A L M A N A C

2010

translog

THE JOURNAL OF SURFACE 

DEPLOYMENT AND DISTRIBUTION

SURFACE 

DEPLOYMENT 

AND 

DISTRIBUTION 

COMMAND

A L M A N A C

2010
2 translog Almanac 2010 3 translog Almanac 2010

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 4”; preferably larger).

For additional guidance on submissions, content, distribution, or 

address changes contact the editor: 

(618) 220-5197

sddc.safb.translog@us.army.mil

Published Feb. 5, 2010

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. James E. Riddick 

Command Sergeant Major

Scott D. Ross

Director of Command Affairs

Mike W. Petersen

Editor

Chris Sanguinett and Todd Young

Graphics

Cover photo coutesy of NASA

transitions

Michael K. Williams, a member of the Senior Executive Service, became 

SDDC’s third deputy to the commander Nov. 8. Prior to assuming his current position, Williams served as director of SDDC Transportation Engineering Agency and United States Transportation Command Joint Distribution 

Process Analysis Center. In his new position, he is responsible for facilitating 

continuous improvement and innovation in the development of distribution 

policies, plans and programs supporting their global mission. These responsibilities impact Joint Service force deployment and logistics operations.

Command Sgt. Maj. James E. Riddick assumed responsibility as SDDC’s 

13th command sergeant major Jan. 7. From May 2007 to May 2009, Riddick 

served as the command sergeant major for the 598th 

Transportation Group in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 

and also deployed to Kuwait. Prior to his current 

assignment, he was commandant of the Noncommissioned Officer Academy at Fort Eustis.

Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas D. Mitchell retired 

Jan. 29 in a ceremony at the Seay Auditorium at 

USTRANSCOM headquarters after 27 years in the 

Army. Mitchell’s career includes deployments to Haiti, 

Panama and Iraq. He has earned the Master Parachutist 

Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Ranger Tab, Military FreeFall Parachutist Badge, and the Combat Action Badge. 

His foreign awards include the Canadian, Thai, British, Jordanian, and Saudi Parachutist Wings, the 

German Efficiency Badge, the Quartermaster Corps 

Military Distinguished Order of Saint Martin, and the 

Ordnance Corps Order of Samuel Sharpe. Mitchell 

came to SDDC Headquarters in 2008, and contributed 

his skills, experience and professionalism to G1/4 as 

the directorate’s sergeant major. Mitchell also served as SDDC’s acting command sergeant major 

from November 2009 – January 2010.

Lt. Col. Jim Utley passed the colors of 

SDDC’s 840th Deployment and Distribution 

Support Battalion to Lt. Col. David Banian in a 

change of command ceremony in Balad, Iraq. 

Banian arrived after serving with USTRANSCOM at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., where he 

was the branch chief, PACOM Branch, deputy 

division chief, West Division, and executive officer to the director of Operations and Plans.

Beyond Ports 54

Unrivaled Expertise 60

Global Impact 6

Transitions 3

From the Commanding General 4

From the Command Sergeant Major 5

SDDC World Map 36

Deployment Support Command 8

595th Transportation Group 12

596th Transportation Group (Ammunition) 22

597th Transportation Group 26

598th Transportation Group 38

599th Transportation Group 44

Defense Personal Property Program 56

Rapid Port Opening Elements 57

Logistics Over the Shore 58

Army Watercraft 59

In-Transit Visibility 61

Knowledge Management 61

Transportation Engineering Agency 62

Operations Center 66

SDDC and BRAC 69

Strategic Business Office 70

FROM THE EDITOR:

Once again, Translog departs from our usual mix of news and features to 

highlight SDDC’s Global Surface Transportation Experts and their missions around the world. This year’s SDDC Almanac is divided into three 

main sections covering: our Global Impact, the work we perform Beyond

Ports, and the Unrivaled Expertise of our people and directorates. 

My thanks to the units and directorates who found time to provide their 

respective information while still accomplishing their challenging missions, as well as to the SDDC Command Affairs team for their time, skills 

and good humor.

contents:

Maj. Gen. James L. Hodge presents the Legion of Merit to Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas 

D. Mitchell upon his retirement after 27 

years of distinguished service to the Army.

Lt. Col. Jim Utley, Col. Dennis Harber and Lt. 

Col. David Banian take part in the 840th 

DDSB change of command.

SDDC on the Web

www.army.mil/sddc

www.flickr.com/translog

www.youtube.com/sddcvideos

www.twitter.com/hqsddc

Michael K. Williams
4 translog Almanac 2010 5 translog Almanac 2010

To borrow a phrase from the British, “the sun never sets on 

SDDC.” From Alaska to Ash Shuaiba, Kuwait; from Yokohama, 

Japan to the Azores; and beyond – the committed, dependable, 

relentless workforce of SDDC is keeping the lifeblood of our 

military flowing. 

It’s no small task to try and capture the global impact of SDDC 

on our armed forces and our nation. In addition to deploying and 

sustaining the warfighter, we also move the household goods and 

vehicles of DOD servicemembers and civilians, and manage the 

military’s container inventory. 

In the face of challenges, we innovate, collaborate, and find solutions to meet the needs of our customers. We’ve developed an 

in-transit visibility system that gives commanders unprecedented 

situational awareness when they deploy and redeploy. In SDDC’s 

Transportation Engineering Agency, we are helping ensure the 

deployability of tomorrow’s forces and are contributing to the 

readiness of our nation through our Highways, Ports and Railways for National Defense programs. 

None of our missions could be accomplished without the contributions of the other uniformed 

services, U.S. Transportation Command, Army Materiel Command, and our industry partners. The reputation for excellence we build upon owes a great deal to these partners in the 

Joint Deployment and Distribution Enterprise and Materiel Enterprise. The importance of our 

commercial partnerships is paramount to accomplishing what we do: SDDC procures more 

than $1.8 billion annually in commercial truck, rail, barge, pipeline and ocean transportation 

services and influences nearly $4 billion in contracts.

When we move into our new, permanent headquarters on Scott Air Force Base this year, we 

will bring a workforce that combines the experience and perspective of SDDC veterans with 

a new generation of logisticians, experts and future leaders. I could not be more proud of the 

servicemembers, civilians and contractors of SDDC at work every day around the world in 

support of our military and our nation. 

from the Commanding General from the Command Sergeant Major

JAMES L. HODGE

MG, USA

Commanding

“I am a member of a team, and I rely on the team, I 

defer to it and sacrifice for it, because the team, not 

the individual, is the ultimate champion.”

 - Mia Hamm, former U.S. Women’s National 

Soccer Team and Olympic Gold Medalist.

It’s good to once again wear the arrow on my left shoulder as 

part of the SDDC team. Having recently served with SDDC 

in Europe and Southwest Asia, I’ve had the opportunity to see 

firsthand the contributions made at every level of the command. 

From the newest private working at the port to the senior leaders shaping tomorrow’s Army, every individual adds to this great 

team.

As the senior enlisted leader of the command, my first responsibility is taking care of our Soldiers around the globe. That’s not 

an effort that one noncommissioned officer can take on alone. As 

my esteemed predecessors would tell you, we support the war effort as a team. Whether we’re taking care of SDDC’s Soldiers or 

any of the servicemembers serving our nation, each piece of the 

Joint Deployment and Distribution Enterprise is contributing to the effort. The other components 

of the USTRANSCOM team – the Navy’s Military Sealift Command and the Air Force’s Air Mobility Command – as well as members of every uniformed service, all contribute to the success of 

SDDC in support of the nation’s troops worldwide.

It’s not just the military chipping in: the transportation service providers moving household 

goods for our troops and their families, the ocean carriers moving our equipment, the truck drivers on the dangerous roads into Afghanistan – all of these people and more have put in time, 

energy and sometimes great personal risk to make our missions successful.

I have spent more than 20 years devoted to leading, training and taking care of Soldiers. Now I 

am privileged to be taking care of SDDC’s team, and – through their combined efforts – our nation’s armed forces as a whole. As I settle into my new responsibilities, I look forward to meeting 

those servicemembers we serve as well as the diverse people who serve them. I am proud to be 

among you, the Champions of military transportation. Until then...

James E. Riddick

CSM, USA

Let’s Roll!
6 translog Almanac 2010 7 translog Almanac 2010

SDDC is a unique organization within the Department of Defense. Its primary mission to 

provide deployment and distribution services 

to the nation has servicemembers, civilians 

and contractors working tirelessly around the 

world. Those services reach beyond seaports, 

to the hazardous roads into Afghanistan, the 

railroads of Iraq, the airport in Port-au-Prince, 

and anywhere American combat boots touch 

the ground.

 

SDDC’s forward-based forces ensure seamless cargo throughput by operating commonuser ports, ensuring 100 percent visibility of 

shipments, and monitoring the pipeline via 

third-party logistics contractors. In 2009, 

SDDC was instrumental in the import and 

export of approximately 12.4 million square 

feet of unit cargo in support of combat operations. Of that, SDDC shipped more than 7.7 

million square feet of cargo to the USCENTCOM Area of Responsibility via 134 vessels, 

including more than 90 percent of all 

ammunition through SDDC’s Military 

Ocean Terminals at Sunny Point, N.C. 

and Concord, Calif. These shipments 

included 7,010 MRAPs, 2,588 uparmored HMMWVs and 32 Armored 

Security Vehicles. SDDC also supported 

contingency and exercise movements of 

approximately 2.5 million square feet of 

cargo globally.

Most recently, SDDC was among the 

first responders on the ground for DOD 

after the earthquake in Haiti in January. 

Members of SDDC’s Rapid Port Opening Elements and 597th Transportation 

Group were sent as an advance team 

within 48 hours, with additional RPOE 

Soldiers and support elements following. 

The following pages highlight SDDC’s 

global experts’ presence on the ground 

around the world serving the nation.

Tacoma , Washington, U.S.a.

ROTA, Spain

cHARLESTON, South Carolina, USA

Busan, Republic of Korea

Ash Shuaiba, Kuwait

Global Impact
8 translog Almanac 2010 9 translog Almanac 2010

The U.S. Army Reserve Deployment Support Command, 

headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., consolidates all Army 

Reserve surface mobility units under a single command.

DSC has been fully operational since March 1, 2008. On 

Oct. 1, 2008, it gained operational control of 53 Army Reserve Units. 

In September 2009, it gained command and control of 

four more Transportation units consisting of more than 90 

Soldiers. On Dec. 31, 2009, DSC also gained command and 

control of the USTRANSCOM Army Reserve Element located at Scott Force Base, Ill., which consists of 59 Soldiers. 

DSC will gain command and control of nine more Transportation units consisting of more than 320 Soldiers in 2011 and 

2012. 

The DSC’s mission is to provide command, control and 

technical supervision of all SDDC-aligned Army Reserve 

units performing terminal, rail and deployment and distribution support missions and functions. The DSC’s mission and organizational structure will 

ultimately include providing technical training and readiness oversight to all Army units performing terminal, rail, deployment and distribution support, movement control and watercraft 

missions and functions. 

Commanded by Brig. Gen. Janet L. Cobb, the DSC is a direct reporting command of the 

377th Theater Sustainment Command in New Orleans, La., and has a habitual operational and 

training relationship with SDDC headquarters at Scott Air Force Base. 

Cobb’s headquarters staff includes Command Sgt. Maj. Maryeva Beesley, seven civilians, 

14 AGR Soldiers, eight mobilization augmentation Soldiers and 93 Reserve officers, NCOs 

and Soldiers. The command’s total strength exceeds 3,100 Soldiers assigned to subordinate 

units located across 21 states. 

In addition to a standard staff structure, the DSC G7 section is organized to include several 

deployable Mobile Training Teams for specialized mobility-related, SDDC-centric training. 

The DSC’s down-trace has four transportation groups comprised of 12 deployment and distribution support battalions, the Army’s sole rail battalion, and the USTRANSCOM ARE. Assigned 

to the DDSBs are 21 port management teams, 19 terminal service teams and nine automated 

cargo documentation detachments.

The DSC currently has four detachments mobilized in support of SDDC Port Operations at 

the Ports of Charleston, S.C. (two detachments), Jacksonville, Fla., and Beaumont, Texas, with a 

total of 59 Soldiers assigned to the missions. This is an enduring requirement from SDDC. The 

latest rotation of Soldiers mobilized Feb. 18, for 365 days. 

1179th Transportation Group

 The 1179th Transportation Group is commanded by Col. Edward Casazza, and supported 

by Command Sgt. Maj. Levi Maynard. The 1179th is located at Fort Hamilton, N.Y., and consists 

of six units with 399 Soldiers in three states. The 1179th deployed two DDSBs and a port management team to Southwest Asia in late 2009. The group will perform its annual training at Fort 

Eustis, Va., in August.

1189th Transportation Group

The 1189th Transportation Group in North Charleston, S.C., is led by Col. James L. Messer 

and Command Sgt. Maj. Adolph Fraser. The group consists of 22 units and 920 soldiers in six 

states. Since October 2009, the 1189th has been the executive agent for the annual TRANSMARINER Exercise. The 1189th supported the Overseas Contingency Operation with the January 2010 deployment of the 1159th TST to conduct port operations with the 595th Transportation 

Group. The 1189th also successfully redeployed the 1398th DDSB in October 2009. The 1189th 

will perform its annual training at Sunny Point, N.C., with SDDC’s 596th Transportation Group 

from May – September 2010. 

1190th Transportation Group

The 1190th Transportation Group is commanded by Col. Walter T. Weaver, and supported by 

Command Sgt.Maj. Joseph R. Roberson. The 1190th is located in Baton Rouge, La., and consists of 

19 units and 708 Soldiers in eight states. Since October 2008, the 1190th has served as the USARC 

executive agent for the annual TRANSLOTS exercise. In May 2009, the 1190th’s Detachment 

11 deployed to Afghanistan to conduct container management operations. In December 2009, the 

1181st DDSB and the 614th Automated Cargo Detachment redeployed from Kuwait. The 1190th 

will perform its annual training mission at Puerto Rico and Cape Canaveral, Fla., this summer.

Deployment 

Support 

Command Soldiers of the 1174th DDSB, part of DSC’s 1179th Transportation 

Group, take a group photo prior to deployment to Southwest Asia.

DSC personnel offload a CH-47 Chinook at Ash Shuaiba, Kuwait. DSC has operational control of 

more than 3,100 Soldiers.
10 translog Almanac 2010 11 translog Almanac 2010

1394th Transportation Group

The 1394th Transportation Group 

is commanded by Col. Ronald Lane, 

and supported by Command Sgt.Maj. 

Albert Montano. The 1394th is located at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and 

consists of 10 units and 365 Soldiers 

in two states. The 1394th is the executive agent for both the Golden Mariner 

and Alaskan Mariner exercises. The 1394th is also the senior command element for the Battle 

Command Staff Training Exercise, planned in conjunction with the 75th Training Brigade, 

for DSC staff sections. The 1394th redeployed the 1397th DDSB, which served as the Container Management Element in both the OIF and OEF theaters, in December 2009. Three of 

the Group’s subordinate detachments (502nd Terminal Supervision Team, 643rd Automated 

Cargo Documentation Detachment and the 647th Port Management Team) deployed in October 2009 to support port operations in Kuwait under the C2 of the 595th Transportation 

Group. The 1394th TG will perform annual training in support of the Golden Mariner and 

Alaska Mariner exercises from 1 April – 10 May 2010. Additionally, the 1394th TG has been 

tasked to support missions at Fort Hood, Texas in May 2010. 

757th Transportation Battalion (Rail)

The 757th Transportation Battalion (Rail) is a direct reporting Battalion to the DSC. 

The 757th is commanded by Lt. Col. Elaine K. McGarry and supported by Command Sgt. 

Maj. Peter Knerler. The 757th is located in Milwaukee, Wis., and consists of five units with 

565 Soldiers in five states. Since October 2008, the 757th has employed teams of Soldiers 

at multiple CONUS installations supporting SDDC’s 596th 

Transportation Group with a 

wide variety of rail operations. 

The 757th is scheduled for 

force structure reduction actions 

during this fiscal year. 

Pfc. Robert McMillan confirms armored 

HMMWVs are properly staged for a uploading 

on a commercial vessel.

1185th DDSB’s leadership unveil the unit’s 

colors to begin their tour supporting OIF 

in a ceremony held Dec. 10 in Kuwait.

USTRANSCOM Army Reserve Element

The USTRANSCOM ARE is commanded 

by Col. Dawn Michaud and supported by Master Sgt. Michael Caldwell. The ARE is located 

at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., and consists of 55 

officers and 18 enlisted personnel. The ARE’s 

mission is to support the Active Component 

forces of USTRANSCOM by augmenting the JStaff functions, as well as force protection, public affairs and the Staff Judge Advocate. Upcoming missions include Austere Challenge II in May, Ardent Sentry in May – June 2010, and Ulchi 

Freedom Guardian in August 2010.

Since activation in March 2008, the DSC has made significant progress in staffing the organization, aligning training requirements and supporting SDDC missions. Major strides have 

been taken to ensure that leadership at all levels is fully engaged in day-to-day operations. The 

DSC will host its second yearly training briefing, scheduled in March 2010, and is in the process 

of scheduling its second annual Civilian Military Technician Workshop and second annual G4 

workshop.

As a visible and lasting part of the Army’s Transformation Program, the DSC strives to develop stronger training and operational ties between the Active and Reserve Component transportation and logistics communities. A seamless integration of critical deployment and distribution skill sets between AC/RC partners will provide the superior support needed for both present 

and future warfighters.

Members of 757th Transportation Battalion (Rail) during a 

training exercise at Military 

Ocean Terminal Sunny Point, N.C.

Capt. Greg Birkenstock and 

Sgt. Robert Gil, 1179th 

Transportation Group, take 

part in DSC’s Battle Command Staff Tranining.
12 translog Almanac 2010 13 translog Almanac 2010

595th 

Transportation 

Group

The 595th Transportation Group supports U.S. military and coalition forces with endto-end surface deployment and distribution from the port to the foxhole. The 595th area of 

responsibility covers 23 countries and 82 seaports within the USCENTCOM operational 

area, with a military presence at seven of these seaports. The 595th handles 63 percent of the 

global surface Defense Transportation System cargo, including all sustainment and unit shipments supporting the Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom theaters.

The 595th mission is to provide surface deployment command, control, and distribution 

operations to meet national security objectives in the USCENTCOM area of responsibility. 

The 595th meets deployment and distribution requirements using a wide range of in-theater 

capabilities organized to provide joint effects that support current operations with the flexibility to immediately respond to changes in mission and tempo. 

As the port manager for all seaports in the AOR, the 595th accomplishes its mission supporting deployment and redeployment of unit cargo, assisting the warfighter with Deployment 

and Distribution Support Teams. The 595th also supports the ARCENT and USMC Class VII 

Retrograde Program, performs transload operations at Shuwaikh Port, Kuwait, and operating a distribution hub at Fajairah, UAE. The group provides container management in the 

AOR, contract management, and in-transit visibility. Additional missions include support to 

the Army Material Command retrograde and Army Reset Initiative programs, movement of 

Foreign Military Sales, support to Prime Vendor and the Defense Distribution Center Kuwait, 

Southwest Asia sustainment, and supporting the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Services/

Defense Reutilization Marketing Offices in-theater requirements.

The 595th Transportation Group welcomed a new commander in July 2009. Col. Stanley H. 

Wolosz II relinquished command to Col. Dennis P. Harber. The change of command ceremony 

was performed by Maj. Gen. Charles A. Anderson, commanding general, First Army Division 

West, and Brig. Gen. John F. Wharton, AMC chief of staff, at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.

In December 2009, the 595th Transportation Group celebrated its one year anniversary of 

becoming an enduring unit in Kuwait in support of Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom with an 

Organizational Day. More than 300 soldiers from the brigade participated in the commemoration. 

For future operations, the 595th will continue OEF deployments and redeployments and the 

responsible drawdown of the Iraqi theater of operations by expanding the operations at the Port 

of Umm Qasr, Iraq, and Port of Aqaba, Jordan; expanding the Ground Lines of Communications 

with Jordan and Turkey; and providing enhanced ITV on the Pakistan GLOC. Other initiatives 

include Foreign Military Sales cargo movement through Jordan and Turkey, expanding the use 

of the Iraq Transportation Network to include the use of the Iraqi Railroad, and expansion of the 

Global Freight Management system that supports inland truck distribution. 

The 831st Transportation Battalion is the Operation Enduring Freedom theater support lead, 

providing water terminal port operations, trans-loading operations, and container management 

and commercial distribution.

The 840th Transportation Battalion provides the U.S. and Iraqi military forces with strategic 

surface deployment services within the Iraq areas of responsibility. The 840th responsibility 

covers four countries and seaports within the USCENTCOM operational area, with a military 

presence at four seaports. The 840th handles all sustainment and unit shipments supporting the 

Operation Iraqi Freedom theater and in Kuwait.

The 1181st Transportation Battalion (DSC) is the port command team for Kuwait, providing 

joint reception, staging, and coordination for onward movement, and manages the retrograde of 

munitions and Class VII Army reset equipment. 

The 1398th Deployment Support Brigade (DSC) provides assistance to redeploying units in 

The MV Virginian conducts a regular ammunition resupply mission 

at Umm Said, Qatar.
14 translog Almanac 2010 15 translog Almanac 2010

the planning, documentation and coordination 

of their worldwide movement requirements; 

and creates and refines the enablers for Transportation Coordination Automated Information Management System, radio frequency 

identification tags and military shipping labels 

for in-transit visibility of cargo. They have 

recently integrated the 1174th DDSB into 

theater to assume this mission. 

The 1397th DDSB (DSC) provides oversight and container policy implementation for 

USCENTCOM, and manages the centralized 

database for visibility of containers and estimated detention. 

Port Operations Supporting OIF Force Flow

• Successfully executed the discharge of 

more than 18,000 pieces of deployment cargo 

to support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan

• Retrograded more than 25,000 pieces redeployment cargo to various nodes throughout the world with an average dwell time at 

Ash Shuaiba of no more than eight days, including units redeploying from Iraq, Army 

Materiel Command reset cargo, and USMC LOGCOM retrograde cargo

• Transferred more than 1,700 pieces of cargo have been moved as part of the re-posturing of forces to Afghanistan

• Assisted in the deployment and redeployment of more than 27 Brigade Combat Teams 

and two Division HQs

• Deployed/redeployed more than 104,500 pieces of equipment and containers

• Exported more than 6.5 million square feet of cargo on Military Sealift Command 

charter vessels, commercial assets, and U.S. Army watercraft from both the port of 

Ash Shuaiba and the Kuwait Naval Base 

• Retrograded 9,322 pieces of AMC cargo, exceeding AMCs year-end goal of 9,000

• Dispatched a Deployment Support Team to the port of Alexandria, Egypt, for port 

management in support of Exercise Bright Star

Port Operations Supporting OEF Force Flow

• Successfully executed the discharge or upload of approximately 44,000 pieces of cargo 

and containers to support operations in Afghanistan

• Facilitated the movement of 16,361 pieces of military cargo via ports in the UAE, 

Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, and Iraq. The majority of this cargo, approximately 

12,378 pieces, has been through the Port of Fujairah, UAE, or the Port of Umm Said, 

Qatar. Fujairah, in particular, has proven to be a critical hub for unit deployments and 

redeployments out of the OEF Theater, while Umm Said has dealt mainly with import 

and export cargo coming from the OIF Theater

• Executed large scale OEF military deployments and redeployments for the 101st Airborne Division, 24th MEU deployment and redeployment, 173rd Airborne Brigade 

Combat Team deployment, CTF-56 movements, 4-25th Infantry, 3rd Combat Aviation 

Brigade, and Marine Expeditionary Brigade

• Supported the movement of military cargo through the various commercial ports, dispatching Deployment Support Teams to specific ports in the AOR to support operations 

for military-owned vessels

• Facilitated the onward movement of FMS cargo through the ports of Pakistan, thereby reducing the backlog and providing a cost savings to the military. As a result, 12,000 pieces 

of FMS cargo were successfully moved in support of Iraq & Afghanistan

Redeployment Support for OIF Force Flow

• Trained 1,600 unit movement officers and created 1,354 movement plans, 77,336 military 

shipping labels, and 20,996 RFID tags to support the redeployment of 11,499 containers 

and 9,414 pieces of rolling stock

• Coordinated the strategic commercial services for 531 vessels moving 49,168 pieces of 

DOD cargo

• Planned and prepared the first ever door-to-door OIF military redeployments for the 82nd 

Airborne Division and the 1st Cavalry Division

• Assembled, organized and synchronized the efforts of multiple agencies responsible for 

sourcing equipment for the redistribution/reposturing of equipment in support of the OIF 

draw down. As a direct result, in excess of 2,521 pieces of cargo moved from Iraq to 

Afghanistan

SDDC Redeployment Support to the Warfighter

• Provided redeployment support to all redeploying OIF and OEF units

• Provided the critical link to AMC redeployment of war-fighting equipment to include 

Strykers on an Army watercraft prepare for discharge at Umm 

Said, Qatar, for onward movement to Afghanistan via airlift.

Left: The Soldiers of 595th Tranportation 

Group gather to celebrate their first anniversary as a standing unit.

Below Left: Brig. Gen. John F. Wharton (right) 

passes the 595th colors to Col. Dennis Harber 

during a change of command.
16 translog Almanac 2010 17 translog Almanac 2010

battle damaged, battle loss, 

and retrograde equipment

• Assisted in redeploying 

245 units, processing 7,417 

pieces of equipment through 

the TC-AIMS and JOPES 

validation process 

• Printed and issued more 

than 17,300 military shipping labels and produced 

more than 4,300 RFID tags for ITV

• Integrated United States Coast Guard container and hazardous material inspection 

teams and trained more than 820 unit movement officers to improve redeployment 

support 

• Conducted more than 50 Pre-Deployment and Pre-Redeployment Site Survey briefings 

and provided liaison support to more than 700 unit movement officers and representatives facilitating procedures and processes to reduce frustrated cargo

• Expanded capacity of GLOCs for movements through Iraq, Kuwait and Jordan

• Increased the volume of cargo by more than 80 percent in support of OIF 07-09 

• Established container repair facilities at Umm Qasr to expand the Multi-National 

Forces – Iraq container management plan by more than 4,500 containers annually

Global Freight Management Meets the Warfighter’s needs in Iraq

• Prepared, coordinated, and executed more than 40 separate missions moving cargo for 

labor and transportation costs worth $1.9 million

Northern Distribution Network

• Expanded the route on the Northern Distribution Network to include Estonia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan

• Executed the rail movement of 65 trains carrying 5,613 pieces of sustainment cargo

• Successfully operated two border transload sites moving cargo from the rail onto commercial trucking assets to the various operating bases throughout Afghanistan

• Conducted commercial airlift operations through Navoi, Uzbekistan, moving sustainment cargo to various hubs in Afghanistan

The 831st Transportation Battalion is the 595th Transportation Group’s forward-deployed 

unit responsible for Operation Enduring Freedom (Pakistan, Afghanistan, and all Central Asian 

Republics), all ports in the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf south of Kuwait, and all Red Sea 

ports on the Arabian Peninsula (with the exception of Jordan.) The battalion headquarters is in 

Bahrain, with detachments stationed in Qatar, Bagram, and Kandahar, as well as deployment 

and distribution support teams engaged throughout Afghanistan. The battalion’s footprint also 

includes embassy liaison officers in Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan; stevedoring contracts 

in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar; line-haul contracts to support 

cargo shipments from the Central Asian Republics into Afghanistan; and a third-party logistics 

contract consisting of more 

than 290 personnel at more 

than 20 locations throughout 

Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The battalion is comprised 

of a mix of Active Duty and 

Reserve military personnel, 

DOD civilians, and local national employees. The majority of military personnel are 

deployed in Afghanistan in 

831st Transportation Battalion

TF Currahee redeployment cargo being loaded at Sharona, 

Afghanistan. After a journey of more than 2,000 kilometers 

over some of the most dangerous roads in the world to Karachi, 

Pakistan, it will be loaded on a vessel.

The 831st Deployment and 

Distribution Support Battalion conducts a record transload operation in Fujairah, 

UAE.

Equipment is offloaded in 

Fujairah, UAE.
18 translog Almanac 2010 19 translog Almanac 2010

840th Transportation Battalion

840th Transportation Battalion provides SDDC a forward presence in order to coordinate 

redeployment support, container management, and door-to-door/port surface distribution operations in Iraq. 

Redeployment Mission:

The last year saw many changes for the 840th Transportation Battalion. The redeployment 

mission continued to support the warfighter, and standard operating procedures were codified. 

The 840th Transportation Battalion redeployment support team provided direct assistance to 

brigade combat teams unit movement officers in the conduct of their redeployment process. 

Assistance was provided through hands-on supervision of documentation, loading, Transportation Coordinators’ Automated Information for Movement System II file management, in-transit visibility, hazardous materials inspection, and preparation of containers and equipment for 

shipment from Iraq to the seaport of embarkation. 

Through a combination of on-site application of expertise and continuous communication, 

the RST increased the speed and efficiency of the redeployment process. The redeployment 

process now consists of four visits with the unit. 

On the first visit, approximately 120 days from the available-to-load date, a mobile train-

ing team is sent to the unit. The mission of the team is to provide brigade combat team unit 

movement officers a thorough overview of the redeployment process. The team gives unit 

movement officers training on packing, documenting, and inspecting (customs and hazardous 

material) containers. In addition, hands-on training of TC-AIMS II allowed units to begin the 

development of their operational equipment list and ensured their TC-AIMS equipment was 

functional. 

On the second visit approximately 90 days from available-to-load date, the RST and TCAIMS personnel sit with the unit movement officer and assist the input of data into the system. 

support of Operation Enduring 

Freedom.

The 831st is unique within 

SDDC in that its largest mission is providing support to 

the warfighter in Afghanistan, 

a land-locked country surrounded on all sides by nations 

without a U.S. military presence. Although port operations 

throughout the rest of the unit’s 

AOR remain a core competency 

– particularly the Army watercraft missions at ports throughout 

the AOR – the bulk of the daily effort is provided in support 

of the OEF warfighter. However, operations in Fujairah, UAE, 

demonstrate the fusion of SDDC’s historical port mission with 

the battalion’s unique mission supporting Afghanistan, as Fujairah is used as a transhipment point for most large deployments 

and redeployments into Afghanistan.

In 2009, the 831st conducted numerous successful port and 

ancillary operations throughout the AOR in support of the OEF 

warfighter. Among the highlights: • 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade deployment to Afghanistan via Fujairah (more than 3,000 pieces, largest 

single deployment ever via Fujairah)

• Army Resourced Equipment shipments from Qatar to 

Afghanistan (more than 400 pieces)

•

Two MV Virginian ammunition resupply missions in 

Qatar

•

Task Force Currahee redeployment via Fujairah (487 

pieces)

• 4-4 Infantry Division deployment via Fujairah (724 

pieces)

• More than 50 Army watercraft missions at ports in 

Bahrain, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, 

Djibouti and Qatar

• Successfully coordinated the discharge, dispatch, and 

delivery of more than 52,000 pieces of cargo to Afghanistan via ports in Pakistan

• Constructed the customs processes and facilitated the delivery of more than 5,000 pieces of cargo to Afghanistan 

via the various Northern Distribution Network routes

Containers are cleaned during 

a transload operation in Fujairah by 831st DDSB.

The Iraqi Railroad arrives with containers to be loaded onto ships. 

This was part of a successful 840th Transportation Battalion Proof 

of Principle exercice.
20 translog Almanac 2010 21 translog Almanac 2010

to-door redeployment process of unit cargo. This cargo included shipments of six BCTs as well 

as numerous units being redeployed successfully through these ports. Along with this new and 

growing mission, the Terminal Operations Team continued the supervision of the Ash Shuaiba 

Commercial port as well as import, export and transload operations at the Port of Shuwaikh. 

The 1185th Deployment and Distribution Support Battalion is headquartered in Lancaster, 

Pa. Currently, the 1185th DDSB is mobilized in Support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and is performing its primary duties at the Port of Ash Shuaiba, Kuwait, but services the entire USCENTCOM area of operations, with a presence in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, 

Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait.

The 1185th DDSB consists of 55 Soldiers in the Headquarters Command and Staff section and 30 Soldiers in three equal Deployment and Distribution Support Teams . Two of these 

DDSTs are currently in Afghanistan to support the 831st DDSB, and one team is serving in Iraq 

supporting the 840th DDSB. The 1185th DDSB has four detachments assigned to it during its 

deployment, which allows for it to complete its mission. Those four detachments are the 502nd 

Terminal Supervisory Team from Los Alamitos, Calif.; the 643rd Automated Cargo Detachment 

from Spokane, Wash.; the 647th Port Management Team from Tacoma, Wash.; and the 873rd 

Port Management Team from Fort Totten, N.Y.

The mission of the 1185th is to operate a SPOE with three berths simultaneously under 

continuous operations, and is directly responsible for the safe loading and unloading of cargo 

from vessels. The operation has the capacity to handle 12,500 pieces, with a throughput of 6,000 

pieces or five BCTs a month. The current harbor operation is 12.5 meters deep, allowing for rollon roll-off operations and lift-on lift-off operations with the overhead crane capabilities that are 

available.

The 1185th DDSB has been awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation for its service during its 

previous deployment in 2005 to Kuwait. It also is authorized the Army Superior Unit Award for 

its role in Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

On the third visit, approximately 45 days from available-to-load date, the unit’s 

plan is validated in JOPES. 

The team focuses on correct 

loading, documentation, and 

in-transit visibility of redeployment containers. Rolling stock is designated for 

redeployment and receives 

generic RFID designation. 

On the fourth visit the 

support team returns to oversee the actual loading of the equipment onto contracted transportation. This ensures the proper equipment is being transported and the team brings the TC-AIMS 

to correct any last minute errors. 

The redeployment support team also provides continuous communication with the sea 

port of embarkation. The 840th Transportation Battalion provided redeployment support to 17 

BCTs from May-December 2009.

The redeployment team usually splits up into two teams. Additional Coast Guardsmen are 

a great assist to the teams. The teams were not only able to inspect and document, the Coast 

Guardsmen could also place customs seals on the cargo before it ever reached the SPOD.

Container Management Mission:

The 840th recognized a major shortcoming in the training of container inspectors. The 

840th, supported by elements of the 1397th DDSB that were attached, prepared a Program 

of Instruction for a course that would remedy the problem and presented the idea to MultiNational Corps-Iraq. MNC-I recognized the need for the class and immediately issued a 

FRAGO to attend the class, conducted in over 13 Forward Operating Bases. This training 

was crucial to the Responsible Drawdown Operation because only 15 percent of the Theater 

Provided Equipment containers inspected so far had passed current seaworthy standards; the 

balance required repair, leaving the Corps perilously short of shipping containers. These students were able to inspect all of the organizational containers in MNC-I, allowing them to be 

shipped to their destinations and avoid being frustrated at the port. The 840th assembled the 

critical equipment support by briefing the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), which 

provided the necessary Material Handling Equipment at the FOBs. 

During the summer of 2009 the 840th saw a greater need for more Redeployment Support 

Teams than for a container management section and transformed the training team to an RST, 

to better support the responsible drawdown. 

Terminal Operations Mission:

As operational tempo increased, military personnel increased to 14, along with six DA 

civilians and 12 foreign national documentation and booking specialists. Missions greatly increased in cargo flow through both Aqaba and Umm Qasr, including the support of the USMC 

LOGCAP program and theater migration of Class IV materials to OEF, incorporating the first 

U.S. military use of the Iraqi Railroad. Aqaba and Umm Qasr were used to pioneer the doorSoldiers and Sailors participate in the 840th change of 

command ceremony in Balad, 

Iraq, on Jan. 12.

1185th Deployment and Distribution Support Battalion

1185th Deployment and Distribution Support Battalion offloads a UH-60 Black Hawk at 

Ash Shuaiba, Kuwait.
22 translog Almanac 2010 23 translog Almanac 2010

596th 

Transportation 

Group

The 596th Transportation Terminal Group (Ammunition) was established effective Dec. 1, 

2009, at the Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point, N.C., after the former provisional organization was formally approved by the Department of the Army. The mission of the 596th is to 

safely provide ammunition terminal services to meet the Nation’s objectives. This responsibility includes the operation of both east and west coast ammo terminals at MOTSU and the 

Military Ocean Terminal Concord, Calif., respectively.

In addition to serving its Defense Transportation System customers, the services and 

combatant commanders around the world, the 596th also coordinates and provides support to 

surface movements of Foreign Military Sales munitions destined for U.S. allies around the 

world.

Col. Mark Hagan assumed command of the 596th and MOTSU April 16, 2009.

The command is SDDC’s Center of Excellence for ammunition ocean terminal and 

distribution operations. Further, the 596th has assumed larger ammunition operations and 

distribution responsibilities from the SDDC Operations Center. This has consolidated much 

of the planning and execution of surface ammunition movements via sealift at the 596th, and 

provides stakeholders within the joint munitions community a single SDDC point of contact 

for coordinating these movements.

MOTSU

Unlike other SDDC units, the 596th has an additional mission of operating a 16,000-acre installation with a variety of base operations functions in support of its primary ammunition transshipment mission. The majority of the 280 personnel at MOTSU perform installation functions 

to include security, fire and emergency services, public works, land and wildlife management, 

energy and environmental resources, and rail and heavy equipment maintenance. 

MOTSU has served as the primary CONUS common-user ammunition terminal in support of 

forces deployed around the world since 1955. The vast majority of munitions shipped to Vietnam, Central Europe during the Cold War, Desert Storm, and more recently, Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, have originated from MOTSU. In 1997, it assumed responsibility for Army and Air Force ammunition prepositioned afloat programs, supporting the cyclic 

maintenance and loading of ammunition aboard long-term chartered ammo vessels.

At MOTSU, safety is the cornerstone of all 

activities performed on the terminal, to include 

construction and repair projects. These projects 

must be viewed through the lens of explosive 

safety. To ensure explosive safety is observed at 

all times, the 596th has an Ammunition Surveillance Division with two Quality Assurance Specialists, Ammunition Safety and a team of ammunition surveillance inspectors.

In recent years, MOTSU has undergone significant infrastructure modernization to enhance 

ammunition container throughput, to include the 

current Center Wharf expansion project scheduled 

for completion in the Spring of 2010. When complete, the wharf will provide the necessary platform for the installation of two new ship-to-shore 

container cranes, designed to speed container 

The transfer of containerized munitions at MOTSU is a constant 

activity requires safety regulations are stringently observed. 

The Center Wharf expansion and modernization 

project, coupled with new ship-to-shore cranes, 

will provide a modern platform from which to 

conduct efficient container operations.
24 translog Almanac 2010 25 translog Almanac 2010

throughput several fold.

Over the past year, MOTSU personnel loaded and discharged a total of 34 

vessels. More than 357,000 measurement tons of munitions were handled, 

including the transshipment of more 

than 11,000 containers, 1,105 of which 

were stuffed at MOTSU. The Army and 

Air Force Preposition Programs accounted for more than 205,000 measurement tons. 

Support to OEF and OIF via the MV Virginian included the movement of more than 

70,000 measurement tons of munitions. Further, MOTSU processed more than 900 commercial trucks and 1,200 commercial railcars during this period of robust activity. The 834th 

at MOTCO is uniquely postured to conduct a wide variety of general cargo and ammunition 

terminal missions while providing appropriate force protection and installation oversight to 

one of DOD’s most sensitive facilities.

834th Transportation Battalion

MOTCO

MOTCO, formerly a part of the Naval Weapons Station 

Concord, is the primary west coast common-user ammunition terminal and was transferred from the Navy to the Army 

under Base Realignment and Closure 2005 on Oct. 1, 2008. 

The management of MOTCO is the responsibility of the 

834th Transportation Battalion. The assignment of the 834th 

to the 596th has validated the operational and training synergies between the east and west coast ammo terminals while 

also lending professional installation management oversight 

to the fledgling Army installation. 

Primary focus over the past year has been the readiness 

and sustainment of MOTCO. The 596th staff has been instrumental in the development of requirements and programs 

to effectively establish MOTCO as a viable ammunition 

terminal and Army installation.

Contract workers install rebar prior to 

pouring concrete, expanding the width 

of the Center Wharf to support the 

eventual installment of new container 

cranes.

The mission of the 834th is to provide terminal and distribution services through strategic 

seaports in support of deploying and redeploying 

forces in the California area of responsibility. 

Further, the 834th safely provides ammunition 

terminal services and performs installation management functions at MOTCO.

Under the leadership of the battalion commander, Lt. Col. Russ Cole and senior enlisted 

advisor, Sgt. Maj. Adam Frye, the entire 834th Transportation Battalion team is making huge 

strides to ensure and enhance ammunition terminal readiness well into the future. 

The battalion has a professional, flexible, and experienced workforce of seven military and 

87 civilian personnel. In addition to terminal operations, the 834th provides customs clearance 

for all the DOD cargo coming into California seaports, and is also responsible for manifesting 

vessels that transport DOD cargo entering and leaving the battalion AOR.

The versatility of the battalion is evident daily as it manages deployment and distribution 

support teams at numerous strategic seaports in California in support of Operations Enduring 

Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, performs ammunition missions and tends to installation management responsibilities at MOTCO. The installation includes more than 7,600 acres of waterfront property situated on the Sacramento River, and is an invaluable strategic asset to DOD, 

USTRANSCOM, and the nation.

The 834th performs its general cargo missions across four strategic seaports in California: 

Oakland, Port Hueneme, LA/Long Beach, and San Diego. Over the past eighteen months, 

the battalion discharged and loaded 34 vessels with more than 357,000 measurement tons of 

ammunition and general cargo. These missions included deploying a Stryker Brigade Combat 

Team through San Diego as well as conducting numerous ammo missions at MOTCO.

In addition to serving as the host unit for the annual Golden Mariner exercise in May 2009 

at MOTCO, the 834th conducted the first two War Reserve Stocks Ammo – Korea imports, 

discharging more than 1,200 containers 

during each import rotation conducted 

during August and November 2009.

Stevedores, under the supervision of MOTCO’s 

marine cargo specialists, offload ammo containers from the MV Black Eagle onto bomb carts. 

MV Black Eagle preparing to offload 

War Reserve Stocks for Allies-Korea at 

MOTCO’s Pier 3. The first two WRSA-K 

ammo retrograde missions were completed at MOTCO in late 2009, with many 

more scheduled in the future.
26 translog Almanac 2010 27 translog Almanac 2010

597th 

Transportation 

Group

597th 

Transportation 

Group

The 597th Transportation Group is located at Fort Eustis, Va., and is led by Col. Jeffrey B. 

Helmick and Command Sgt. Maj. Allen B. Offord, Jr.

The Group has four subordinate battalions located throughout the United States: the 841st 

Transportation Battalion located at Charleston, S.C.; the 832nd Transportation Battalion 

located at Jacksonville, Fla.; the 842nd Transportation Battalion located at Beaumont, Texas; 

and the 833rd Transportation Battalion located in Seattle, Wash.

The 597th Transportation Group is focused on USNORTHCOM and USSOUTHCOM 

areas of responsibility. The 597th and subordinate units, with a workforce of more than 200 

military and civilian personnel, are responsible for meeting the surface deployment and redeployment and distribution needs of the warfighter and Defense Transportation System customers in the United States and Latin America. 

In April 2009, the 597th assumed command and control of the 688th and 689th RPOEs 

and activated the 690th RPOE in October 2009. The RPOEs perform USTRANSCOM’s mission to deploy quickly in a crisis or contingency operation in order to clear the Air Port of 

Debarkation and Sea Port of Debarkation for follow-on personnel and equipment.

Enabling strategic surface deployment in CONUS begins with the establishment of an 

SDDC Deployment Task Force. The battalion commanders reach back from 597th’s seaports 

to the installations and unit locations to form a team of surface deployment transportation 

experts able to support deploying units, transportation officers, and mobility warrant officers 

with HAZMAT, equipment, container, unit movement data preparation and documentation. The 

597th helps coordinate and synchronize all aspects of the surface deployment with SDDC and 

the deploying unit and ensures a smooth and efficient move from the fort through the port.

Another focus area for the 597th is providing trained and ready Army units to meet the requirements of USTRANSCOM’s Joint Task Force – Port Opening. The three Army units solely 

designed to support JTF-PO are the 688th, 689th and 690th RPOEs. These units enable joint 

transportation network assessment, reception, documentation, in transit visibility, onward movement and forward node operations. Currently they are supporting JTF-PO (APOD) and JTF-PO 

(SPOD) opening requirements.

Providing surface deployment and distribution support to 

USSOUTHCOM is an important 

responsibility for the 597th. In 

execution, the 832nd Transportation Battalion works directly 

with USSOUTHCOM planning 

and supports numerous New Horizon, Beyond the Horizon and 

Tradewind missions throughout 

Caribbean, Central and South 

America.

Deployment and Redeployment Support 

Supporting the joint warfighter is the number one priority 

The Cape May vessel load operation is completed for JLOTs Deployment.

Chief Warrant Officer Eric Booker and Sgt. Allen Duncan of the 

Deployment and Distribution Support Team participating in TF Old 

Ironside during October at Fort Bliss, Texas.
28 translog Almanac 2010 29 translog Almanac 2010

at the 597th. Every unit that has deployed or 

redeployed to or from CONUS via surface 

transportation has flowed through a terminal 

where one of the 597th battalions operate.

During fiscal year 2009, the battalions of 

the 597th moved nearly 100 million pieces 

of cargo through the 18 strategic ports where 

they operate. More than 10,000 MRAPs have 

been transported via surface through 597th 

battalions.

USSOUTHCOM 

The 597th operates in terminals and facilities throughout Latin and South America and 

the Caribbean in support of New Horizon and 

USSOUTHCOM humanitarian and disaster 

relief missions. In fiscal year 2009, 597th battalions traveled to ports in Panama, Honduras, 

El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Trinidad & 

Tobago, Guatemala and Peru to handle more 

than 500 pieces of general cargo.

JTF-PO Missions 

The JTF-PO SPOD and the 832nd Transportation Battalion set sail on Army watercraft in 

January 2010 to become one of the first Army logistic elements on ground in support of the 

relief effort in Haiti. This was the first time that Army landing craft were loaded with a commercial port opening package and commercial contractors. They sailed from the east coast to 

Port-Au-Prince, providing critical early entry port opening capability speeding up the relief 

effort in Haiti.

RPOE Missions

The 688th and 689th RPOE deployed to Haiti within 48 hours after the earthquake Jan. 12. 

The 688th RPOE was critical to the transfer of supplies from aircraft to multiple Haiti relief 

organizations on the ground. The 689th RPOE provided significant capabilities to the SPOD 

in support of the joint and international relief effort moving supplies from the port to forward 

operating locations.

The 832nd Transportation Battalion, the 688th RPOE, and the 689th RPOE remain deployed in Haiti in support of the relief effort.

Upload of 300-ton Crawler Crane aboard the 

USNS Flickertail State for JLOTs Deployment.

The 832nd Transportation Battalion is comprised of the main battalion on Blount Island, 

Jacksonville, Fla., the Cape Detachment in Cape Canaveral, Fla., and the Puerto Rico Detachment. All are responsible for conducting small to large ship operations in deploying units and 

Deployment Distribution Support Teams worldwide. Specifically, DDST’s routinely deploy into 

the USSOUTHCOM AOR to support New Horizons, Tradewinds, Joint Logistics Over the Shore 

exercises and real world contingencies when needed. 

The 832nd consists of 34 employees (seven military, 24 government civilians and three contractors) in Jacksonville, four government employees in Cape Canaveral and three government 

employees in Puerto Rico. During large ship operations in Jacksonville, the 832nd can expand up 

to approximately 500 personnel with our Port Support Activity, U.S. Army Reserve augmentation 

and our Stevedore & Related Terminal Services contract. 

Recent Missions and Accomplishments

Port of Jacksonville:

27 vessels with more than 34,000 pieces

JTF-PO SPOD validation exercise and certification process 

Cape Canaveral:

Tug and Barge, OEF/OIF, Beyond the Horizon, and LCU Special Mission: 129 Vessels, 

341,787 pieces 

Puerto Rico:

Sustainment: 3,468 Pieces

TRANSLOTS 09: 98 pieces

MINILOTS 09: 20 pieces

832nd Transportation Battalion

A container handler belonging to 2nd Marine Expeditionary 

Brigade is loaded at JAXPORT March 2009. 
30 translog Almanac 2010 31 translog Almanac 2010

USSOUTHCOM Missions:

25 conferences with 5 port site surveys

8 uploads

12 discharges

Handling a total of 647 pieces

 

JTF-PO (SPOD):

The 832nd Transportation Battalion supported the implementation process of the 688th 

RPOE and the USTRANSCOM JTF-PO (SPOD) initiative. The 832nd planned and assisted 

in the planning and execution of the MRX, FTX, and VERTEX.

The 832nd was directly responsible to develop a Proof of Principle exercise for JTF-PO 

employment which would eventually become the standard template for all global SDDC battalions. The battalion worked in a Joint effort with various government agencies, to certify 

and to validate the first of three RPOE units. Upon completion of the validation of the 688th 

RPOE, the battalion organized a DDST in support of the RPOE to create the first organized 

JTF-PO unit. 

2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade Deployment Operations: 

The 832nd effortlessly coordinated with USTRANSCOM, SDDC, and USMC commands to 

plan and execute the movement of approximately 11,000 pieces of cargo with only two weeks’ 

notice. The battalion receives two or three large unit deployment missions annually. The 2nd 

MEB deployment was conducted in a two-month window with piece counts that normally 

equated to 1.5 years worth of deployment cargo piece counts. This was a tremendous effort 

to synchronize across the joint channels for the efficient reception, staging, documentation, 

vessel stowage plan design, shipping agent coordination, port operations staging area synchronization, with just a two-week planning to execution cycle. 

The 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade vehicle staging at 

JAXPORT March 2009.

The 833rd Transportation Battalion, commanded by Lt. Col. Robert J. Lehman, is responsible 

for overseeing the movement of military cargo and sustainment through commercial ports in the 

Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The senior noncommissioned officer is Sergeant 

Major Rickey Patterson. The 833rd Transportation Battalion staff consists of 29 individuals, to 

include 20 civilian employees, seven military (six Army, and one Navy), and two contracted 

employees. 

During the past year, the 833rd supported multiple unit deployment and redeployment operations at the Port of Tacoma, Wash. In addition, they deployed a DDST to Port Arthur, Texas , and 

several personnel to support sister battalion 

operations in San Diego and Philadelphia. 

The 833rd Transportation Battalion’s 

main office is located in Seattle, Wash., and 

is the only CONUS SDDC Battalion not 

physically located at a port. As a result, the 

battalion routinely uses the Deployment and 

Distribution Support Team model to operate 

from any port required within the AOR, to 

include the Ports of Everett, Grays Harbor, 

Olympia, and Tacoma. For ammunition 

operations, the 833rd supports the 596th 

Transportation Group at the Naval Magazine, Indian Island, Wash. This past year, the 

833rd Transportation Battalion also trained 

and validated with the 689th Rapid Port 

833rd Transportation Battalion

Members of 833rd Transportation Battalion conduct 

offload operations at sunrise from a mobile port operations 

center in Tacoma.

A Stryker vehicle is loaded on a nearly flat ramp 

to the MV Great Land at Port of Tacoma.
32 translog Almanac 2010 33 translog Almanac 2010

Opening Element to support USTRANSCOM’s JTF-PO. 

Between May and August 2009, the 833rd supported Fort Lewis, Wash., the only West 

Coast power projection platform, with the deployment of three Stryker Brigade Combat 

Teams to Southwest Asia, to include the first SBCT sent to Afghanistan. 

SDDC support also included an on-site SDDC Task Force, with the 833rd serving as the 

Task Force Commander, to assist Fort Lewis units in preparing and documenting equipment. 

For these SBCTs, three ships were loaded at the Port of Tacoma with 1,415 pieces of equipment measuring 211,701 square feet and 49,643 measurement tons. Additionally, more than 

400 pieces were moved from Fort Lewis and stuffed into containers or onto flat-racks in Seattle. Once stuffed, the 833rd coordinated all labeling and RFID tag application prior to ocean 

movement.

Annually, the 833rd oversees the movement of resupply cargo to remote Alaska sites by 

barge. This move is historically called Project Cool Barge, and can only be conducted after 

the spring thaw and before the fall freeze. In the past year, two sailings were required to meet 

the needs of Air Force stations King Salmon and Eareckson, Alaska. The first barge sailed in 

June and the second in September and included such commodities as 90,000 pounds of urea, 

70,000 gallons of de-icer and 125,201 pounds of other vehicles and containers. This move 

also provides the only opportunity for retrograde cargo to be shipped south.

The resupply of ammunition to Alaska is also done twice a year. The first barge in the 

spring is supported by the 834th in Concord, Calif., and the second barge is supported by 

the 833rd in the fall at 

Naval Magazine, Indian 

Island. The 833rd, under 

the operational control of 

the 596th, supports Naval 

Magazine Indian Island 

during receipt and docuA Stryker driven from the cargo ship Green Point during night offload operations at Port 

of Tacoma, Wash., by the 833rd Transportation Battalion and the 689th RPOE .

The 833rd Transportation 

Battalion team, with Sgt. 

Maj. Rickey Patterson and 

Lt. Col. Robert Lehman 

(kneeling in front).

mentation by marking and RFID-tagging all ammunition containers. This year the northbound 

move to Valdez, Alaska consisted of 164 20-foot containers, measuring 5,258 measurement tons 

with a net explosive weight of 334,614.

The 833rd also supports Army Material Command and the movement of redeployment cargo 

for reset. This past year, the battalion discharged two vessels containing 558 pieces of equipment 

and containers measuring 115,360 square feet, and 29,916 measurement tons. Once discharged, 

833rd personnel coordinate all onward movement by rail and/or truck to the final destination 

within eight days of arrival.

One of the major responsibilities of the 833rd is to document the movement of military cargo 

moving via commercial ocean carriers to/from OCONUS theaters. In fiscal year 2009 the 833rd 

Transportation Battalion produced 461 manifests for government cargo loaded aboard 363 different vessels. They also supported U.S. Customs clearances for import cargo arriving from OCONUS for 78 vessels. More than 70 percent of all the cargo documented by the 833rd is to or from 

Alaska destinations.

841st Transportation Battalion

The 841st Transportation Battalion conducts surface deployment and distribution operations at eight 

strategic seaports and two military terminals located 

along the United States East Coast. The seaport areas 

of responsibility includes but is not limited to Charleston, S.C.; Savannah, Ga.; Wilmington, N.C.; Morehead 

City, N.C.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Hampton Roads, Va.; 

Norfolk, Va.; Portsmouth, Va.; New York City, N.Y.; 

Port Elizabeth, N.J.; Port Newark, N.J. and Baltimore, 

Md.

The battalion’s primary customers include the 

XVIII Airborne Corps, 82nd Airborne Division, II 

Marine Expeditionary Force, 3rd Infantry Division and 

10th Mountain Division. The 841st is SDDC’s primary 

unit for the execution of Task Force Deployment Operations. The battalion conducted all vessel operations in support of the Army Prepositioned Stocks Program, including most recently the 

download of the USNS Pomeroy in November 2009 and completed a successful Joint Logistics 

Over-The-Shore exercise last summer in Norfolk, VA. 

Charleston is the premier port for the shipment of more than 10,000 MRAPs and more than 

3,000 Up-Armored HMMWVs. 841st also supports the discharge of MSC fuel tankers which 

provide 100 percent of the required aviation fuel to the Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. 

The 841st Transportation Battalion has an authorized strength of 36 personnel. The team consists of seven active duty military, 26 civilians and three contractors, with great assistance from 

31 Army Reserve Soldiers who augment the unit. 

The 841st Transportation Battalion received the U.S. Army Superior Unit Award in July 

2009. Terry Ewing, management specialist, won the 597th Transportation Group Civilian of the 

Year Award for 2009.

In September, the 956th Transportation Company in Monmouth, N.J., was deactivated. The 

841st assumed its mission, increasing the battalion AOR and adding requirements which include 

processing household goods and personal property. 

Because of the close proximity to the warfighting customer, the vast staging areas, a secure 

perimeter and deep-water piers, Charleston is the preferred and ideal strategic port in completHelicopters are received to be loaded with MRAPs. 

Well more than 10,000 MRAPs have passed through 

the Naval Weapons Station in Charleston.
34 translog Almanac 2010 35 translog Almanac 2010

ing any mission. However, 

the battalion is capable of 

deploying and conducting operations from any 

commercial seaport in the 

world, with a majority of 

its operations occurring in 

the United States, primarily 

at the Naval Weapons Station in Charleston, S.C., the 

Ocean Terminal in Savannah, Ga., and the Packer 

Avenue Marine Terminal in 

Philadelphia, Pa. On several occasions, the battalion has conducted operations simultaneously 

at all three locations, supporting 3rd Infantry Division’s movement through Savannah and the 

10th Mountain Division through Philadelphia, while maintaining a high operating environment moving unit-level cargo through the home port of Charleston. 

Safety at the 841st Transportation Battalion is priority number one. Utilizing the Composite Risk Management Program on a daily basis, there have been no reportable accidents since 

October 2005. This includes 632 vessels, 8,934 railcars, 30,878 trucks all moving 137,953 

pieces of cargo which add up to more than 1,530 Accident Free Days, an accomplishment 

leading to the battalion’s 2009 prestigious award for Safety Excellence. 

The 841st Transportation Battalion maintained a high operational tempo throughout the 

entire year. In 2009, the battalion safely and successfully handled 46,839 pieces of equipment 

on 335 vessels, 9,696 trucks and 1,518 rail cars. The motivated, well-trained work force is 

dedicated to providing responsive transportation support to American forces in both peacetime 

and while at war, and stands ready to meet all future challenges.

A UH-60 approaches Naval 

Weapons Station Charleston, S.C., to be staged for 

deployment by 841st Transportation Battalion.

Sgt. Tyler Henderson and Sgt. Joel 

Alvarez verify MSL data for accurate 

destination.

The 842nd Transportation Battalion has been in the forefront of SDDC’s efforts to provide 

the Army’s Soldiers with customer-focused deployment support. The majority of this effort 

takes place at the Port of Beaumont, Texas, one of the nation’s premier break bulk ports. Other 

ports that the battalion operates from are Port Arthur and Corpus Christi, Texas. Throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom, no other CONUS port has moved as much Army equipment as 

Beaumont. 

The battalion is comprised of two active duty Army officers, three enlisted active duty 

Soldiers, one active duty Navy officer, an 11-person Army Reserve Port Management Team, 

22 Army civilians, and two contractors. An additional 16 Port Support Activity personnel from 

Fort Hood, Texas, a cadre of Coastguardsmen from Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur, and port 

labor complete “Team Beaumont.”

The 842nd is the gateway for the movement of cargo through the Gulf Coast and represents the military’s lifeline in supporting the warfighters. The battalion is required to dynami842nd Transportation Battalion

cally coordinate with many other parties 

at the port of Beaumont. Successful 

missions require diligent planning for 

the many moving parts of unit deployments and redeployments with other 

agencies. The 842nd coordinated the 

movement of the 4/2 Stryker Brigade 

Combat Team from Fort Lewis, Wash. 

This complex mission required the 

involvement of numerous entities to coordinate responsibilities, 

including the repairs and upgrades to Stryker vehicles in advance 

of their deployment in support of OIF. The 842nd also managed to deploy various units during the month of July 2009, an 

extremely busy month due to multiple missions. The concurrent 

missions involved the movement of the 4/1 Infantry Division 

from Fort Riley, Kan., as well as units from Fort Hood, Texas; 

Fort Eustis, Va.; Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort Bragg, N.C.; and the 4/2 

SBCT. Approximately 2,450 pieces of import cargo were being 

discharged in Beaumont from the ARC Patriot, American Tern, 

Green Lake, ARC Liberty, and ARC Honor. At the same time, a 

DDST was deployed to Corpus Christi to discharge 847 pieces 

of cargo from the ARC Freedom and Green Ridge.

An aerial view of the Port of Beaumont, Texas, shows three MSC contract vessels at the wharf.
36 translog Almanac 2010 37 translog Global Almanac 2010 Global Surface Transportation ransportation Experts - Committed Committed * Dependable Dependable * Relentless Relentless

 (

598th TRANSPORTATION GROUP (SDDC

W

)

ARRIOR LOGISTICS IN MOTION

Alaska Det.

Anchorage, AK

833rd Trans Bn

Seattle, WA

834th Trans Bn

Concord, CA

HQ SDDC

Scott AFB, IL

842nd Trans Bn

Beaumont, TX

Deployment Support Command (USAR)

Birmingham, AL

Puerto Rico Det.

Guaynabo, PR

Cape Canaveral Det.

Cape Canaveral, FL

832nd Trans Bn

Jacksonville, FL

596th Trans Group (A)

Sunny Point, NC

597th Trans Group

Ft. Eustis, VA

Azores Det. Lajes Field, Azores

United Kingdom Det.

RAF Mildenhall, UK

Rhine River Det.

Mannheim, Germany

950th Trans Co

Bremerhaven, Germany

839th Trans Bn

Livorno, Italy

Greece Det.

Piraeus, Greece

Afghanistan Det.

Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan

595th Trans Group

Camp Arifjan, Kuwait

831st Trans Bn

Manama, Bahrain

Qatar Det.

Camp Doha, Qatar

Guam Det.

Guam

599th Trans Group

Wheeler Army Air Field, HI

835th Trans Bn

Okinawa, Japan

836th Trans Bn

Yokohama, Japan

Kuwait Det.

Kuwait City, Kuwait

837th Trans Bn Det

Busan, South Korea

Turkey Det.

Izmir, Turkey

838th Trans Bn

Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Italy Det.

Livorno, Italy

688th RPOE

Ft. Eustis, VA

689th RPOE

Ft. Eustis, VA

690th RPOE

Ft. Eustis, VA

Transportation Engineering Agency

Scott AFB, IL

841st Trans Bn

Charleston, SC

HQ SDDC Ops Cntr

(to Scott AFB, IL Summer 2010)

598th Trans Group

Rotterdam, The Netherlands

837th Trans Bn

Daegu, South Korea

840th Trans Bn

Balad, Iraq

USNORTHCOM

USSOUTHCOM

USAFRICOM

USEUCOM

USPACOM

ht T 7 r 9 a

5

nsportation Terminal p G u ro

USCENTCOM

“Koa KoKua" - Warrior Support

597th

USNORTHCOM / USSOUTHCOM

FORT EUSTIS, VA

“Rapid Support!"

Transportation Group

598th

“WARRIOR LOGISTICS - IN MOTION"

USEUCOM / USAFRICOM

Rotterdam, NETH

Transportation Group

595th

“Terminal Warriors, Let’s Roll"

USCENTCOM

Camp Arifjan, Kuwait

Transportation Group

596th

CONUS / OCONUS

“Terminals of Excellence”

SUNNY POINT, NC

Transportation Group

597th

USNORTHCOM / USSOUTHCOM

FORT EUSTIS, VA

“Rapid Support!"

Transportation Group

598th

“WARRIOR LOGISTICS - IN MOTION"

USEUCOM / USAFRICOM

Rotterdam, NETH

Transportation Group

595th

“Terminal Warriors, Let’s Roll"

USCENTCOM

Camp Arifjan, Kuwait

Transportation Group

599th

USPACOM

“Koa KoKua" - Warrior Support

Schofield Barracks, HI

Transportation Group

596th

CONUS / OCONUS

“Terminals of Excellence”

SUNNY POINT, NC

Transportation Group
38 translog Almanac 2010 39 translog Almanac 2010

598th 

Transportation 

Group

From the blowing snows above the Arctic Circle in Europe to the southernmost tip of the 

African continent, the 598th Transportation Group operates throughout a vast area of responsibility, covering approximately 100 countries, each with its own specific cultural aspects. 

598th Transportation Group plans, enables, and executes common-user expeditionary port 

and surface distribution-based operations within the USEUCOM and USAFRICOM areas 

of responsibility, which include Europe, Russia, the Mediterranean, and the entire continent 

of Africa except Egypt. The 598th seamlessly moves and delivers combat power and DOD 

cargo required to assure strategic depth and advantage across the full spectrum of conflict. The 

group, led by Col. Steve Farmen, group commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Felton Head, 

senior enlisted advisor, is prepared to deploy globally to conduct and enable port and distribution operations.

To accomplish its mission, two battalions, one company, and six detachments in seven 

different countries provide necessary support: the 838th Transportation Battalion in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, with the BENELUX Detachment; the 950th Transportation Company in 

Bremerhaven, Germany; the United Kingdom Detachment in Mildenhall, UK; the Rhine River 

Detachment, Mannheim, Germany; and the Azores Detachment, Praia da Vitoria, Azores, Portugal. The 839th Transportation Battalion is located in Livorno, Italy, with the Italy Detachment; 

the Greece Detachment, Piraeus, Greece; and the Turkey Detachment in Izmir, Turkey. 

It is the 598th Transportation Group’s intent to be the “gold standard” for port operations, 

while expanding its enterprise view beyond ports to understand, optimize, and influence distribution-based operations collaboratively and positively. The 598th is ensuring movement and delivery of combat power and DOD cargo with certainty to the entire group’s supported commands 

and partners.

The hull of the MV Marilyn in the port of Antwerp, Belgium, is filled with 

MRAPs for onward transportation through the 598th AOR.

During Bright Star in Alexandria, Egypt, 598th Transportation 

Group personnel ensure the safe discharge and load of materiel.
40 translog Almanac 2010 41 translog Almanac 2010

January

• OEF Aviation Redeployment, Rota, Spain

• Stryker Delivery, Bremerhaven, Germany

• MRAPs, Durban, South Africa

February

• West African Training Cruise Deployment, Rota, Spain

• West African Training Cruise Deployment, Cameroon

March

• KFOR Redeployment, Antwerp, Belgium

• OIF Redeployment, Poti, Georgia

April

• 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, Rota, 

Spain

• African Lion, Morocco

May

• Atlas Drop, Tunisia

• Ammunition Support - 40, Talamone, 

Italy

July

• Sea Breeze, Odessa, Ukraine

• 1st Armored Division, 2nd BCT Redeployment, Antwerp, Belgium

August

• Poland Peace Sky, Szczecin, Poland

September

• Ammunition Support-40, Eemshaven, The 

Netherlands

• KFOR Deployment, Bremerhaven, Germany

October

• 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade (OEF Deployment), Rota, Spain

• 3-158 Aviation Bn Deployment, Antwerp, 

Belgium

• 173rd Airborne BCT Deployment, 

Bremerhaven, Germany

• Bright Star Deployment, Egypt

November

• 16 SB (OIF Deployment), Aqaba, Jordan

• KFOR Redeployment, Antwerp, Belgium

• Bright Star Redeployment, Alexandria, 

Egypt

December

• Natural Fire, Kampale, Uganda

• 159th Combat Aviation Brigade (OEF 

Deployment) Rota, Spain

Recent Missions and Accomplishments

Cargo loaded on Egyptian trucks leaves the port of Alexandria, Egypt, to take part in Operation Bright Star.

838th Transportation Battalion

The 838th Transportation Battalion’s area of responsibility is the 

northern part of the USEUCOM 

and the USAFRICOM AORs, with 

subordinate units stationed in four 

different countries throughout the 

continent of Europe. Its regular 

operating locations are Bremerhaven, Nordenham, and Mannheim 

Germany; Antwerp, Belgium; Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Stavanger 

and Trondheim, Norway; Ipswich, 

United Kingdom; and the Azores, 

Portugal. There are an additional 20 

ports in Europe that operate under 

one-time-only contracts as required. 

On order, the 838th has the capability to deploy globally to execute 

and to enable port operations and 

distribution support.

In the summer of 2009, Lt. Col. Riley Cheramie took command of the 838th with Sgt. Maj. 

Reginald Thompson serving as the battalion sergeant major until November 2009. Sgt. Maj. Marvin Bonner has served as the battalion sergeant major since January 2010.

The 838th Transportation Battalion has the capability to deploy globally to execute and enable port operations and distribution support. Through its diverse workforce of Soldiers, Department of the Army civilians, and local national employees, the battalion has tremendous reach and 

expertise.

The 838th Transportation Battalion is capable of projecting Deployment Distribution Support 

Teams throughout the USEUCOM and USAFRICOM AORs to support the deployment of cargo 

838th Transportation Battalion discharges UH-60 

Black Hawks at the port of Antwerp, Belgium.

Lt. Col. Riley Cheramie, lower left, oversees operations in 

Antwerp with Bart Fiegel, BENELUX Detachment director, 

and marine cargo specialist Lisette Weteling.
42 translog Almanac 2010 43 translog Almanac 2010

839th Transportation Battalion

globally.

The battalion continues to 

execute and enable operations 

within the newly established 

USAFRICOM AOR. Working 

with and through U.S. government agencies and international 

partners, the battalion enhanced 

military-to-military programs 

and military-sponsored activities that promoted a stable and 

secure African environment in 

support of U.S. foreign policy. In the past 12 months, the battalion has supported these types 

of operations in Benin, South Africa, Mozambique and Cameroon.

This hard work and dedication resulted in the battalion being awarded the Chief of Staff of 

the Army Combined Logistics Excellence Award for 2009. The battalion took first place in the 

Active Army Supporting Unit Category.

The 839th Transportation Battalion’s Area of Responsibility is the Southern part of the European continent, the 

countries around the Mediterranean Sea, countries around the 

Black Sea, and Northern and Eastern Africa, including the 

Horn of Africa. Led by battalion commander Lt. Col. Douglas Vallejo and battalion senior enlisted advisor Sgt. Maj. 

Angelia Rush, the battalion includes three geographically 

dispersed subordinate detachments stationed in Livorno, 

Italy; Piraeus, Greece; and Izmir, Turkey.

Recent Missions and Accomplishments

• The Italy Detachment supported the deployment of the 82nd Combat Aviation 

Brigade into Afghanistan by conducting 

discharge operations in Rota, Spain, in 

April, transloading 327 pieces.

• The Greek Detachment supported exercise 

African Lion 2009 in Morocco by discharging and uploading 141 pieces of cargo 

between April-June.

• The Italy Detachment provided documentation and customs clearance support for the 

movement of more than 5,000 Relocatable 

Buildings produced in Italy and sent to 

Afghanistan. Shipments were conducted 

regularly between March-December.

• Turkey Detachment downloaded 15 Heavy 

Equipment Transporters from exercise African Lion in Constanta, Romania, in July. 

• Italy Detachment supported a Seabee unit 

move by discharging 510 pieces of engineer and other equipment in Rota in June. 

• The Italy Detachment supported operation 

Ammunition Support with ammunition 

uploading at Tombolo Docks and Talamone 

Bay, Italy. The cargo of 25 ammunition 

containers was exported from the Camp 

Darby Ammunition Storage Area.

• In October, the Italy Detachment supported 

the deployment of the 3rd Combat Aviation 

Brigade to Afghanistan by discharging 245 

pieces (including 91 helicopters), in Rota. 

• In October, Greece Detachment supported 

CJTF-HOA and Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, downloading vehicles from a CENTCOM LSV.

• Turkey Detachment supported Bright Star 

2009/2010 in Egypt between SeptemberNovember. More than 270 pieces were 

discharged and uploaded for this exercise. 

• The Greek Detachment supported exercise 

Juniper Cobra 10 in Ashdod, Israel. 301 

pieces were moved between October and 

November.

• The 839th Battalion Headquarters and 

DDST supported exercise Natural Fire 10 

by conducting cargo download and upload 

operations in Mombasa, Kenya and coordinating onward movement to training areas 

in Kampala, Uganda. The exercise took 

place from August-November and was regarded as the gold standard for movement 

operations in Africa. Leveraging Universal Services Contract capabilities and the 

carrier company, the 839th was able to 

accomplish a major logistical movement in 

austere conditions. 

• Italy Detachment supported the 172nd 

HBCT reset in December by downloading 47 tracked and wheeled vehicles at the 

Port of Livorno for onward movement for 

maintenance.

Italy Detachment downloads 

tracked vehicles for the 172nd 

HBCT reset in December at 

the Port of Livorno for onward 

movement to 3/405th AFSB for 

maintenance.

The Greek Detachment 

supported exercise Juniper 

Cobra 10 in Ashdod, Israel. There were 301 pieces 

moved between OctoberNovember.

The battalion provides direct 

planning support, in-transit visibility of cargo, and the execution of port operations.
44 translog Almanac 2010 45 translog Almanac 2010

599th 

Transportation 

Group

The 599th Transportation Group is headquartered at Wheeler Army Airfield in Hawaii. All 

U.S. Pacific Command service component commands are co-located on the island, making the 

location ideal for the group to effectively plan and coordinate with its leading supported units. 

The unit’s location also allows easy access to the Navy port at Pearl Harbor, as well as close 

access to Honolulu’s commercial ports.

The area of responsibility for the 599th is geographically the largest in the world: 52 percent of the earth’s surface, equal to about 105 million square miles. 

The group is assigned three forward battalions operating across the theater: the 835th 

Transportation Battalion in Okinawa, Japan; the 836th Transportation Battalion in Yokohama, 

Japan; and the 837th Transportation Battalion in Daegu, Korea. The 836th also has detachments in Guam and in Alaska. Additionally, the group has a Naval Reserve unit assigned, 

SDDC 320, at Coast Guard Island, Alameda, Calif.

Recent Missions and Accomplishments

The 599th “Koa Kokua” – Warrior Support team conducted a change of command in July 

2009, with Col. Courtney Taylor assuming command. Command Sgt. Maj. Steven Oldham is 

serving as command sergeant major. 

The command element of the 599th Transportation Group executed three noteworthy missions in 2009. 

Group personnel started the mission planning for the 2nd Infantry Division’s 5th Stryker 

Brigade Combat Team deployment to Afghanistan in March for execution in early summer in 

support of Operation Enduring Freedom. 

The mission held historical value in several ways: the deployment was the first fielding of an 

SBCT into Afghanistan, the first deployment of the 5th SBCT, and the first operational deployment of U.S. Transportation Command’s Joint Task Force-Port Opening Seaport of Debarkation 

to expedite the move. More than 300 Stryker vehicles, 500 containers, and 60 other wheeled vehicles and trailers were moved by surface on two vessels from Tacoma, Wash., to Diego Garcia in 

the Indian Ocean, then moved into 

the USCENTCOM theater by air. 

In the end, a multi-modal solution 

to transloading a brigade-sized unit 

through Diego Garcia resulted in 

Members of the 599th Transportation Group; Fleet Industrial Supply Center – Pearl Harbor; 302nd Transportation Terminal Battalion; Navy Cargo Handling Battalion 3; and 25th Infantry Division 

work together to off-load 3rd Brigade, 25th ID cargo and equipment from the MV American Tern at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Nefftaly Lugardo, information 

technology specialist, checks 

the electronic tracking of cargo 

and equipment exiting the MV 

American Tern during the offload of 25th Infantry Division 

equipment at Pearl Harbor.
46 translog Almanac 2010 47 translog Almanac 2010

new possibilities for delivery of combat equipment into Afghanistan. 

Another major move was the 25th 

Infantry Division’s Combat Aviation 

Brigade, stationed at Wheeler Army 

Airfield. The deployment process, 

which began in May 2009, fell under 

the auspices of the 599th to set up and 

coordinate the brigade’s deployment 

for Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 

599th, in concert with Fleet Industrial 

Supply Center – Pearl Harbor, the Directorate of Logistics, and the Navy Cargo Handling and Port Group from Cheatham Annex, 

Va., completed loading operations of equipment and aircraft onto a single vessel at Pearl Harbor in early August. The deployment package contained 862 pieces, including 88 helicopters, 

outsized equipment, and milvan containers. 

A third noteworthy mission was in support of Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2009, which was a 

combined training exercise between the armed forces of the U.S. and India. The 25th Infantry 

Division’s 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team deployed and redeployed 51 pieces of equipment including 17 Stryker vehicles from Pearl Harbor, to the port of Jawaharlal Nehru in 

Mumbai, India in October and November. A 599th deployment and distribution support team 

traveled to India to provide cargo manifesting capability, act as the single port manager for 

operations, and give 2nd SBCT in-transit visibility as their equipment was discharged. Movement of this cargo was significant in that it was the first deployment of Stryker vehicles to 

train with the Indian defense forces. 

Sgt. 1st Class Delia Fernandez, 599th Transportation 

Group, gives instructions to 

Sgt. 1st Class Corey Bledsoe, 

835th Transportation Battalion, before the daytime 

land navigation portion of 

the SDDC NCO of the Year 

competition May 6. The 599th 

Transportation Group was 

chosen to host the SDDC NCO 

of the Year competition in 

2009, the first to be held

anywhere other than at SDDC 

headquarters.

John Manahane (left), 599th Transportation Group transportation specialist, 

writes down cargo numbers as Navy 

Cargo Handling Battalion 3 from Alameda, Calif., offloads equipment. 

The 835th Transportation Battalion is located at Naha Military Port on the Ryukyu Island of 

Okinawa, Japan. In conjunction with providing surface distribution and military water terminal 

services for cargo transiting the common user water terminals at Naha Military Port, Aja Commercial Port, Tengan Ammunition Pier, and White Beach Naval Pier, the 835th also provides 

storage, processing, documentation, in-transit visibility, accounting, customs, and port clearance 

for all cargo transiting the ports. The 835th also deploys and conducts surface deployment, distribution, and water terminal operations to directly support and sustain units within the U.S. Pacific 

Command area of responsibility or worldwide as directed.

The 835th Transportation Battalion conducts terminal operations with their Soldiers, Department of the Army civilians, and Japanese national employees. Additionally, two contractors aid 

the battalion in the accomplishment of its mission, performing contract stevedore services and 

inland movement of cargo.

Although a vast majority of break-bulk cargo moves through Naha Military Port, the majority of containerized Department of Defense cargo moves through Aja Commercial Port. Some 

break-bulk and containerized operations also occur at Tengan Pier. In the event of surge ship operations, White Beach Naval Pier is used as a back-up port for break-bulk or containerized cargo.

835th Transportation Battalion

The 835th Transportation 

Battalion loads AM2 matting 

onto the Kyouei Maru barge 

Aug. 12, which is en route to 

Ie Shima to replace an auxiliary airfield for the Marines 

there.

III Marine Expeditionary Force cargo is staged at Naha Military Port in Okinawa, Japan, for Talon Vision 2010.
48 translog Almanac 2010 49 translog Almanac 2010

Recent Missions and Accomplishments

The 835th supported III Marine Expeditionary Force 

for each of its three major exercises in 2009. 

Cobra Gold:

During the multinational exercise Cobra Gold, deployment operations were conducted from Jan. 11-13 at Naha 

Military Port and Tengan Ammunition Pier. A total of 229 

pieces of cargo and 30 ammunition containers were loaded 

onto the MV Cape Howe. For redeployment, the deployment and 

distribution support team loaded 275 

pieces of cargo on the MV Advantage at Chuk Samet, Thailand. On 

March 10, the team discharged 10 

ammunition containers at Tengan 

Pier. The unit then discharged 220 

pieces Naha Military Port, while a 

remaining 44 pieces were transported 

to Iwakuni. 

Balikatan: 

During deployment, the 835th lift 

operations began March 28 at Naha 

Military Port and concluded at Tengan Ammunition Pier the next day. A 

total of 75 pieces of cargo, 30 ammunition containers, and one supercargo 

rider were loaded onto MV Advantage. For the redeployment phase, 

the 835th discharged 13 ammunition containers at Tengan 

Ammunition Pier from the MV Amalie Scan on May 13, 

and 61 pieces of cargo were discharged at Naha Military 

Port on May 14. 

Talon Vision: 

During the deployment phase for Talon Vision, the 

835th loaded 332 pieces of cargo onto MV Hoegh Manila 

at Naha Military Port and 14 ammunition containers onto 

MV Cape Nelson at Tengan Ammunition Pier Sept. 26. 

For redeployment, the 835th discharged 10 ammunition 

containers at Tengan Pier Nov. 17 from the MV Noble Star. 

After the ship transited to Naha Military Port, the battalion 

discharged 310 pieces of cargo Nov. 18.

MK V Special Operations Craft:

The 835th DDST Team served as the single port manager and port operator, while performing cargo documentation and in-transit visibility functions for the MK V special 

operations craft deployment and redeployment operation. 

Port operations were conducted at the Port of Singapore 

and Subic Bay, Philippines. 

Containers are transferred to Aja Commercial Port on 

Okinawa, Japan, Dec. 9 by the 835th Transportation 

Battalion.

The 836th Transportation Battalion and its two subordinate detachments in Alaska and Guam 

provide common user surface deployment, distribution, terminal operations, and port management services on mainland Japan, Alaska, Guam, and as directed in support of worldwide contingency operations.

The battalion daily delivers equipment and sustainment on time by leveraging the capability 

of commercial ocean liner carriers; line-haul and barge transportation companies; and stevedoring companies to support the units and communities operating as part of U.S. Forces Japan, U.S. 

Alaskan Command, and Joint Region Marianas. 

Additionally, the battalion can 

organize and deploy deployment 

and distribution support teams, 

customer service teams, and 

provide ocean cargo booking to 

meet a wide variety of operations 

836th Transportation Battalion

Japanese Ground Self Defense Force soldiers work with stevedores at Yokohama 

North Dock to block and brace an air 

defense component May 14 in preparation for the annual Japanese air defense 

training exercise deployment to New 

Mexico.

The Port of Yokohama, Japan’s North Dock is home to the 836th 

Transportation Battalion. The battalion also has two detachments 

in Alasaka and Guam.
50 translog Almanac 2010 51 translog Almanac 2010

throughout the U.S. Pacific Command area of responsibility. 

The heart of the 836th Transportation Battalion is its professional workforce, and it is 

through the dedicated Soldiers, Department of the Army civilians, and local national employees that the battalion is able to deliver equipment on time throughout its area of responsibility. 

Recent Missions and Accomplishments

During 2009, the 836th Transportation Battalion conducted 22 ship operations in support 

of USPACOM exercises and unit sustainment. The unit operated at 9 seaports in Guam, Alaska, Japan and Australia. In addition to supporting Cobra Gold, TurboCADs, Balikatan, Key 

Resolve, Talon Vision, and Talisman Saber exercises from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, 

the battalion had several opportunities to meet global requirements for Operations Iraqi and 

Enduring Freedom through distributing foreign military sales materiel. 

In Japan, the battalion provided support to the Defense Logistics Agency prime vendor 

meeting subsistence needs for Joint Special Operations Task Force – Philippines and to the 

404th Army Field Support Brigade’s APS-4 site at Sagami Depot, Japan by sending critical 

Class IX repair parts to Kuwait and Iraq. In Alaska, several units deployed and redeployed to 

and from OIF/OEF through the Port of Anchorage, a designated strategic seaport. The Alaska 

Detachment was also recognized as a runner-up for the 2009 Deployment Excellence Award 

for its efforts in deploying the 25th Infantry Division, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team to 

Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The Guam Detachment had many firsts as well this year, highlighted by the detachment 

chief, Gordon Lowe, who was named the Transportation Regimental Civilian of the Year. One 

of the key reasons he earned this prestigious award was due to his hard work in having the 

Port of Guam recognized 

as a strategic seaport, 

further enabling the future build-up of more than 

Ammunition containers are staged at the 

Port of Valdez, Alaska 

for onward movement 

to ammunition supply points throughout 

Alaska.

8,000 Marines and their families who will relocate from Okinawa to Guam from 2010 to 2016. 

In addition to meeting Defense Transportation System requirements, the 836th has the responsibility of harbor master operations at Yokohama North Dock, as well as maintaining community and bilateral relationships throughout Japan. In 2009, the 

harbor master operations included berthing 80 vessels without 

accident. The battalion also supported the annual deployment of 

the Japanese Self Defense Forces Air Defense units’ equipment 

to New Mexico and Washington for their annual exercise. The 

leaders of the 836th Transportation Battalion also have a formal relationship with the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force 

Transportation School and provide mentorship to students and 

cadre on a routine basis. Lastly, the battalion supports several local offices of the Yokohama City for emergency services training 

and educational programs.

837th Transportation Battalion

The 837th Transportation Battalion conducts surface deployment, distribution and water 

terminal port operations to directly support and sustain forces within the Republic of Korea 

and worldwide as required. Pier 8, located in Busan is the primary seaport, but operations are 

conducted at ROK commercial and military ports such as Pohang, Chinhae, Mokpo and Gwangyang. The battalion’s headquarters is located at Camp Henry in Daegu. The 2nd Infantry Division is the primary warfighting unit supported on the peninsula. 

The 837th has a talented and diverse workforce. The team includes eight active duty U.S. 

military, three Reserve individual mobilization augmentees, nine DA civilians, and 30 Korean 

nationals. The battalion relies heavily on its local-national teammates who serve as the continuity 

of the organization. The 837th is a forward-deployed unit operating under armistice conditions 

and moves 95 percent of the cargo for U.S. Forces Korea. 

Personnel from 836th 

Transportation Battalion 

work with Patrick Stevedore Company at Port 

Alma, Australia during the 

redeployment of III Marine 

Expeditionary Forces from 

Talisman Saber 2009.
52 translog Almanac 2010 53 translog Almanac 2010

Recent Missions and Accomplishments 

Supporting the Joint Force:

The 837th was responsible for the safe import of more 

than 31,000 short tons of break-bulk cargo (549 pieces of 

equipment, 1,966 short tons of ammunition) and export of 

more than 42,000 short tons of break- bulk cargo (1,484 

pieces of equipment, 1,869 short tons of ammunition). Additionally, the 837th managed more than 9,400 twenty-foot 

equivalent units of sustainment cargo imported via 127 

commercial vessels.

1-2 Attack Reconnaissance Battalion Re-Stationing:

The 837th provided deployment support for the restationing of the of 1st Battalion, 2nd Aviation Regiment Attack 

Reconnaissance Battalion and associated aviation intermediate maintenance cargo to Fort Carson, Colo., in March 

2009. The upload consisted of 413 pieces of general cargo 

and 24 attack helicopters. Keys to this operation included a 

detailed mission rehearsal exercise, early coordination with 

the commercial carrier, and a total team effort from everyone involved.

Chinhae Ammunition Operations: 

The 837th, along with its ROK Port Operations Group 

counterparts, supported the theater’s War Reserves Stockpile Allies-Korea retrograde initiative which involved 

two vessels delivering 2,377 TEUs to the U.S. – 1,127 

Capt. Brian Young, 837th operations 

officer and 599th Transportation 

Group’s 2009 Junior Officer of the 

Year, reads to a child at the Love and 

Hope Orphanage in Daegu, Korea. 

This is a quarterly event and part of 

the community outreach program.

Lt. Col. Sam Blanton and Lt. Col. Jun Gu Kim observe operations from the gantry crane at Chinhae ammunition pier. Chinhae 

serves as the primary ammunition pier in Korea and Kim is Blanton’s counterpart at the ROK Port Operations Group.

in August and 1,250 in November. The November WRSA-K 

operation represented the single largest ammunition shipment to 

date under armistice conditions. Other missions included TurboCADS, U.S. Air Force prepositioned ammunition, and U.S. 

Navy opportune lifts.

Army Materiel Command Operations:

The 837th continues to have success leveraging liner service 

to retrograde excess Class VII and support theater equipment 

fielding initiatives. During 2009, 1,071 pieces of Class VII were 

retrograded via 16 commercial vessels, and 549 pieces associated with fielding initiatives were delivered. The equipment sets 

ranged from up-armored humvees to M109A6 howitzers.

Sgt. Maj. Marvin McNeil assists Ms. Chu Kyong Ae 

during NBC training at Pier 8. This training spans 

the entire workforce including Soldiers, Department 

of the Army civilians, and Korean nationals.

Sgt. 1st Class Jason Bologna, 837th 

terminal operations NCOIC, briefs 

the 2nd Infantry Division Port Support 

Activity prior to the upload of 24 attack helicopters and more than 400 

pieces of support cargo. This operation was in support of the 1-2 Attack 

Recon Battalion is re-stationing to Fort 

Carson, Colo.
54 translog Almanac 2010 55 translog Almanac 2010

Beyond Ports

While port operations remain a core competency of the command, the support SDDC offers to DOD and the nation includes 

capabilities that reach beyond ports.

In instances without the infrastructure for conventional port operations, SDDC acts as the executive agent for Logistics Over 

the Shore, bringing port capabilities to virtually any beachhead. 

SDDC also provides the capability to track shipments globally, 

ensuring the customer, whether a commander in Afghanistan or 

the Nuclear Energy Commission, knows where their shipments’ 

location and status. 

RPOE Forward Node, 

Fort Lewis, Wash.

JLOTS 2009 Exercise

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

ARMY WATERCRAFT

Camp Lejeune, N.C.

The Command Operations Center at Fort Eustis, Va., serves as 

the nerve center of SDDC. The transportation experts there are 

managing the unique logistical challenges of two wars, emergency relief efforts, the DOD shipping container inventory and 

more, all as the staff prepares for the move to Scott Air Force 

Base in May.

The command’s impact on national defense even extends to the 

household goods and vehicle shipments of all DOD servicemembers, civilians and their families. 

SDDC continues to expand its capabilities, finding solutions to 

the next challenges DOD and the nation will face.

saddle road project

Mauna Kea State Park, Hawaii
56 translog Almanac 2010 57 translog Almanac 2010

SDDC is the executive agent for the Department of Defense Personal Property Program, managing expenditures of 

nearly $2.2 billion each year to move servicemembers, civilians, and their families in support of the DOD mission. 

In 2009, the SDDC Personal Property Program handled 

more than 600,000 personal property shipments of all types, 

including non-temporary storage, and transported more than 

2.2M tons of personal property all over the world. 

SDDC is implementing the Defense Personal Property 

Program, with the goal of improving the quality of life for our military 

and civilian members and their families by making their personal property moves as smooth as possible. 

Defense Personal Property System

To support DP3, USTRANSCOM is developing a new web-based 

computer system to handle the personal property program, called the 

Defense Personal Property System. DPS automates and simplifies the 

move process and provides 24-hour access to personal property shipment 

information so families can check on the location and status of their shipments anytime throughout the moving process. 

DPS provides direct communication between the member and the 

Transportation Service Providers and is constantly available from any location with internet 

access. Initial system operating capability of DPS was implemented in November 2008 and 

system enhancements are being developed and will continue for the next several years.

One of the cornerstone tenets of DPS is to identify high quality TSPs and reward them 

with continued business. DPS accomplishes this through the Best Value Score methodology in 

which TSPs are scored and ranked by their performance and cost. TSPs with higher scores are 

awarded more shipments. 

Customer Satisfaction Surveys

Customer satisfaction is a key component of the evaluation process: 50 percent of the award criteria for selecting a 

TSP is based on the accumulated results of individual customer satisfaction surveys collected after each move. The higher 

the average CSS score each TSP receives, the more likely that 

TSP is to be selected again for future moves. 

The success of DPS to continuously improve service will 

only be accomplished through constant feedback of TSP performance. The CSS is a 12-question survey accessible via the 

web that allows the member (or his or her spouse) to rate the 

service and performance provided by the TSP. The goal of the 

survey is to improve the overall move experience by ensuring 

that only quality moving companies are used to move personal property.

To date, the survey response rate is lower than desired - 

currently the overall response rate is at 22%. Outreach programs are in progress to increase awareness and encourage 

the completion of the survey after each move. These programs include base videos, news articles, and DPS system reminder 

emails sent a few days after each shipment delivery.

Higher satisfaction survey scores will result in the more frequent 

use of those TSP partners providing the best service for our members.

Navy

18%

Air Force

27%

Army

44%

Coast Guard

3%

Marines

8%

Personal 

Property

Household Goods 

moves 

by service

The addition of three Rapid Port Opening Elements to SDDC 

brings an expeditionary answer to the challenge of logistics support in contingency response operations for the Department of 

Defense.

As the surface piece of USTRANSCOM’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 integrated into - follow-on sustainment forces. 

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.

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.

Rapid Port 

Opening 

Elements

Rapid Port 

Opening 

Elements

Soldiers from the 688th RPOE, Fort Eustis, Va., load cargo and relief supplies onto a C-17 at 

Langley Air Force Base, Va., Jan. 16, in support of Haiti earthquake relief efforts. U.S. Air Force 

photos by Staff Sgt. Jacob N. Bailey

Top Right: 688th RPOE Soldiers gear up for the flight to Port-au-Prince to enable distribution operations.
58 translog Almanac 2010 59 translog Almanac 2010

The U.S. military conducts LOTS operations to load and 

unload ships through inadequate or damaged ports or over a 

bare beach when facilities are not available or are non-existent. 

Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore occurs when Army and 

Navy units conduct LOTS operations together under one Joint 

commander in support of regional Combatant Commanders’ 

exercise program. USTRANSCOM maintains oversight and 

DOD-wide governance of JLOTS as the Distribution Process 

Owner. USTRANSCOM JLOTS responsibilities include 

scheduling and assisting COCOMs to plan and execute JLOTS 

exercises, as well as oversight of JLOTS research and development, acquisition, training and doctrine.

As the Army’s executive agent for JLOTS, SDDC’s responsibilities include planning, execution, resourcing, guidance and 

training oversight for JLOTS exercises to improve Army power 

projection, force deployment, and logistics support to the warfighter.

SDDC is also responsible for the identification of resources 

to support the JLOTS program, and management of JLOTS 

funding and OSD service incremental funds. SDDC also reviews and provides guidance on preparation of field budget 

estimates for JLOTS exercises.

SDDC develops and implements a five-year JLOTS exercise program, and coordinates with force providers for identification and validation of forces, resources, and equipment for 

each exercise.

SDDC’s role as surface 

deployment experts for USTRANSCOM is paving the 

way for the possible addition 

of even greater transportation 

capabilities.

Due to modularity and the 

current operational tempo, the 

command and control of army 

watercraft and terminal operating units have been negatively impacted: 

• There is an increased difficulty in providing trained, equipped, and responsive water terminal 

support to the regional combatant commanders 

• An enduring headquarters with expertise and focus on watercraft and terminal operations is 

needed to ensure mission success as well as vessel and Soldier safety

• There is a lack of an organization or mechanism to synchronize global requirements with army 

watercraft capabilities

In support of SDDC’s role as the operational deployment and distribution champion, SDDC 

G5 actively participates in a Combined Arms Support Command-sponsored Capability Based Assessment to analyze capability gaps associated with terminal operations. 

The next step in the CBA process, the Functional Solutions Analysis, will recommend solutions which could incorporate army watercraft and terminal operating units under SDDCs command and control. Shifting command and control of Army Watercraft and associated terminal 

operating units to SDDC supports the Distribution Process Owner’s vision to synchronize and 

deliver unrivaled, full-spectrum, deployment and distribution solutions.

An Army tug boat gets underway in Yokohama harbor during Exercise 

Pacific Reach 2009.

LCU 2004, the “Aldie,” docks 

at port Jan. 16, after being 

loaded with a reverse osmosis water purification unit and 

various Army vehicles for deployment to assist in Haiti.

Logistics Over the Shore Army Watercraft

Trucks are offloaded on 

a temporary pier during JLOTS 2009 at Camp 

Lejeune, N.C.
60 translog Almanac 2010 61 translog Almanac 2010

SDDC is DOD’s manager for all aspects of surface movements: 

planning, booking, shipping, tracking cargo, conducting port operations anywhere in the world and managing personal property 

moves for servicemembers and other federal employees, including their families.

Within SDDC are the engineers that can determine 

the best way to move equipment, what the infrastructure along the route will support, and if needed, 

how to put that infrastructure in place. 

The flexibility and capability of SDDC are continually expanding. The ability of SDDC’s Strategic 

Business Office to leverage commercial assets allows the command to respond quickly with options 

not normally within the military tool box. 

With the implementation of Knowledge Management tools, the sharing of information is already 

leading to process improvements within the command.

With more than 4,600 military and civilian personnel, SDDC supports USTRANSCOM and other 

combatant commanders by providing surface distribution solutions, operating all common-user seaports worldwide and by procuring more than $1.8 

billion annually in commercial truck, rail, barge, 

pipeline, and ocean transportation services. 

417 Army 

Reserve*

1,304 DA 

Civilians

273 Local 

nationals

577 

Contractors

1 Canadian

14 Navy

8 Air Force

348 Army

SDDC Workforce

Knowledge

Management

ISDDC

In December SDDC launched its new Knowledge Management tool, the SDDC Portal, as the main component behind the 

command’s KM initiative. The goal of the portal is to provide a 

more efficient work environment that reduces duplication, provides 

quicker access to SDDC corporate knowledge and subject matter 

experts, and provide a central location for collaboration. The new 

portal allows SDDC to move beyond time zones and geographic 

boundaries to be more efficient and provide quality support to 

warfighters. 

To maximize this initiative and connect SDDC globally, the G5 

and G6 have been working together to launch the SDDC Portal. 

Using the central resource approach, the portal has been built to provide SDDC access 

to disparate information sources more efficiently and provide useful collaboration tools. 

Microsoft SharePoint 2007 was used to develop the portal, with access from a .mil network 

and authentication with a CAC and Army Knowledge Online account. The target users are 

SDDC military, civilian, and contractor personnel worldwide. The portal will feature a variety of KM collaborative tools by summer. 

The new Portal (https://portal.sddc.army.mil) features a improved search capabilty, 

a “People and Groups” page designed to help find SDDC subject matter experts, and a 

central location for briefings and other taskings across SDDC. The SDDC portal team has 

already launched a Haiti Community of Practice to support SDDC personnel deployed to 

Haiti

SDDC works diligently to provide 100 percent in-transit visibility 

to its customers. The tool that has been developed by SDDC, Integrated Surface Distribution Data Cleansing, is the collection point of 

SDDC’s diverse ITV sources. 

ISDDC is a source for integrated surface transportation information available via secure web access. ISDDC provides a repository of integrated data about ocean 

cargo, freight, personal property, passenger, container management, and performance metrics. 

The tool features a robust reporting capability consisting of customizable reports, search options, 

and filters. The tool also includes a Geographic Information System capability that uses state-ofthe-art web-enabled location and mapping services to show global port and associated locations 

supplemented by up-to-date shipment locations. 

ISDDC brings several unique capabilities to the enterprise, including commercial vessel visibility through a web service with Lloyd’s of London to take advantage of their AIS transponders. 

SDDC matches the cargo manifested in WPS and GATES with location data from Lloyd’s to map 

commercial ships with the ability to drill-down to the cargo on board. The result is unprecedented 

visibility for commanders.

When gaps in ITV are identified, such as reporting on the Northern Distribution Network and 

Pakistan route to Afghanistan, SDDC works collaboratively to close them. Because of a lack of 

RFID infrastructure in the former Soviet states, SDDC recognized an ITV shortfall for to-door 

shipments moving to Afghanistan. To solve this problem, the program office worked with the 

598th Transportation Group to automate carrier reports, turning them into ITV transactions that 

could be read by the enterprise systems. In less than 5 weeks, a solution was engineered and 

implemented.

The system is owned and developed by SDDC, and program management of ISDDC is focused on satisfying the needs of SDDC’s customers.

Unrivaled Unrivaled Expertise Expertise

* DSC Reserve Soldiers assigned to SDDC units
62 translog Almanac 2010 63 translog Almanac 2010

Deployability Analysis assists planners in 

development and refinement of the Time Phased 

Force Deployment Data during deliberate planning, crisis action planning and exercises. DPA 

has dedicated teams that support each of the 

major warfighting Combatant Commanders.

Deployability Engineering

Deployability Engineering is an SDDC core 

competency. It provides transportation engineering and deployability analysis to maximize 

DOD force projection capabilities. The key 

processes of Deployability Engineering are 

Transportability Engineering, Force Modernization, Deployability Analysis and Transportation 

Infrastructure Engineering.

Transportability Engineering

At the very foundation of force deployability is equipment transportability. Transportability Engineers work closely with requirements 

writers and equipment developers, including 

defense contractors, program managers and 

other government organizations throughout the 

acquisition life cycle, to influence the design of systems in favor of efficient transportability. 

TEA evaluates every aspect of an item’s transportability characteristics, including weight, 

dimensions, lifting and tie-down provisions, interface with required transportation assets and infrastructure, and structural integrity. This mission is accomplished through both advanced virtual 

simulations and live testing. These efforts ensure that equipment design facilitates rapid force 

deployment.

Force Modernization

The Force Modernization Team focuses on the design and concepts for employment of current and future transportation assets that will deploy our military equipment and forces. To maximize the military utility of these assets, the Force Modernization Team is involved from concept 

development to fabrication to recapitalization. 

This integrated involvement involves recommending deck strengths and layouts for the large, 

medium speed roll-on roll-off ships, evaluating deployment scenarios of the Interim Brigade 

Combat Teams, and providing deployability expertise to the developers of the Future Combat 

System. The Force Modernization team’s efforts continue to optimize systems for rapid deployment.

Office of the SATE and Programs for National Defense

The Office of the SATE traces its roots back to July 1955, when the Chief of Staff of Logistics directed the Chief of Transportation to provide technical assistance to the services and 

military installations. The Chief of Transportation established the SATE to provide consultation 

services to Army installations worldwide and coordinate all activities relating to transportation 

Within SDDC is the transportation engineering expertise of 

DOD. Much like SDDC, the Transportation Engineering Agency 

has a global impact on national defense. TEA plays a key role in 

ensuring that U.S. military forces can respond successfully to any 

requirement anywhere in the world.

The mission of TEA is to improve the global deployability 

and sustainment of U.S. armed forces by providing the Department of Defense with transportation engineering, policy guidance, research, and analytical expertise to support the National 

Military Strategy. As the premier DOD deployment engineering 

and analysis center, TEA employs state-of-the-art computational 

and analytical tools as well as the most advanced information 

system technologies to satisfy the warfighter’s total force projection needs. 

Today’s National Military Strategy is built on the military’s 

ability to rapidly deploy, project and sustain armed forces anywhere in the world. These force projection goals are constantly 

evolving and becoming ever more demanding. TEA supports 

these requirements with timely and accurate deployment and 

surface distribution-related analyses and transportation engineering solutions.

TEA’s highly motivated team includes civil, mechanical and 

computer engineers, operations research analysts, transportation specialists, computer specialists, engineering and computer 

technicians, and a diverse and highly skilled support staff. TEA 

also serves as the surface component of the USTRANSCOM 

Joint Distribution Process Analysis Center, providing analytical 

capability and engineering support to USTRANSCOM, its components, and the Joint Deployment and Distribution Enterprise 

community.

TEA is divided into three divisions: Deployability Division, 

the Office of Special Assistant for Transportation Engineering, and the Systems Integration 

Division.

Deployability Division

The Deployability Division provides transportation engineering, research and analytical 

expertise to improve the deployability of U.S. armed forces. 

The Division evaluates the transportability characteristics of military materiel to ensure 

equipment moves safely and efficiently by current or future transportation assets. The Division 

conducts transportation engineering analyses of multi-modal nodes and networks that support 

power projection. 

The division also assesses force deployability with complete, time-phased, origin-to-destination analysis of force closure. These assessments consider limitations and capabilities of the 

Defense Transportation System, transportability of individual equipment items and CONUS 

and OCONUS infrastructure. The Deployability Division helps shape the military by using sophisticated modeling, simulation, engineering, and analysis to provide deployability solutions.

Deployability Analysis

Deployability Analysis supports Combatant Commanders by using sophisticated modeling 

and simulation tools to assess transportation plans, including throughput, usage for nodes and 

routes, theater lift assets required and used, potential bottlenecks, constraints, and Reception, 

Staging, Onward movement and Integration. 

Transportation

Engineering

Agency

Transportation 

Engineering

Agency

TEA evaluates every aspect of an item’s transportability characteristics, including weight, 

dimensions, lifting and tie-down provisions. 

Changes to a vehicle, such as the addition of slat 

armor to Strykers, can affect its transportability.
64 translog Almanac 2010 65 translog Almanac 2010

efficiency and safety.

The SATE staff 

advises the SATE 

and commander, 

SDDC on transportation engineering policy matters. 

SATE also manages 

and executes the 

DOD Highways, Railroads, and Ports for National Defense Programs, and develops defense 

transportation engineering policy in concert with USTRANSCOM and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Highways for National Defense

The HND program identifies the minimum public highway infrastructure that DOD needs 

to fulfill its mission; then integrates the public highway needs into civil policies, plans, and 

programs. HND also ensures the defense readiness capability of public highway infrastructure 

and establishes policy on how DOD uses the public highway system. 

The SATE works with the military services, Major Commands, installations, ports, U.S. 

Department of Transportation, U.S. Federal Highway Administration, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, state transportation departments, and 

Congress to accomplish these goals.

STRAHNET

DOD’s public highway needs are identified in the Strategic Highway Network. STRAHNET is a system of about 61,000 miles of highways, including the Interstate System. An additional 2,000 miles of STRAHNET Connectors link important military installations and ports. 

Together, STRAHNET and the Connectors define the total minimum public highway network 

necessary to support Defense deployment needs.

Railroads for National Defense

The RND program ensures the readiness capability of the national railroad network to support defense deployment and peacetime needs. The program integrates defense rail needs into 

civil-sector planning, affecting the nation’s railroad system. 

The RND program, in conjunction with the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration, established the Strategic Rail Corridor Network to ensure DOD’s minimum rail needs are identified 

and coordinated with appropriate transportation authorities. STRACNET is an interconnected 

and continuous rail line network consisting of over 38,000 miles of track serving over 170 

defense installations. 

RND works with state DOTs, the American Association of Railroads, the Surface Transportation Board, the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association, 

the Railway Industrial Clearance Association, the FRA, and individual railroad companies to 

protect this railroad infrastructure.

Ports for National Defense

The PND program’s primary goal is to ensure the identification, adequacy, and responsiveness of defense-important CONUS port infrastructure. Team members accomplish this 

by visiting ports, analyzing strategic planning documents, providing input into the deliberate 

planning process, coordinating workload requirements with Combatant Commanders and SDDC, 

and working with governmental agencies such as the Maritime Administration.

Infrastructure

TEA conducts transportation engineering analysis of CONUS and OCONUS seaports, selected Army installations, airports, airfields, and the highway and rail networks that support Power 

Projection Platforms. Much of the work of the Transportation Infrastructure contributes to the 

Highways, Ports and Railroads for National Defense Programs.

Joint Infrastructure Working Group 

The JIWG is a working group of the Power Projection Council of Colonels. Their mission is 

to analyze joint infrastructure required to support deployment of legacy, interim and objective 

Army forces. The JIWG reviews existing infrastructure at Army Power Projection Platforms and 

associated Airports of Embarkation, and makes estimates of additional deployment infrastructure 

needed to support an Interim Brigade Combat Team.

The Intelligent Road/Rail Information Server

IRRIS retrieves data about U.S. highways, bridges, traffic, military installations, and seaports. It accesses multiple military databases at once including strategic seaports, installations, 

National Bridge Inventory, National Railway Network and National Highway Planning Network.

IRRIS tracks items like road characteristics, bridge locations, video logs of primary routes, 

feature attribute data, and aerial photo and satellite imagery. The system also provides real time 

travel information about traffic congestion, weather, road closures, and construction detours. 

Intermodal Systems

The Intermodal Systems Program at TEA influences deployment doctrine, planning, and 

available deployment infrastructure. It gives input to both the Army and the Joint community on 

transportation doctrine to create new ways of doing business. The Intermodal Systems Program 

also contributes to special projects related to intermodal deployment with analytical and engineering support.

Systems Integration

Systems Integration Division is responsible for supporting the TEA’s Global 

Defense Transportation Engineering efforts 

by developing and managing deployment, 

distribution and transportation modeling, 

simulation and analysis tools; managing 

acquisition and distribution of authoritative 

transportation data; and managing TEA’s 

Information Technology infrastructure data. 

The Division develops and manages 

tools to support Deployability Engineering 

and Analysis. These state-of-the-art tools 

model the interaction of the infrastructure 

and transport systems with the transportability characteristics of the force. They 

include tools for analyzing movement 

requirements, CONUS and theater networks, and seaports.

Systems Integration also performs data acquisition and analysis in support of TEA and external customers. The team works with Air Mobility Command, SDDC G-6 and Chief Information 

Officer to manage and administer TEA’s IT infrastructure including local and wide-area networks, workstations, servers, deployable equipment, websites and communications.

TEA administers the 

Saddle Road Project 

in Hawaii as part of 

the Defense Access 

Roads program. 

Infrastructure analysis can be crucial to the warfighter, as this collapsed bridge in Afghanistan illustrates.
66 translog Almanac 2010 67 translog Almanac 2010

Fusion Center

The Fusion Center is USTRANSCOM’s focal point for ensuring end-to-end deployment and distribution operations meet the 

requirements of the Joint Distribution and Deployment Enterprise. 

The Fusion Center is a unified, collaborative team consisting of 

the right people designed to blend strategic and operational planning to optimize enterprise executable plans. Furthermore, the 

Fusion Center ensures unity of effort by synchronizing and coordinating capabilities focused on the customer’s mission and movement requirements. 

An integral part of USTRANSCOM’s Fusion Center is the 

SDDC Fusion Center team. Led by a branch chief and a division 

chief, the SDDC Fusion Center provides global surface deployment and distribution planning in a “fused” environment in order 

to develop courses of action for the Joint Deployment and Distribution Enterprise. 

The SDDC Fusion Center became a reality out of 2005 Base 

Realignment and Closure reorganization and 2006 USTRANSCOM transformation initiative, which directed the consolidation 

of DOD transportation component commands to Scott Air Force 

Base, Ill. The SDDC Fusion Center stood-up in July 2007, joining Tanker Airlift Control Center and Military Sealift Command 

within USTRANSCOM’s Deployment Distribution Operations Center.

Utilizing various planning tools, ITV systems and collaborative team knowledge, the 

team’s primary function is to act as a planning activity conducting business case analyses, 

joint executable plans, and working in collaboration with Combatant Commanders and Transportation Component Command personnel to shape operational requirements. In addition, the 

teams attend planning conferences to provide subject matter expertise to support theater and 

actively participate in USTRANSCOM exercises. 

The SDDC Fusion Center works hand in hand with all the component commands and USTRANSCOM branches to plan and synchronize end-to-end distribution solutions that support 

the warfighter. One example of this vital partnership was the integration of sealift operations 

to move MRAP vehicles to the USCENTCOM area of operations. These increased shipments 

have proven essential for getting 

these lifesaving vehicles into the 

hands of warfighters.

The Fusion Center concept will 

continue to evolve with the phased 

relocation of the SDDC Operations 

Center and subsequent integration 

of G3 Operations in May 2010. 

The nerve center of SDDC, the G3 Operations Center at Fort 

Eustis, Va., will relocate to Scott Air Force Base in May.

A supply convoy snakes its way through the 

mountains of Afghanistan. SDDC’s Operations 

Center has been instrumental in finding ways 

to keep equipment and supplies flowing into 

the landlocked country.

Operations 

Center

Global Container Management

Global Container Management serves as the DOD single manager and authority for the control of DOD containers moving in or outside the Defense Transportation System until containers are returned to their owners. GCM is designated by USTRANSCOM as the global container 

manager. 

GCM is composed of SDDC’s Container Management Division located at Fort Eustis, Va., 

and the Army Intermodal and Distribution Platform Management Office located at Tobyhanna 

Army Depot, Pa. The directorate is led by Col. Kenneth A. Shannon. As part of Base Realignment and Closure, the SDDC Container Management Division is scheduled to move to Scott Air 

Force Base, Ill., in September 2010. AIDPMO is not part of the BRAC and will remain at Tobyhanna.

In August 2009, GCM developed a web-based course to facilitate the distance learning. The 

application provides real-world training for all servicemembers and civilians to effectively complete the container management processes in USCENTCOM. GCM provides Container Management training through many formats from web-based training, Direct Connect Online, and trainers traveling to your location for local training.

In 2009 GCM trained more than 650 personnel in 25 different units to include Air Force, 

Marines, and civilian personnel. In addition they also trained two Sustainment Commands (Expeditionary) and two Sustainment Brigades. Container Management training is also imbedded in 

the Warrant Officer Basic and Warrant Officer Advanced course at the Fort Eustis Transportation 

School. 

AIDPMO serves as the Army’s manager for more than 200,000 Army-owned or leased containers, flatracks and other distribution platforms with a total value in excess of $1.2B. They also 

serve as the project manager for the Army Container Asset Management System, which was used in 

the 2008 Department of Defense biennial container inventory, completed in fiscal year 2009 by all 

services.

During fiscal year 2009, AIDPMO funded 25 Maintenance Repair Programs worldwide, repairing over 21,560 containers for deployment and redeployment, sustainment, and retrograde of 

materials to and from OEF and OIF. AIDPMO also provided on-site assistance in the inspection and 

maintenance of containers, such as the redeployment of the 56th Stryker Brigade to Fort Indiantown 

Gap, Pa.

The combined effectiveness of GCM through the Container Management Division and 

AIDPMO is critical to the global container management mission supporting the joint force. 

Soldiers and stevedores offload 

containers at Port of Tacoma.
68 translog Almanac 2010 69 translog Almanac 2010

SDDC’s Strategic Business 

Directorate is solely responsible 

for managing the command’s 

business services in support of 

global national defense objectives. The directorate serves as 

the Department of Defense liaison to the traffic management 

shipper community and both 

domestic and international commercial transportation industry. 

Customer Support

The Customer Support 

Branch is the primary office for 

receiving, processing, and staffing of complaints; providing cost estimates; and receiving and processing waiver requests. The team 

recently completed the SDDC Docketing 

System project, a tool that offers shippers and 

industry partners the opportunity to comment 

on proposed changes to DOD rules, policy, 

procedures and initiatives. The team’s next 

initiative, the Carrier Appointment System 

allows installation transportation officers to 

assign carriers delivery appointments through 

CAS. This allows carriers access to the installation without waiting or being turned away, 

which saves the government detention and 

redelivery fees. 

Cost and Billing

Cost and Billing is the Strategic Business 

Directorate’s newest branch, charged with 

overseeing container and ocean carrier detention invoice certifications, processing Transportation Discrepancy Reports, and ensuring 

claims process effectiveness. The team has 

used LSS projects to reduce invoice processing time from 90 to 15 days. The team also 

improved the TDR process, decreasing enterprise stakeholder handling from nearly 120 to 

less than 50 days, and a 12 percent increase in 

monetary reimbursements to the government. 

Business Development Branch

The Business Development Branch is 

the command’s lead office for international 

Federal Acquisition Regulation-based contract facilitations and one-time-only movements. This team awarded and implemented 

DOD’s largest transportation contract, the 

Universal Services Contract. This ensured the 

warfighter multiple options for the shipment 

of time-critical equipment. In partnership with 

SDDC-G3, USTRANSCOM, and stakeholders, Business Development outlined requirements to establish routing rates for the Northern Distribution Network, vital to supporting 

supply movements in Operation Enduring 

Freedom. Equally as critical, the Business Development team is aggressively working with 

the USTRANSCOM Acquisition Directorate 

to solicit movement rates for the Regional 

Domestic Contract, which will support shipments between CONUS, Alaska, Puerto Rico, 

Hawaii and Guam.

Rail Fleet Management

The Rail Fleet Management Branch manages the nation’s 1,655 DODX railcar fleet, 

and serves as SDDC’s liaison to the TTX 

commercial railcar fleet. Efforts in partnering with industry have assured a viable fleet 

of militarily-useful commercial flat cars to 

support DOD. The Rail Fleet Management 

Branch has begun an initiative with industry 

to provide ITV data to iSDDC. This initiative will improve the visibility of shipments 

transported on railcars nationwide. 

Business Execution

The Business Execution Branch is the 

command’s central authority for customs 

clearance, manifest data, transportation control and movement data, and ocean carrier 

ITV. This team made tremendous progress in 

improving the international customs clearance 

processes for the movement of refrigerated 

items to five European countries and Iraq. 

The Business Execution Branch spearheaded 

an effort to bring shippers, carriers, and Iraqi 

customs officials together in the processing 

of customs documentation. The branch also 

is making efforts to reduce backlogged cargo 

in Iraq by organizing weekly meetings with 

all stakeholders. The team is currently heavily involved in the development of the Global 

Air Transportation Execution System ocean 

movement application, the replacement to the 

World Wide Port System.

Cargo Booking

The Cargo Booking 

Branch is the entry point 

for customer international 

shipping requirements. 

Despite being understaffed, the cargo booking 

team simplified its ordering officer booking process to ensure quality and 

continuity of Integrated 

Booking System support 

services to the DOD-wide 

shipping community.

Carrier Services

The Carrier Services 

Branch is responsible for 

developing and managing 

quality assurance surveillance plans governing 

ocean contracts. This team 

created a new operational 

logic for calculating shipment required delivery dates in IBS for cargo 

moving under USC 6. The new method has 

improved shippers’ ability to construct and 

harmonize realistic RDDs with commercial 

ocean vessel schedules. The result of this effort 

is greater visibility and measurement of ocean 

carrier performance; and ultimately, meeting 

warfighter expectations. 

Special Requirements

The Special Requirements Branch is the 

command’s lead office for domestic one-timeonly movements, volume moves, and Federal 

Acquisition Regulation-based contract facilitations. This office is also responsible for guiding 

carriers in filing tenders with DOD. The special 

requirements team recently enhanced tender 

management by adopting the electronic Standard Tender of Freight Services Form, MT364. 

The team’s initiative allows transportation 

service providers flexibility in managing their 

tenders, including adjusting rates, adding accessorial services, and providing concise audit 

trails for line-haul moves. Additionally, this 

new format significantly enhances large movement negotiations. 

Business Services

The Business Services Branch is the command’s focal point for hazardous materials and 

arms, ammunition, and explosive shipments. 

This team published the new Military Freight 

Traffic Unified Rules Publication-1; and has 

completed a Lean project on the rating and 

ranking of protective security service shipments 

in Global Freight Management. In publishing the MFTURP-1, the team consolidated all 

transportation modal rules into one publication. 

This benchmark document extensively reduced 

redundancy and confusion amongst stakeholders. The team’s Lean initiative was an effort 

to make the carrier rating and ranking process 

more efficient and responsive. Notably, shippers have tremendously decreased shipment 

planning errors within the GFM system. As a 

result of these enhancements, shippers are better able to self-validate PSS shipments without 

direct SDDC assistance.

The Strategic Business Directorate is committed to excellence, teamwork, and customer 

service. The team is enthusiastic about the 

future and will continue to strive for new ways 

to enhance SDDC business practices.

Rail

$71,951,655

830 Transactions

Ocean

$566,037,280

108,258 Transactions

Pipeline

$180,560,525

4,791 Transactions

Air

$516,132,131

5,712,473 Transactions

Motor

$920,120,396

813,472 Transactions

Barge

$43,798,032

1,187 Transactions

Strategic

Business

Office

Strategic

Business

Office
70 translog Almanac 2010 71 translog Almanac 2010

SDDC and BRAC After years of hard work and planning, SDDC is entering the 

final phase of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure requirements. This past year has seen much progress in completing the 

final phase of BRAC that moves all SDDC headquarters elements into one location. 

The key planning factor driving the last phase of the BRAC 

move is the construction of the new headquarters building located adjacent to the USTRANSCOM headquarters complex. What was just a steel skeleton this time last year is now nearing 

completion several months ahead of schedule. By the end of this fiscal year, the SDDC Command Group and Directorates will all have moved to Scott AFB, Ill.

Much effort has gone into developing the strategies and plans for executing what Maj. 

Gen. James L. Hodge has called the “seamless and transparent” shifting of operations from 

Fort Eustis, Va., to Scott AFB. It is critical that SDDC maintains the day-to-day support to the 

warfighter, its global partners and the Reserve Component without any interruption in services. 

In 2007, the first phase of the project, the relocation of the SDDC Headquarters staff elements from Alexandria, Va. and TEA from Newport News, Va., to temporary quarters on Scott 

AFB was completed. The BRAC relocation from Fort Eustis affects approximately 240 positions from G3 Operations, G7 Training, Readiness and Mobilization, and G9 Strategic Business Directorates. Both military and civilians will move in a phased process starting in the 

spring of 2010 and ending in the late fall. The move plan provides continuation of support to 

SDDC customers while lead elements establish mission capabilities at Scott AFB. 

Learning from previous experience in the first phases, the impact of losing valuable talent 

has been minimized through an aggressive personnel management strategy orchestrated by the 

SDDC G1 Personnel and Logistics staff. When the final members of SDDC depart Fort Eustis 

at the end of the fiscal year, more than half of the workforce will be the experienced, dedicated 

employees currently working at SDDC.

As part of the BRAC 2005, additional guidance was provided requiring USTRANSCOM 

to consolidate activities with common functions and facilitate large-scale transformation. This 

transformation will include, a consolidated USTRANSCOM, Air Mobility Command, and 

SDDC Fusion Center that consolidates elements of the AMC Tanker/Airlift Control Center 

and the SDDC Operations Center and Joint Distribution Planning and Analysis Center. Also 

included in this strategy is the consolidation of Acquisition functions to develop multi-modal 

acquisition solutions. 

When 2010 ends, BRAC 2005 will end with it. The results of the process will see a new 

operational philosophy for how SDDC and USTRANSCOM collaborate to develop and execute transportation solutions for optimum support to our customers worldwide. 

The new USTRANSCOM and 

SDDC Fusion Center nears 

completion in January.

45Years

of committed service 

to the nation

Maj. Gen. John J. Lane, first commanding general of Military Traffic Management and Terminal Services, holds 

the orders activating the command on the its first day of operations Feb. 15, 1965. Secretary of the Army Stephen Ailes (left) presented the orders. MTMTS was headquartered in Washington, D.C., with three provisional 

area headquarters in Brooklyn, N.Y., St. Louis, Mo., and Oakland, Calif.

“The story of MTMTS is a story of measured accomplishment in surprisingly little time”

Maj. Gen. John J. Lane, commanding general, MTMTS, in a letter to his command, February 1967

“No novel could adequately portray the myriad of contributions that you have made. Within the DOD establishment, MTMC has become synonymous with efficient, effective traffic management and professionalism.”

Maj. Gen. H. R. Del Mar, commanding general, MTMC, in a letter to his command, February 1975

“When MTMC was established two decades ago, it shouldered a huge responsibility ... We have not taken our 

role lightly. Instead, MTMC personnel have continually strived to keep abreast of transportation challenges in a 

fast-changing world.”

Maj. Gen. Harold I. Small, commanding general, MTMC, in a letter to his command, February 1985

“The new name (SDDC) reflects our number one focus: supporting the warfighter. The War on Terrorism has 

demanded we change ourselves.”

Maj. Gen. Ann Dunwoody, commanding general, SDDC, in the command’s redesignation, Jan. 29, 2004

AA tradition of dedication, accomplishment and adaptability: tradition of dedication, accomplishment and adaptability:
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 

A N D

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

C O M M A N D

Building 1990

709 Ward Drive

Scott Air Force Base, IL 

62225

Committed Dependable Relentless