportation Group Public Affairs.)

Vintage Army gear at Antwerp

Kargo Kings host OPD with 

501st Sustainment Brigade

Two UH-60 Blackhawks approach the Pier 8 

helo pad at Pusan, Korea, to deliver 23 leaders 

of the 501st Sustainment Brigade as part of an 

SDDC Officer Professional Development in support of the Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise.

Lt. Col. Sam C. Blanton III (center), commander, 837th Transportation Battalion, and leaders of the 501st Sustainment Brigade take a 

group photo on the Pier 8 rooftop as part of 

the port familiarization brief.
39 translog Fall 2009

Wanda Ramos, Staff Sgt. Alba Ortiz, and 

Yolanda Santiago from the 832nd Transportation 

Battalion’s Puerto Rico Detachment, joined the 5th 

Annual Susan G. Komen Foundation 5K Race for 

the Cure Oct. 11 in Puerto Rico. 

Ramos was diagnosed with breast cancer at 

the end of 2008 but is now cancer free and a survivor. She and more than 500 other survivors were 

accompanied by family and friends in the fight 

against breast cancer. “The Pink Squad” (the name 

given to the team by Ortiz) was among more than 

8,000 participants crossing the finish line. 

“Every day thousands of women are diagnosed 

with breast cancer and it is vital that all women 

understand the importance of prevention,” said 

Santiago. “We look forward to participating again 

next year, making this a Puerto Rico Detachment 

tradition.” 

Gen. George W. Casey, Jr., U.S. 

Army chief of staff, poses with Soldiers from the 1181st Deployment 

and Distribution Support Battalion 

during a visit by the CSA to the Port 

of Ash Shuaibah, Kuwait.

Gen. Casey visits 

SDDC in Kuwait

Puerto Rico Detachment’s 

“Pink Squad” races for a cure
SDDC

M I L I T A R Y 

S U R F A C E 

D E P L O Y M E N T 

AND

D I S T R I B U T I O N 

COMMAND

Building 1990

709 Ward Drive

Scott Air Force Base, IL 

62225

Committed Dependable Relentless