Defense Transportation Journal by Defense Transportation Journal

The Official Publication of the National Defense Transportation Association

December 2016

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE NDTA-USTRANSCOM FALL MEETING Military Logistics Outlook Tackle Gaps in Transportation Corps Mission Getting to the Next War NDTA-USTRANSCOM Fall Meeting Wrap-Up NDTA Expo Photo Album

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December 2016

FEATURES December 2016 • Vol 72, No. 6 PUBLISHER

RADM Mark H. Buzby, USN (Ret.) MANAGING EDITOR

Sharon Lo | sharon@ndtahq.com CIRCULATION MANAGER

MILITARY LOGISTICS OUTLOOK 8 TACKLE GAPS IN 12 TRANSPORTATION CORPS MISSION By MG Fred E. Elam, USA (Ret.)

Leah Ashe | leah@ndtahq.com PUBLISHING OFFICE

NDTA 50 South Pickett Street, Suite 220 Alexandria, VA 22304-7296 703-751-5011 • F 703-823-8761

GETTING TO THE NEXT WAR IS 14 GOING TO BE TOUGH: Why Military Transportation is so Important By Loren B. Thompson

GRAPHIC DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGER ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER

NDTA-USTRANSCOM 16 FALL MEETING WRAP-UP

ADVERTISING & PRODUCTION Carden Jennings Publishing Co., Ltd. Custom Publishing Division 375 Greenbrier Drive, Suite 100 Charlottesville, VA 22901 434-817-2000 x330 • F 434-817-2020

NDTA EXPO PHOTO ALBUM 22

Debbie Bretches Bonnie Coggin

DEPARTMENTS Defense Transportation Journal (ISSN 0011-7625) is published bimonthly by the National Defense Transportation Association (NDTA), a non-profit research and educational organization; 50 South Pickett Street, Suite 220, Alexandria, VA 22304-7296, 703-751-5011. Copyright by NDTA. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, Virginia, and at additional mailing offices. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: One year (six issues) $40. Two years, $60. Three years, $75. To foreign post offices, $45. Single copies, $6 plus postage. The DTJ is free to members. For details on membership, visit www.ndtahq.com. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Defense Transportation Journal 50 South Pickett Street, Suite 220 Alexandria, VA 22304-7296

PRESIDENT’S CORNER | RADM Mark H. Buzby, USN (Ret.).......................................... 7 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | Irvin Varkonyi......................................................26 CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE.......................................................................................28 HONOR ROLL..................................................................................................29 INDEX OF ADVERTISERS.................................................................................... 30

Cover photo courtesy St. Louis Union Station. www.ndtahq.com |

NDTA Headquarters Staff RADM Mark Buzby, USN (Ret.) President COL Jim Veditz, USA (Ret.) Senior Vice President, Operations Patty Casidy VP Finance Lee Matthews VP Marketing and Corporate Development Leah Ashe Manager, Database James Marconi Director of Public Relations

GovTravels:

NDTA’s Symposium on Government Travel & Passenger Services

“Optimizing for Smarter Travel” February 27-March 1, 2017 Hilton Mark Center in Alexandria, VA

Rebecca Jones Executive Assistant to the President

For a listing of current Committee Chairpersons, Government Liaisons, and Chapter & Regional Presidents, please visit the Association website at www.ndtahq.com.

EDITORIAL OBJECTIVES The editorial objectives of the Defense Transportation Journal are to advance knowledge and science in defense logistics and transportation and the partnership between the commercial transportation industry and the government transporter. DTJ stimulates thought and effort in the areas of defense transportation, logistics, and distribution by providing readers with: • News and information about defense logistics and transportation issues • New theories or techniques • Information on research programs • Creative views and syntheses of new concepts • Articles in subject areas that have significant current impact on thought and practice in defense logistics and transportation • Reports on NDTA Chapters EDITORIAL POLICY The Defense Transportation Journal is designed as a forum for current research, opinion, and identification of trends in defense transportation and logistics. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily of the Editors, the Editorial Review Board, or NDTA. EDITORIAL CONTENT Archives are available at www.ndtahq.com/ media-and-publications/past-dtj-editions/ Sharon Lo, Managing Editor, DTJ NDTA 50 South Pickett Street, Suite 220 Alexandria, VA 22304-7296 703-751-5011 • F 703-823-8761 sharon@ndtahq.com

| Defense Transportation Journal | DECEMBER 2016

NDTA is pleased to announce that registration is now open for GovTravels 2017, which will be held February 27–March 1, 2017 at the Hilton Mark Center in Alexandria, Virginia. If you work in passenger travel and related services for the federal government, a state government, or the private sector, GovTravels is for you. We’ve created the program with input from the General Services Administration, Defense Travel Management Office, and private sector stakeholders. GovTravels is the only event where decision makers from government and industry gather to meet, learn and collaborate on common travel issues. Our 2017 theme, “Optimizing for Smarter Travel,” highlights the enormous potential—and possible pitfalls—of new technologies and business practices. This year’s speakers include leaders like Peter Neffenger, Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, Jonathan Mostowski of the US Digital Service and Jeffrey Stutzman, co-founder and CEO, Red Sky Alliance & Wapack Labs. As with last year’s inaugural symposium, we are again hosting a fullscale exposition, where organizations can highlight their travel solutions and offerings, and attendees can benefit from the sharing of information. For more information, please visit our GovTravels expo page online. We look forward to seeing you in February!

PRESIDENT’S CORNER New Horizons RADM Mark H. Buzby, USN (Ret.) NDTA President

f you were one of the 1,200+ attendees who traveled to St. Louis in November for the NDTA-USTRANSCOM 2016 Fall Meeting, then you know what a tremendous three and a half days it was. Historic Union Station Hotel proved to be a perfect venue for both the meeting and NDTA Expo, and judging from the overwhelmingly positive comments I received from many of you, our program “Delivering National Objectives: Operating in an Increasingly Disruptive World” was one of the best in recent years. Our speakers and panels were exceptional. USTRANSCOM Commander Gen. Darren McDew had a very clear message for the audience: Strategic lines of communication in future conflicts will be subject to interdiction by adversaries, and we need to start thinking more seriously about the possibility of wartime attrition—something that has not been an issue since Cold War days. This is just one of the many types of “disruption” that lies ahead. Transportation University returned in an expanded format and again was highly attended, firmly establishing itself as a key element that will continue to be a part of future programs. Almost 750 people took part in the classes and seminars in 13 different tracks of focus. Taking full advantage of our train station setting, two of our members—Norfolk Southern and Burlington Northern–Santa Fe (BNSF)—stepped up and added some true railroading flavor. Norfolk Southern’s “The Lawmen Band” provided a festive atmosphere for the opening reception in

WELCOME NEW CORPORATE MEMBERS

the Grand Hall, and on the following two evenings BNSF hosted very popular excursions aboard their train of classic restored rail cars. My thanks to them both! I must also take a moment to publically thank the many volunteers from both the NDTA membership and the USTRANSCOM staff who stepped up and stepped in to make every detail matter. The meeting just would not happen without their contribution. Well done folks! There is far more to tell, so I invite you to check out our detailed coverage of the meeting in this issue, or go to our website where the actual meeting presentations

are posted. The NDTA staff and Gen. McDew’s USTRANSCOM staff are already hard at work planning a bigger and better meeting for next year, again in St. Louis from October 10-13. Of course the other big event in early November was the general election, where our country made a historic choice to pursue a new path behind the leadership of Presidentelect Donald Trump and Vice Presidentelect Mike Pence. Certainly, just about every paradigm and commonly held belief in political science was shattered by Mr. Trump’s campaign strategy, and it remains to be seen in the coming months what all of this will mean as his administration takes charge. Clearly, his stated desire to review, cancel, or re-negotiate international trade deals will have potential impact to many sectors of our industry. Likewise, his stated desire to rebuild and strengthen our armed forces, and make sizeable investments in transportation See Pres. Corner, pg. 30

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USTRANSCOM REFLECTIONS ON 2016 AND OUTLOOK FOR 2017 By Gen Darren W. McDew, USAF, Commander, United States Transportation Command

Fortunately, we have already made great strides in raising our awareness and understanding of the cyber realm, and can now build on those successes. Next year, we will continue the hard work of identifying and reducing the attack surfaces in our transportation enterprise while bolstering the resiliencies of our key systems. understanding of the cyber realm, and can now build on those successes. Next year, we will continue the hard work of identifying and reducing the attack surfaces in our transportation enterprise while bolstering the resiliencies of our key systems. This important work requires great relationships with our partners in the Departments of Transportation and Homeland Security. Over the past year, these relationships have allowed us to elevate the cyber

| Defense Transportation Journal | DECEMBER 2016

Photo by TSgt Andy Kin/Released.

nited States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) continues to deliver on behalf of the Nation and I am so proud of all we have accomplished in concert with our commercial and government partners. From our support to ongoing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq to the evacuations from Turkey and Cuba, this last year has proven extremely successful but, as the end of the year approaches, we have a great opportunity to think about the future. When looking to the future we often think about the larger challenges over the horizon but, in the near-term, I’m enthusiastic about the time and opportunities we have to address those longer-term challenges. I look forward to the opportunities 2017 will provide. From day one, I identified cyber as the greatest challenge facing USTRANSCOM, and in turn, our larger logistics enterprise. Fortunately, we have already made great strides in raising our awareness and dialogue, especially as it concerns national transportation. We have also advanced the important understanding that the cyber systems and infrastructure of our commercial partners are a national security resource just like those within the military transportation system. These relationships have also helped us get after the challenges across the transportation workforce as we address the shortages and other difficulties among mariners, pilots, and truck drivers. We recognize there are no easy solutions to these challenges, but will continue to raise the dialogue on these critical issues, encourage thoughtful discourse, and advocate for innovative solutions. In the coming year, USTRANSCOM will continue to wrestle with these difficult issues and we will only be effective to the extent we maintain and grow the partnerships we enjoy across industry and government. With that in mind, it is important to be thoughtful and engaged during the coming political transition.

The unique capability our transportation enterprise provides often goes unnoticed and that can be especially true during transitions. With that in mind, we must help the new team fully understand the depth and breadth of our enterprise. I’ve been honored to have a voice in key venues over the last year and we will continue to use that access to advocate for the larger logistics enterprise at the highest levels. The challenges our Nation’s transportation enterprise faces are long term, but in the coming year, we will have key opportunities to keep moving the enterprise forward. I have said it before and I still believe it: our Nation simply has the best force the world has ever seen. Often overlooked is the extent to which that force critically depends upon our partners in industry. No matter what you may hear others say, know this: I will bet on the USTRANSCOM team and our partners in industry every time. Together, we deliver and together, we will prevail. DTJ

SDDC STANDS R.E.A.D.Y. TO FIGHT TONIGHT By MG Kurt Ryan, USA, Commander, Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command

R E A D Y

– Responsive to the warfighter – Expeditionary in mindset – Agile business processes – Delivering readiness – Your Joint and industry partner, in defense of our Nation.

Our senior leaders demand that readiness be our #1 focus, without losing sight of building for the future and caring for our people. We have a narrow window of opportunity to accomplish the tasks asso-

Photo by Maj. Martin Baker/Released.

Photo by John Orrell/US Army/Released.

he world is filled with new and emerging challenges and threats, and the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command’s (SDDC) role as the Army Service Component Command assigned to the US Transportation Command remains ready to project and sustain the military’s national instrument of power, using all modes surface, to enable our Nation to win decisively when called upon. The men and women of SDDC, together with industry, our Nation’s fourth component, are executing our daily sustainment mission exceptionally well and, after nearly 15 years of conflict, we have further strengthened our relationships. As we continue to prosecute war on a smaller scale around the world, against elusive enemies, we must take advantage of the opportunity to build upon our skills and capabilities because we simply don’t know the time or place of our next major fight. What we do know is that we must be R.E.A.D.Y. because the security environment remains volatile and uncertain. This uncertainty demands a state of readiness that affords us the ability to project power globally in support of multiple Combatant Commands, and to support them simultaneously. We must build our capabilities and change our mindset to be R.E.A.D.Y. to fight tonight. So I encourage you to think about what that means for your organizations, to the enterprise and to our current processes. For SDDC, it’s about being committed to our recently released R.E.A.D.Y. Campaign, a 3-year strategy to improve deployment readiness in support of the joint force. SDDC is R.E.A.D.Y.

This uncertainty demands a state of readiness that affords us the ability to project power globally in support of multiple Combatant Commands, and to support them simultaneously. ciated with projecting large scale combat forces globally, on short notice. Our focus, and our mindset, must turn to making our force R.E.A.D.Y. for tomorrow; building on the atrophied skills of power projection and large scale deployment readiness.

So, as we look toward the future, one thing is very clear—we must practice in peace, so we win in war. Further, we must start practicing at the “speed of war” so that we are truly ready to fight tonight when the nation calls. SDDC’s R.E.A.D.Y. Campaign will rebuild our deployment readiness. It starts with campaign year one, “Get Ready,” and will be sustained in out-year campaign years of “Stay Ready” as we work toward achieving our end state of a formation that is able to coordinate and deliver options in support of national objectives that will enable our Nation to win decisively. DTJ www.ndtahq.com |

ASSURED LOGISTICS IN A CONTESTED ENVIRONMENT By RADM Dee L. Mewbourne, USN, Commander, Military Sealift Command

Many of the challenges we face today and will face in the future, like delays and attrition, have not been encountered in the last few decades. Not since World War II have SLOCs transited by the US Navy been contested. The assumption that waters will be uncontested and maritime supremacy will be achieved almost immediately can no longer be made. The new planning assumption must be that unfettered access to 10

| Defense Transportation Journal | DECEMBER 2016

Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Weston Jones/US Navy/Released.

he recent attacks on US Navy and commercial vessels operating near the strait of Bab-Al-Mandeb demonstrate that there are—and will remain—contested waters and threats to the mariners and ships of Military Sealift Command (MSC), as well as our commercial partners. The maritime system is becoming more heavily used, more stressed, and more contested than ever before, and this is the environment in which we must operate. MSC exists to provide unfailing support to our country’s warfighters during times of peace and war. Our duty is to provide vital services to the US Navy, US Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), and a wide variety of federal entities and foreign governments. To fulfill this obligation, ships and personnel within our command must be ready for tasking. Our complete inventory of ships are managed to maximize their life cycles and operated professionally, safely, and economically by civilian and contract mariners. Emerging contested environments pose a significant challenge to the personnel, ships, ports and Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC) employed by MSC. The threat is no longer a “hypothetical” in the distant future. It is a reality. It is here, and we have begun to witness it across the globe.

the global commons is a thing of the past. If we lose logistics, we lose the fight. Mariners, capital assets, and equipment that convey national will are at risk. We must account for and address the challenges to get ahead of the threats so that we are prepared to meet our nation’s requirements and provide assured global maritime logistics. Throughout its history, MSC has contributed to American security and prosperity. To continue to meet this obligation, MSC must adapt to emerging security challenges. Advances in technology have created a commensurate reliance on its application, exposing critical vulnerabilities to nefarious actions, particularly in cyberspace. Meanwhile, the emergence of great power competition, as well as the increasing tempo of violent mischief and “Grey War” activities by state and non-state actors, all require adaptation to ensure mission accomplishment. These challenges make very clear our need to examine ways to assure logistics in a contested environment and are why MSC stood up a Contested Environment Working Group. Through active participation in joint war games and Fleet experiments, and in concert with US Navy Fleets, USTRANSCOM, and the Joint Distribution Enterprise, MSC will identify policies, processes, partnerships, and doctrine that warrant change or update to more effectively operate within a contested

environment. Through our commitment to continuous improvement, high-velocity learning, war-gaming, and innovation, MSC will be willing and capable of adapting as needed to assure mission success within our ever-changing world. As warfare changes, MSC will work with stakeholders to develop and train with supporting platforms, capabilities, and tactics to assure global maritime services to the warfighter. Our partnerships with government, industry, labor, and academia are essential to our current and future operations, so alignment must be maintained as changes are developed. While the challenges are many and the stakes are high, our mission is clear: to empower global warfighting capabilities. We recently released a strategic roadmap or Voyage Plan to keep heading in the right direction while considering current and future challenges. The Voyage Plan includes our vision, mission, pillars of our organization, strategic themes and our guiding principles. This is the framework we will use to chart our course so that we can best meet the many challenges that lie before us. Our vision, United We Sail, guides our team of professionals and keeps us focused on providing essential assured logistics and service support to the warfighter. That is who we are and what we do. We are ready, relevant and resolute, and committed to mission accomplishment! DTJ

SEEKING EXCELLENCE, OVERCOMING CHALLENGES By DLA Public Affairs Office

As the Warfighter’s combat logistics provider, the agency must sustain Warfighters in an era of complex, dynamic, competing, and often urgent needs. The current budget climate presents increased challenge in balancing national priorities and fiscal realities, and leaves little margin to absorb unnecessary risks. ties and fiscal realities, and leaves little margin to absorb unnecessary risks. DLA must be a trusted and responsive partner to the Warfighter, able to anticipate changing and future needs. 2. People and Culture – Valued team members; resilient and ready for the challenge. In line with its goals, DLA empowers its workforce with the tools, funding, training, and other resources to enable their success. It fosters an organizational culture that supports high

Photo by Frankie Rivera/Released

s America’s Combat Logistics Support Agency, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) provides the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, federal and state agencies, and international partners with the full spectrum of innovative logistics, acquisition, and technical solutions. DLA’s mission is straightforward: Provide effective and efficient global solutions to Warfighters and our other valued customers. The agency’s vision of “delivering the right solution on time, every time” is realized through five goals: 1. Warfighter First – Make promises and keep them. DLA’s most daunting challenges are often encountered in support of its warfighting customers. As the Warfighter’s combat logistics provider, the agency must sustain Warfighters in an era of complex, dynamic, competing, and often urgent needs. The current budget climate presents increased challenge in balancing national priorilevels of performance and quality at the individual and enterprise levels. 3. Strategic Engagement – Better outcomes through teamwork. Strong relationships with external partners are vital to achieve DLA’s mission. The agency works tirelessly to reinforce its close collaboration with US Transportation Command and industry partners. DLA seeks to capture opportunities to work with partners earlier and more closely to integrate life-cycle efficiencies into the design, acquisition, and long-term sustainment of major programs. The agency is also focused on strengthening and optimizing its supply chains. 4. Financial Stewardship – Affordable solutions and continued accountability. Accountability is the foundation of good stewardship. We are steadfast in maintaining our financial commitments to our customers while ensuring value, efficiency, and effectiveness in every program. We will partner with our customers to improve pric-

ing transparency and to collaboratively develop solutions to minimize costs. After reaching audit readiness, we will sustain auditability. 5. Process Excellence – Always improving; finding smarter ways to do things. The agency’s determined focus on process excellence delivers quantitative and qualitative results that are repeatable and, most importantly, measurable. Its financial processes and costs are transparent and well-documented, enabling customers to participate with it to produce and benefit from cost savings. As DLA looks to 2017 and beyond, it recognizes the uncertainty, risks, and challenges that lie ahead. The men and women who represent DLA know the enduring threats the US faces, and recognize the ever-evolving challenges placed upon the Department of Defense and Military Services. DLA plays a critical role in helping these customers meet those challenges and keeping America safe and secure. DTJ

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TACKLE GAPS in Transportation Corps Mission By MG Fred E. Elam, USA (Ret.) This article originally appeared in ARMY magazine, Vol. 66, No. 9, September 2016. Copyright 2016 by the Association of the US Army and reprinted by permission of ARMY magazine. The article below represents the thoughts of numerous discussions and debates by the informal “Stammtisch” group—former Transportation Corps Leaders who meet monthly in the Washington, DC area. Their concerns are focused on the atrophy of the strategic deployment capability of the US Army and its associated support of the joint community for future national military requirements. It is meant to be a thought provoking piece. We welcome your thoughts on this subject and look forward to adding your perspectives to the discussion. –COL Jim Veditz, USA (Ret.), Senior VP of Operations, NDTA

rom the earliest westward expansion of our nation to global deployments in World War II to more recent combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, expeditionary missions have always been part of the US Army’s DNA. But how the Army organizes, trains and prepares for such missions is becoming more complicated. Today’s rapidly evolving national security threats demand that expeditionary Army forces from all components, ranging from teams to divisions to corps headquarters, must be ready to strategically deploy anywhere in the world with little or no notice, with or without unit equipment, and alone or together with allied forces, as well as provide DOD-wide support through the US Army Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC). What’s more, the closure of some overseas bases raises the likelihood that these forces will have to deploy from stateside installations over much greater distances. At the Association of the US Army’s most recent Global Force Symposium and Exposition, LTG Patrick J. Donahue, Deputy Commander of the US Army Forces Command (FORSCOM), put it bluntly: “The way we’ve been deploying is not useful for the world we live in now. We’ve gotten rusty.” The “expert bench” at all levels has been seriously weakened and diminished. This has significant long-term implications for the US Army and the US Army Transportation Corps, along with its many functional experts throughout the force structure who must plan for and execute the growing multitude of complex deployment scenarios in coordination with the Air Force, Navy, combatant and joint commands, and the 12

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many civilian organizations that provide departure and arrival airfield, surface port of embarkation and debarkation, and rail and highway convoy support operations. To meet the strategic deployment challenges of the 21st century, the Army must identify and address the gaps in doctrine, organizational structures, training, education and functional as-

To meet the strategic deployment challenges of the 21st century, the Army must identify and address the gaps in doctrine, organizational structures, training, education and functional assignments essential to the mission of the Transportation Corps. signments essential to the mission of the Transportation Corps. Here are five things we can do: • Centralize the transportation focus. There’s a lack of centralized functional focus within this multifaceted arena, a problem that only grows as budgets shrink. The chief of transportation should reorganize the current Deployment Process Modernization Office, and establish an Army Center of Strategic Deployment Excellence reporting directly to the chief of transportation to be responsible for developing concepts, doctrine, organizations, training, education and equipment required to meet new deployment requirements. All deployable Army units and assigned personnel must be trained and exercised on their individual and collective reception, staging, onward movement, integration and redeployment (RSOI&R) mission responsibilities.

To develop the future logistics leaders who will be needed to project and sustain an expeditionary force, the US Army Transportation School should assume the lead role in overseeing assessments and educational and career assignments for all officers, warrant officers, soldiers and Department of the Army civilians. These are the key individuals whose functional specialties involve strategic deployment and working with the US Army Human Resources Command to properly code specific positions to MOS 88 series so they reflect the skills required to manage assignments to ensure that sufficient bench expertise is achieved and sustained. Given RSOI&R’s functional importance to the Army’s mission, serious thought should be given to realigning the SDDC back to a direct-reporting Army command, with the 7th Transportation Brigade realigning back to a direct-reporting FORSCOM unit. This would give the Army and FORSCOM direct oversight/ direction of these two mission-essential organizations. • Formalize and standardize strategic deployment expertise. The US Army Training and Doctrine Command, and the Transportation School led by the chief of transportation, should take concrete steps to restore deployment and RSOI&R skill sets that have atrophied over the past 15 years. Through training and associated doctrinal development, tasks associated with unloading, organization, staging, and moving to final destinations and redeployment must be essential elements of transporta-

tion training, along with knowledge of available infrastructure and coordination protocols in destination countries. Since deploying Army forces are quite likely to encounter anti-access and area denial environments, such capabilities as joint logistics over the shore also are essential and must be incorporated into Transportation Corps officer, warrant officer, NCO, civilian and unit training. • Get all transportation personnel schooled on automated logistics systems. Army transporters must know, and be able to use, automated transportation systems as a force multiplier. Specifically, Army transporters must know the capabilities of the automated Joint Operations Planning and Execution System, and also must be trained in the use of the various outputs from the automated Joint Flow Analysis System for Transportation. Similarly, Transportation Corps officers, soldiers and civilians must be fluent in how to fully exploit the capabilities of the Global Freight Management system. The Transportation Coordinators’ Automation Information System and Cargo Movement Operations System are two additional automation systems in which transporters must

have expertise. The ability to accurately plan for and coordinate the shipment of supplies and equipment for deploying units is vital to ensuring efficient use of scarce organic, joint and civilian transportation resources. The US Transportation Command hosts joint flow and deployment conferences for appropriate war planners. Army officers with deep transportation functional expertise should attend these conferences to include personnel assigned to a renamed Army Center of Strategic Deployment Excellence. • Reprise maneuver branch for transportation officers. During the past four fiscal years, no transportation branch lieutenants have been detailed for a maneuver branch two-year assignment. This situation arose because the number of Transportation Corps accessions were not adequate to support the program. Why? The number of yearly accessions is based on captain authorizations. The failure of the Transportation Corps as a “donor” branch to support the maneuver branch detail can be traced to one of two factors: Either the Transportation Corps branch has done a poor job of recruiting at West Point, ROTC and Officer Candidate School, or the captain authorizations need to be increased.

Maneuver branch assignments give Transportation Corps officers a unique opportunity to understand the strategic deployment challenges of deploying infantry, armor and artillery units. Recent policy changes allowing female officers to serve in the combat arms set the stage to once again have all Transportation Corps officers serve maneuver branch assignments. • Share ideas. Finally, Army transporters at all levels, across all components, should be encouraged to share ideas and thoughts on these issues at every opportunity, using all available media, to help ensure the Army develops and maintains a robust 21st-century strategic deployment capability. DTJ MG Fred E. Elam, USA (Ret.) served over 33 years and commanded at all levels, including as the chief of transportation and the first commander of the Transportation Corps Regiment. He had two combat tours in Vietnam. He is a graduate of the Command and General Staff College and the Naval War College. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas and an MBA from Michigan State University.

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Getting to the Next War is Going to be Tough Why Military Transportation is so Important This article originally appeared in The National Interest (http://nationalinterest.org), November 2016. Copyright 2016 and reprinted with permission by The National Interest.

By Loren B. Thompson

f all the challenges America’s military faces, the one least susceptible to a fiscal or technological fix is geography. The vast oceans that protected the United States from attack for much of its history are a major logistical problem when the military needs to get to a foreign conflict fast. That’s one reason why so much of the joint force was forward deployed in Eurasia during the Cold War— military planners knew they couldn’t react quickly to communist aggression if warfighters needed to be transported all the way from the Western Hemisphere. Today though, the network of bases and troop deployments that once ringed the Sino-Soviet periphery has largely been dismantled, and the recent actions of countries like Turkey and the Philippines suggest wartime access to other countries’ facilities can’t be assumed. Thus military transportation will play a central role in determining whether the United States wins future wars in Eastern Europe, the Middle East or the Western Pacific. The National Defense Transportation Association spent several days this week discussing the challenges that presents at its annual meeting in St. Louis. The reason it chose St. Louis for the conclave is that the US Transportation Command is headquartered nearby at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, and TRANSCOM (as it called) is the nerve center for all military movements 14

| Defense Transportation Journal | DECEMBER 2016

worldwide. TRANSCOM commander General Darren W. McDew didn’t try to sugar-coat the challenges that his command faces in the current environment. General McDew thinks that strategic lines of communication into future war zones will be subject to interdiction by adversaries, and that logisticians need to start thinking more seriously about the possibility of wartime attrition. He also thinks that future enemies aren’t going to conveniently arrange their operations to conform with the jurisdictional boundaries of US regional commands around the world. Fighting will spill across regions in a fashion that requires hard choices about which commands get what resources when. And McDew is worried about cybersecurity. Unlike the Pentagon’s other eight unified commands, McDew has to rely heavily on commercial companies to accomplish his missions, and cyber protections are uneven from company to company in the sector. When the US was directing most of its military efforts toward the defeat of rag-tag insurgents in the Middle East, cybersecurity wasn’t all that big a concern. But if the enemy is Russia or China, network security could determine whether the war effort succeeds or fails. McDew has a lot of experience at dealing with such challenges. He previously led the Air Force’s Mobility Command co-located with TRANSCOM at Scott AFB, and he has

experience flying most of that command’s planes—both airlifters and aerial-refueling tankers. But as the four-star head of the military’s single manager for all global transportation, he has to integrate planning and execution for all air, sea and ground movements. That includes a lot of players, from the Air Force’s mobility community to the diverse participants in the Navy’s Military Sealift Command to the Army’s Surface Deployment and Distribution Command. Because

All of the phases in a conflict today may unfold simultaneously, forcing logisticians to respond in an ad hoc fashion that bears little resemblance to war plans of the past. When you don’t know what the enemy is going to throw at you next, it is difficult to allocate scarce transportation assets efficiently.

it isn’t feasible to organically sustain all the assets needed to project the joint force overseas in wartime, each of these commands must deal with a host of private-sector participants in accomplishing its missions. For instance, the Navy has agreements with US-flag ocean cargo companies, and the Air

Force relies on a “civil reserve air fleet” of jetliners operated by commercial carriers. Even in peacetime, it wouldn’t make much sense for the Defense Department to carry out most of its cargo movements using highpriced military personnel and dedicated distribution channels, so it’s a rare day that there aren’t hundreds of commercial truckers and rail cars moving materiel around the country. General McDew’s job is to make sure all these moving pieces mesh seamlessly, and to be ready if the joint force has to surge overseas to remote war zones on short notice. However, cyber threats are not the only challenge making his job more difficult. One problem is that modern war doesn’t unfold as a series of sequential steps, the way traditional conflicts did. All of the phases in a conflict today may unfold simultaneously, forcing logisticians to respond in an ad hoc fashion that bears little resemblance to war plans of the past. When you don’t know what the enemy is going to throw at you next, it is difficult to allocate scarce transportation assets efficiently. A second problem is that there is little historical precedent for the fiscal paralysis and partisanship currently prevailing in Washington. The federal government

has not completed a full budget in time for the beginning of the new fiscal year since 1997. With continuing resolutions the order of the day and defense spending capped by congressional mandate, it must be hard for TRANSCOM to plan how its budget is allocated from year to year. And then there is the decay of the commercial transport sector, as declining demand fosters a wrenching consolidation of carriers. Half a dozen air carriers with which TRANSCOM once did business have disappeared, and now the same trend is unfolding among oceangoing cargo lines. Truckers are being forced out by low rates and high insurance premiums. Rail lines are stressed by declining oil and coal deliveries, plus a shift away from transcontinental shipping now that the Panama Canal has been widened. There’s even a commercial pilot shortage. General McDew is a “can do” leader who exudes confidence. That presumably has something to do with how he became a four-star. But his command faces a host of challenges his predecessors did not, and the one thing that hasn’t changed is that combatant commanders tend to simply assume whatever transport they need will be available when they need it. The reason TRANS-

COM was created in the first place was that the Reagan Administration figured out military transport wasn’t getting sufficient attention even though it was crucial to victory. Today military transportation has the integrated oversight and leadership that it lacked in earlier days. What it doesn’t have is a political system that is paying attention to the emerging challenges that could make it much harder for the joint force to get to the next war in a timely fashion. This may be the Achilles heel in current warfighting plans. As Benjamin Franklin once observed about the consequences of neglect, “for want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; for want of a horse the rider was lost.” DTJ Loren B. Thompson is Chief Operating Officer of the non-profit Lexington Institute and Chief Executive Officer of Source Associates, a for-profit consultancy. Prior to holding his present positions, he was Deputy Director of the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University and taught graduate-level courses in strategy, technology and media affairs at Georgetown. He has also taught at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

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The NDTA-USTRANSCOM Fall Meeting Oct. 31-Nov. 3, 2016

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St. Louis, Missouri

NDTA-USTRANSCOM Fall Meeting summary material is intended to provide an overview of presentations and should not be considered verbatim. This information does not necessarily represent the official position of the US government or any of its entities, NDTA or any of its corporate members. We regret any errors or omissions. For more information regarding the meeting please visit NDTA’s website at www.ndtahq.com.

Disruptive Innovations Featured at NDTA-USTRANSCOM Meeting

| Defense Transportation Journal | DECEMBER 2016

Department of Defense photo

ew innovations and technology are rapidly reshaping established business models in logistics, transportation and passenger travel services. How do the military, the government and the private sector adapt to meet national security needs? Delivering amid disruption took center stage at this year’s National Defense Transportation Association (NDTA)/US Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) Fall Meeting. Hosted October 31-November 3 at the historic St. Louis Union Station Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri, the Fall Meeting featured high-level speakers, government/ industry meetings and more than 60 professional education courses on topics from cybersecurity and big data to acquisition and transportation policy. “The Fall Meeting is our premier event, where professionals come together and exchange ideas to ensure we are all on the same page, serving the warfighter,” said NDTA’s President, retired RADM Mark Buzby. “There’s something for everyone to learn and become smarter on a segment of our industry. If you are in logistics, transportation, or passenger travel services and you care about our national security, this is where you want to be.” Gen. Darren McDew, Commander, USTRANSCOM, delivered this year’s keynote address, with a follow-on panel discussion by his component commanders and the Defense Logistics Agency. Other notable speakers and panelists included the Honorable Alan Estevez, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for

Full video of all Fall Meeting speakers and panel discussions are available on the NDTA website at: www.ndtahq.com/multimedia-archive/videos/

Acquisition, Technology and Logistics; Brad Nail, Senior Manager for Insurance and Public Policy at Uber; Dr. Daniel Patt, Program Manager, Tactical Technologies Office, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency; and the Lexington Institute’s Dr. Loren Thompson. “Our commercial partners are a key

national security asset, just one that too often goes unnoticed,” said McDew. “We need to correct that, and we also need to recognize the connection between us runs both ways. While we are working from an amazing foundation, the world we see on the horizon will demand even greater trust and transparency.”

Transcom Commander Looks at Current, Future Challenges By Karen Parrish, DOD News, Defense Media Activity Originally published on www.defense.gov November 1, 2016

he United States has the world’s mightiest military, but it faces potent challenges, a senior Defense Department leader said November 1. Air Force Gen. Darren W. McDew leads US Transportation Command. He spoke today at the NDTA-USTRANSCOM Fall Meeting in St. Louis, Missouri.

Command and control investments, he said, do not currently align with a global fight, and future adversaries won’t stop at a national boundary, he said. FOCUSING ON THE CYBER DOMAIN

“It’s to deliver an impact on the battlefield. That’s what we’re about,” he said. “… [Our adversaries] know that immediately, we can get someplace at the time of our choosing and deliver an impact. And an overwhelming, decisive force will be right behind it.” McDew said that since the attacks on 9/11 and the counterinsurgency-focused conflicts the United States has fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, the military picture has grown “foggier and foggier.” “We have built a strong joint force, but I see there are still challenges awaiting us,” he said. “We’re organized to combat geographically isolated problems…But our future conflicts will cross those regional boundaries. They’ll be transregional in nature.” “Our freedom of movement, and the dominance that we’ve enjoyed in all domains—air, space, cyber [and] surface— we won’t have that anymore. We’ve enjoyed pure dominance in every domain,” McDew said. ‘A DIFFERENT FIGHT ALTOGETHER’

Tomorrow’s conflicts could include a nearpeer nation, he said, which could “instantly involve” five combatant commands. “We’re going to have contested strategic lines of communication everywhere,” McDew said. “We’ve had a distinct technological advantage,” he said. “…But once you start talking about a peer, someone that could match us with technology [and] numbers, that’s a different fight altogether.” The freedom of movement and dominance that the United States has enjoyed in air, space and cyber won’t be there anymore, the general said. “We’ve enjoyed

Department of Defense photo

IMPACTS ON THE BATTLEFIELD

pure dominance in every domain for the last 15 years,” McDew said. “So what’s got to change?” One challenge facing the US military is “our own attitudes,” he said. “What baggage are you carrying forward and perpetuating that adds no value in tomorrow’s fight?” McDew asked. GLOBAL AREA OF OPERATIONS

He credited Joint Chiefs Chairman Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford with creating a vision for the current and future joint force. “The fight we will face is not a regional fight, it is a global fight,” McDew said. There are 196 countries in the world, and “the globe is our [area of responsibility].” Dunford, he said, “is forcing us to look at things in a different way.” “In this global, transregional nature of war, we have to consider all the disruptive influences that we’re going to face,” McDew said. “We have got to better leverage speed, range and flexibility that is inherent in some of the things we do, and look at how we do things smarter, and how we command and control in a different way.”

Cyber should get “much more of our attention” than it does, the general said. “Let me tell you where we are in Transcom,” he said. “We’ve gone from cyber awareness to cyber knowledge. Now, it’s scaring us. If you get to knowledge, it should scare you a lot more than it does. And if you think this is an [information technology] problem, you’re in the wrong place.” Cyber is an important operational, commander issue, he said, and business environment evolution is another challenge. “We’ve got shortages across the spectrum when it comes to manpower,” McDew said. Getting after having the right people in the right numbers for the right job is a future challenge, he said, as is baking cyber security into every process. “We will have to get ahead of [our adversaries],” he said. “Matching them is no longer good enough.”

“We have built a strong joint force, but I see there are still challenges awaiting us,” he said. “We’re organized to combat geographically isolated problems…But our future conflicts will cross those regional boundaries. They’ll be transregional in nature.”

The nation is at a crossroads, McDew said. After 15 years of war, the United States has the most battle-hardened force it has ever had. “But does it prepare us for the next war?” he asked. “We need to focus on some of the opportunities [and] find new ways to do business.” www.ndtahq.com |

Senior Military Leaders Discuss Potential Deployment, Logistics Challenges

“What this means for the joint force is we will start practicing at the speed of war, so we truly are ready to fight tonight when the nation calls,” he said, adding he encourages “all of us to think about what that means for our organizations, to the enterprise, and to our current processes.”

By Terri Moon Cronk, DOD News, Defense Media Activity Originally published on www.defense.gov November 2, 2016

WEAPONS FIELDING

Department of Defense photo

Busch said he wants DLA to discuss challenges up to 30 years in advance with industry partners for: 1. Cyber resilience against the trans-regional threats the United States faces today; 2. Future basing, which needs help from industry to develop concepts; and 3. The direction in which product-support strategies for new weapon systems is going.

enior military leaders discussed potential challenges their commands may face in supporting future operations during a meeting of defense industry partners in St. Louis, Missouri, November 1. Air Force Gen. Carlton D. Everhart II, Commander of Air Mobility Command; Army MG Kurt J. Ryan, Commander of Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command; Navy RADM Dee L. Mewbourne, Commander of Military Sealift Command; and Air Force Lt. Gen. Andrew E. Busch, Director of the Defense Logistics Agency, participated in a panel discussion at the NDTA-USTRANSCOM Fall Meeting. INDUSTRY INNOVATION CRITICAL TO MILITARY

“[We] can’t do our jobs without industry partners,” Everhart pointed out. “We rely on them for innovation, and to help open up new realms of possibility.” As he looks to modernizing his command to continue meeting the nation’s defense needs, Everhart said he cannot tweak his budget anymore, noting “the continuing resolutions affect all of us.” The General said his other challenges include a national pilot shortage, and today’s changing, complex global threat environment. 18

| Defense Transportation Journal | DECEMBER 2016

VOLATILE SECURITY ENVIRONMENT

The Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command’s military members and industry partners execute “our daily sustainment mission exceptionally well,” Ryan said. Yet, the General said he sees potential challenges in future deployment missions. “I fundamentally believe our skills have atrophied in a number of areas, particularly in our ability and our mindset to deploy rapidly…to project national power to surge combat formations globally,” Ryan said. He said the last massive US military deployment was to Iraq in 2003. “As I look at my workforce, only 16 percent has a frame of reference to the scale and scope of that deployment,” Ryan said. The world’s security environment remains “very volatile, and demands a state of readiness that affords us the ability to project power globally in support of the combatant commands simultaneously,” he said. “Those threats can emerge very quickly…in Europe, across the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and the African continent [where] threats can change the very security nature of our environment in those regions,” Ryan said. For those reasons, Ryan said, the services are reinvigorating emergency deployment exercise programs to further test the military’s “fight tonight” ability.

“Gone are days when a new weapon system is fielded,” Busch said. “We need to consider what’s happening today in the productsupport strategies across the department.” The DLA Director said he sees “immense pressure” on those who must deliver their programs based cost schedules and performance. Without fielding a weapon system in a joint task environment, he said, “Will it be good enough to have a customized, optimized solution for that weapon system, when we’re trying to converge many different weapons systems, including many new weapons systems, on a JTF commander?” STAYING READY, RELEVANT, RESOLUTE

Challenges at Military Sealift Command involve retaining relevancy, continuing to change as needed, and adapting to the world today and into future, Mewbourne said. “Ready, relevant and resolute is what I use to define [our] endstate,” he said of his command’s strategy. The command rests on four pillars, the Admiral said, which comprise its people and continuing to “harness brilliance” at MSC; its ship platforms and maintaining them, its processes and staying cyber safe into the future, and its partners in government, industry, labor and academia. Military Sealift Command relies on its partners because it cannot meet its challenges alone, Mewbourne said. “We must use innovation so we do not become stale,” the Admiral said. “Through continuous improvement, we can make ourselves better.”

Panel Highlights Necessity of Military-Industry Partnership for Deployments

he Fall Meeting military-commercial partnership roundtable moderated by MG Duane A. Gamble, USA, Commander, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, asked What’s required to “push” from the US? The US is operating in Europe with a force structure that was “designed for a different reality than we live today,” said Gamble “so it’s all the more important that we have this great commercial-military partnership to increase our endurance, to increase our reach and to increase our ability to sustain our forces over long, contested lines of communication.” Gamble introduced a case study scenario of a brigade movement to EUCOM as a basis for discussion among the roundtable participants who represented rail, sea, air, ports and IT. The scenario was one he said was likely due to US operations in Europe shifting from assurance to deterrence, and was similar to a movement he was currently working on. Denis Smith, Vice President, Marketing and Industrial Products, BNSF, reported that the rail industry currently has ample capacity. The rail aspect of a deployment includes moving materiel from base to a

strategic port, such as the Port of Beaumont or Port of Port Arthur. Smith assessed that in the case study deployment the rail piece could be accomplished in 12 hours with no issues regarding execution or speed. Representing sealift, Chris Heibel, VP Sales and Marketing, American Roll-on Roll-off Carrier, emphasized the capabilities that ocean carriers bring to bear in support of lift requirements worldwide. “Liner services offer many advantages to DOD to include a regular port frequency, fixed routes, lift regardless of cargo volume, immediate and guaranteed access, and a reliable and tested network,” all of which he said help to reduce the footprint and logistics tail of the military globally. US flag partners support the military’s ever evolving needs, which include the movement of cargoes through non-traditional ports; the ability to rapidly expand connectivity through existing partnerships with rail, trucking, barge and air freight companies; and the ability to provide synchronized movements at multiple locations. Speaking to the audience, Brig. Gen. Kenneth Bibb Jr., USAF, Commander, 618th Air Operations Center, said “we could not do what we do without our commercial

DOD Official on Budget Woes, Innovations

he Honorable Alan Estevez, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics told the audience that the budget that would be left for the next administration was nearing completion and as in the past, “we are going to present a budget that is well above sequestration levels.” In Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, sequestration is the law as no budget deal yet exists for that year. This is likely to be one of the first items that the incoming president will tackle. Congress had 10 days between the election and Thanksgiving to pass an appropriations bill for FY 2017. Estevez thought it a real possibility that the government could end up operating in a yearlong Continuing Resolution (CR). “The reality is because of the way the budget agreement works a continuing resolution will more or less be at the cap that is in the budget agreement, at about

$530 billion. But, what happens if you are in a CR is a whole bunch of authorities fall off the table [as well as] new starts so we would need essentially an appropriations act full of anomalies in order to do the business that we need to do.” The DOD is working hard to reach out to industry on potential innovation including start-ups that may have a great technology, but do not know how it could be harnessed in the department. Estevez also said that despite the common misconception, DOD is capable of rapid contracting if a product is deemed worthwhile. Estevez said that deterrence is important in America’s ability to avoid war. This was something he felt the US needed to learn to do again and something that would be challenging without NATO infrastructure that was once utilized in Europe. Regarding innovation in the logistics space, Estevez recounted a visit to Camp

partners, we are tied closely to our commercial partners, we work closely with TCAQ, and we could not get the job done without you.” Bibb explained that as US military logistics changed, it had less of a buffer to absorb setbacks. This means that the importance of speed, precision, and tactical movements have “a real strategic impact.” SDDC is “focused on building readiness during peacetime and during contingency operations” in the homeland and around the globe, said SDDC Chief of Staff COL Jordan Chroman, USA. “We do this by leveraging the Army component reserve units through a vast network of strong bonds with our Nation’s commercial transportation providers.” In describing the end-to-end logistics process, Chroman described SDDC as essentially everything in between the point of origin and the point of destination. Ken Jarrett, Area VP, Public Sector DOD Technology Sales, Oracle, described the need to practice cyber hygiene—mitigating some of the issues that we know are coming. “The [DOD] does a great job in protecting the perimeter,” he said but “one thing that keeps me up at night is the insider threat.” Objectives should include securing the data and securing the enterprise. We must get everyone to look at IT as an enabler that supports “everything from the tactical edge back to the back office.” Lejeune where he saw the Marine Corps utilizing additive manufacturing to create parts on demand. On that same trip, he also saw Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), with delivery of up to 300 lbs., in use. Of these types of technologies, he said that they are “something that we in the [DOD] are thinking about it, but I know that the commercial sector is thinking about it even more and we need to team up with what the good ideas are in the commercial sector.” But Estevez warned that before using these technologies, we must look at their implications on the transportation network. “If I don’t have to move as many parts, or parts at all for that matter, what does that mean to the capacity of the airlift and sealift sectors that we rely on? Estevez continued that the digital age came with some great benefits, but also great risk in the form of cyber threats. “The network’s at risk, but its more than the network, it’s the platform, it’s the infrastructure around that.”

Disruptive Logistics Take Center Stage at the NDTA-USTRANSCOM Fall Meeting

oderator MG (Ret.) Dan Mongeon, President & CEO, Agility Defense & Government Services, set the tone for the panel saying that it would focus on “emerging technical innovations that impact those operating in the supply chain space now and in the future.” Simply stated, he said, “innovation drives disruptive logistics,” adding that just as Gen McDew and others had highlighted in other presentations, “yesterday’s thinking and yesterday’s solutions do not fit into today’s world and will not meet the needs of today’s warfighters.” Jesper Thomsen, Vice President, Maersk Line, told the audience that “technology is changing how we are transporting things.” The unmanned vessel is one area of focus for Maersk. This is essentially a vessel “with no human beings there and if you can combine that with heavy duty drones you will have a system to deliver into very small ports even though you have too large of a vessel to get in there.” This concept is not as new and the technology not as far away as people may think. Thomsen also described advances in port automation, as well as cargo monitoring for both refrigerated containers and security.

In discussing Maersk’s continued work on a common platform to share shipping data, Thomsen acknowledged that while a plethora of benefits surrounded implementing such technology, disadvantages related to cyber vulnerabilities were equal considerations. “The thesis here is disruption is awesome,” said Jeffrey Stutzman, Co-Founder & CEO, Red Sky Alliance & Wapack Labs. He explained that while disruption is praised for its usability and return on investment, security risks often negate the benefits. “Everyone loves disruption…but build it in right up front, there is a cost to poor quality that is going to be computing at the end that is going to be significantly higher than if we build it in now as we are thinking about these disruptive new technologies and processes.” Dr. Daniel Patt, Program Manager, Tactical Technologies Office at DARPA, explained the agency’s mission as trying to sponsor, create and/or foster breakthrough technologies for national security. As a program manager, Patt looks for opportunities that are high payoff. “We try to identify what areas in the future could be disrupted,

The Emerging Strategic Landscape: Shaping the Defense Budget

r. Loren Thompson, COO, Lexington Institute, described two forces— one internal and one external—that drive all US demand for military goods and services, and dictate the size and composition of a defense budget. Global threats dictate priorities, shape strategy, and determine requirements. Domestic politics provide the resources and impose conditions. These trends are what “will drive defense demand for the remainder of this decade.” Significant changes to the global military landscape have occurred since the end of The Cold War: The rise of global terrorism, destabilization of the Middle East, Russian pressure on Eastern Europe, the emergence of cyber threats and, more recently, Chinese military modernization. Major economic developments in that same time frame were the digital revolution and internet, China’s rapid economic growth, globalization of the sup20

| Defense Transportation Journal | DECEMBER 2016

ply chain, slowing of Western economies and Japan, and expansion of the welfare state. Threats have changed and global instability continues to spread. However, spending on defense and domestic discretionary will have only minimal increases through 2023 due to the Budget Control Act. The purchasing power of the defense budget is projected to stagnate, unless there is a political agreement to increase it. Threat levels don’t drive defense spending unless the political system responds. “Voting behavior in America typically is influenced more by taxes and entitlements than by security concerns. The big divide in our politics is between those who are pro-tax/pro-entitlement and those who are anti-tax/anti-entitlement.” Congress has failed to deliver a complete federal budget by the deadline every year since 1997. Thompson expounded that con-

could have just incredible payoff for national security and then to try to find ways to map technology to that opportunity and make those early pivotal investments.” DARPA is looking at how logistics deliver operational value. A brigade movement from Ft. Lewis to Kandahar takes 78 days, an impressive timeline. DARPA looks at a challenge like this and seeks ways to make it faster. “Uber, in many ways, has become the poster child for disruption in transportation…I think we can look at Uber as something of a case study in disruptive logistics,” said Brad Nail, Senior Manager, Insurance and Public Policy for Uber. The platform facilitated individuals using their personal vehicles to provide transportation services. This allowed “people to become service providers with very little overhead expense and allowing them to put to work an underutilized asset for themselves.” This has caused disruption in the taxi and rental car industries, among other areas including government regulation and oversight. Uber is also making strides in driverless vehicle technology, another potentially significant disruptor. An important application of autonomous technology will be in the long-haul trucking industry, a move that could improve cost, efficiencies, safety and holds tremendous potential for both military and government purposes. tinuing resolutions have been in place for 16 straight years, and the 2015 October budget deal doesn’t improve the long-term outlook. Contested lines of communication and possible attrition are expected in future USTRANSCOM operations, according to Thompson. There are diverse logistics needs in multiple theaters, cyber vulnerabilities put military and civilian networks at risk, budget caps and continuing resolutions limit logistics spend, and excess capacity in air, sea and rail will be rationalized due to sector consolidation. These fiscal and threat pressures will force more reliance on commercial partners. At the same time, market forces such as pilot and driver shortages could limit commercial roles. With enough money, the US could fix most of the problems it faces. But, the one problem money cannot fix is that “for the foreseeable future—every threat we face is going to have a geographical advantage over us,” Thompson said adding that is why “logistics and transportation is going to be crucial to our success.”

www.ndtahq.com |

Photos by Katherine Bish

This year’s NDTA Expo featured numerous booths from military, government and private sector organizations. Strategically located at the Midway in the historic St. Louis Union Station Hotel, the Expo afforded an opportunity for professionals to network and share the latest advances in transportation and logistics. For the first time, NDTA also hosted two special train excursions aboard BNSF’s classic rail cars, pictured in this photo spread. Special thanks as well to Norfolk Southern, which provided “The Lawmen” Band and special veterans locomotive for viewing.

22 | Defense Transportation Journal | DECEMBER 2016 Participation and attendance at the NDTA Exposition does not imply support or endorsement by USTRANSCOM, its component commands, or any other US government entity.

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SILVER SPONSORS

American Roll-on Roll-off Carrier • Crowley Logistics, Inc. • CSX Transportation Intermarine, LLC – U.S. Ocean • Southwest Airlines • The Pasha Group Transportation Institute • Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. • U.S. Bank

BRONZE SPONSORS Bronze Sponsors • AAT Carriers • Baggett Transportation • BNSF • Chalich Trucking • Concur Hapag-Lloyd USA, LLC • La Quinta Inns & Suites • Leidos • Liberty Global Logistics • Port of Port Arthur • Union Pacific

Proceeds from the NDTA Sponsorship Program support the NDTA general operating fund. Participation in the NDTA Sponsorship Program does not imply support or endorsement by USTRANSCOM, its component commands, or any other US government entity.

| Defense Transportation Journal | DECEMBER 2016

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Transportation University/NDTA-USTRANSCOM Fall Meeting 2016 Irvin Varkonyi, Past President, NDTA DC Chapter and Master Instructor, APICS DC Metro ivarkonyi@scopedu.com

he second annual Transportation University at the 2016 NDTA TRANSCOM Fall Meeting offered 60 sessions of focused learning over three days on a dozen topics to enhance the professional development of active duty, civilian government and commercial sector attendees. Building on the success of the 2015 Fall Meeting, and nearly tripling the number of sessions held last year, instructors from throughout the military and commercial logistics worlds led interactive learning sessions in these areas: • Global Logistics • Leadership and Professional Development • DOD Transportation • Transportation Security • Acquisition • Introduction to Transportation Modes • IT Systems and In-Transit Visibility • Legislation and Policy

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Enabling DOD Transportation Resources Cyber Security Transportation Research Board Findings DOD Surface Transportation Passenger Travel

The sessions ranged in size from 30 to 150 attendees. Sessions were taught by individual instructors as well as offering panel sessions. Among the highlights of these sessions were: 1. Cyber Security – Several sessions were held on this critical topic. With seemingly daily news on intrusions by nation state or criminal enterprises, the topic attracted many attendees to its four sessions. These included Michael Dining of the Department of Transportation Volpe Center, who discussed that all modes of transportation are becoming increasingly dependent on information and communications technologies, and the risk of disruption from cyber-attacks is growing. As transportation and logistics systems become more connected, and automated vehicles and control systems are introduced, the potential vulnerabilities have increased. A session led by Jeff Stutzman of Wapack Labs gave an overview of the capabilities of those who seek to penetrate our cyber systems. The impact of such instructions can lead to catastrophic consequences for our transportation systems. Chris Carpenter of DC3 spoke on the Defense Cyber Crime Center and what it can do for military and civilian personnel. 2. Leadership – Two esteemed panels offered insight into leadership, its development and its challenges. The first, “Developing Future DOD Logistics Civilian Leaders So They Can Successfully Lead During Times of Uncertainty,” included Dennis D’Angelo, CCJ4-D; LtGen Robert Ruark; LTG(Ret.) Chris Kelly; Lorna Estep, AF/A4; and Robert Helfant, DSCA. The second, “Women in Logistics—Then, Now, and the Future,” included CMSgt (Ret.) Pamela Dorsey, Gina Hubs of Universal Transport, Theresa Lorinser of BNSF, Brig Gen(Ret.) John Michel, VADM(Ret.) Ann Rondeau, and LTG(Ret.) Kathy Gainey of Cypress International. The Barry Wehmiller organization offered two fascinating sessions on learning to be leaders, “Everybody Matters: The Only Business Case with Truly Unlimited Potential.” Representatives of APICS and CSCMP offered sessions on the value of earning professional credentials in supply chain management and opportunities for veterans. 3. Enabling DOD Transportation Resources – Sessions in this topic were far ranging, including a presentation by Jeff See Prof. Devel., pg. 30

| Defense Transportation Journal | DECEMBER 2016

At Universal, we offer outstanding and diverse freight options. The Universal Government and Emergency Services Division provides the planning, procurement and on-site project management to execute complex projects to deliver cost effective solutions to challenging missions. Our team provides a single point of contact for the United States Government and its affiliates, utilizing our vast portfolio of service offerings to meet our customer objectives.

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CHAIRMANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CIRCLE

These corporations are a distinctive group of NDTA Members who, through their generous support of the Association, have dedicated themselves to supporting an expansion of NDTA programs to benefit our members and defense transportation preparedness.

AAR CORP. + PLUS Agility Defense & Government Services + PLUS AIT Worldwide Logistics, Inc. + PLUS American President Lines, Ltd. + PLUS American Roll-on Roll-off Carrier + PLUS Amtrak + PLUS Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings + PLUS Bennett Motor Express, LLC + PLUS Boyle Transportation, Inc. + PLUS Concur Technologies, Inc. + PLUS Crane Worldwide Logistics, LLC + PLUS Crowley Maritime Corp. + PLUS FedEx + PLUS Final Mile Logistics + PLUS Freeman Holdings Group + PLUS Hapag-Lloyd USA, LLC + PLUS Innovative Logistics, LLC + PLUS Intermarine, LLC - US Ocean + PLUS International Auto Logistics + PLUS Interstate Moving | Relocation | Logistics + PLUS Landstar System, Inc. + PLUS Leidos + PLUS Liberty Global Logistics-Liberty Maritime + PLUS Maersk Line, Limited + PLUS National Air Cargo + PLUS Norfolk Southern Corporation + PLUS Omni Air International + PLUS Panalpina World Transport Ltd. + PLUS Schuyler Line Navigation Company LLC + PLUS Senator International Freight Forwarding LLC + PLUS TOTE, Inc. + PLUS United Airlines + PLUS Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. + PLUS Best Western International BNSF Railway Bristol Associates CEVA Logistics Choice Hotels International CSX Transportation Echo Global Logistics, Inc. Global Logistics Providers LLC 28

| Defense Transportation Journal | DECEMBER 2016

R & R Trucking Raith Engineering & Mfg. Co. W.L.L. SAIC International Shipholding Corporation The Pasha Group Knight Transportation U.S. Bank La Quinta Inns & Suites Union Pacific Railroad Matson Navigation Company Inc. UPS National Air Carrier Association Walnut Industries, Inc. Portus

HONOR ROLL

SUSTAINING MEMBERS AND REGIONAL PATRONS

ALL OF THESE FIRMS SUPPORT THE PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES OF NDTA

SUSTAINING MEMBERS 1-800-PACK-RAT AAT Carriers, Inc. ABF Freight System, Inc. ABF Logistics Accenture Federal Services Admiral Merchants Motor Freight, Inc. Air Transport International, Inc. Airlines for America Al-Hamd International Container Terminal American Group LLC American Maritime Officers American Moving & Storage Association American Trucking Associations Army & Air Force Exchange Service Arven Freight Forwarding Arven Services, LLC Associated Global Systems Atlas International ATS Specialized, Inc. Avis Budget Group aVolt Incorporated Baggett Transportation Company Benchmarking Partners, Inc. Bertling Logistics Inc. Boeing Company Bollore Logistics BOSS Engineered Logistics C.L. Services, Inc. Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Chalich Trucking, Inc. Coyote Logistics, LLC REGIONAL PATRONS Advantage Rent A Car Agile Defense, Inc. Alaska Marine Lines Alaska West Express Amyx C5T Corporation CakeBoxx Technologies Cargo Experts Corp. Cartwright International Cavalier Logistics Ceres Terminals Incorporated CGM-NV a NovaVision Company Chassis King, Inc.

CWT SatoTravel DAMCO Daybreak Express DHL Express Eagle Freight, LLC Engility Corporation Enterprise Holdings Erickson Incorporated Estes Forwarding Worldwide, LLC Europcar Car & Truck Rental Evanhoe & Associates, Inc. Executive Moving Systems, Inc. Extended Stay America Hotels FlightSafety International GE Aviation General Dynamics/American Overseas Marine GeoDecisions Greatwide Truckload Management Green Valley Transportation Corp. Hanjin Intermodal America, Inc. Hertz Corporation Hilton Worldwide Hybrid Enterprises IBM Institute of Hazardous Materials Management Intercomp Company Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), AFL-CIO International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots Keystone Shipping Co.

KGL Holding KROWN1 FZC Kuehne + Nagel, Inc. LMI Logistic Dynamics, Inc. Manufacturing Skill Standards Council Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association Marriott International Martin Logistics Incorporated Mayflower Transit McCollister’s Transportation Systems, Inc. Mercer Transportation Company Meridian Global Consulting LLC National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc. National Van Lines, Inc. Northern Air Cargo Inc. Omega World Travel Omnitracs, LLC One Network Enterprises, Inc. Oracle ORBCOMM Panther Premium Logistics PGL Pilot Freight Services PODS Port of Beaumont Port of San Diego Ports America Pratt & Whitney Preferred Systems Solutions, Inc. Prestera Trucking, Inc. Priority Solutions International

Priority Worldwide Services Ramar Transportation, Inc. Roadrunner Transportation Systems Sabre Travel Network Savi SBA Global Logistic Services Scotlynn USA Division, Inc. Seafarers International Union of NA , AGLIW Sealed Air Corporation Sealift, Inc. Secured Land Transport SEKO Logistics Skylease 1, Inc. Southwest Airlines Teradata Corporation Textainer Equipment Management (U.S.) Limited Transportation Institute Transportation Intermediaries Assn. (TIA) Travelport Tri-State Motor Transit Co. (TSMT) TSA Transportation LLC TTX Company Tucker Company Worldwide, Inc. United Van Lines, Inc. USA Jet Airlines USA Truck, Inc. Volga Dnepr Airlines Women In Trucking Association, Inc. XPO Logistics – Supply Chain

Columbia Helicopters, Inc. Dalko Resources, Inc. DB Schenker DPRA, Inc. DTI Enterprise Management Systems HLI Government Services Hub Group, Inc. JAS Forwarding John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences Kalitta Charters, LLC Kansas City Southern Lineage Logistics LMJ International Logistics, LLC

MacGregor USA, Inc. Madison Hospitality MCR Federal, LLC mLINQS Move One Logistics Naniq Global Logistics LLC NFI NJVC Oakwood Worldwide Overdrive Logistics, Inc. Overwatch, Inc. (a division of Avalon Risk Management) Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association Patriot Contract Services, LLC

Philadelphia Regional Port Authority PITT OHIO Port Canaveral Port of Port Arthur Radisson Resort At The Port Reckart Logistics, Inc. RST Freight Seatac Marine Services Staybridge Suites McLean-Tysons Corner Hotel TechGuard Security Tennessee Steel Haulers Trans Global Logistics Europe GmbH Wapack Labs Corporation YRC Freight www.ndtahq.com |

Cont’d from Prof. Devel. pg. 26 Lineberger of U.S. Bank on Freight Payment Systems. The Department of Defense’s third party payment system for transportation is U.S. Bank. It automates the freight payment process to provide 100 percent pre-payment audit, improves processes, timely payment and big data collection. A session was offered on global low volume/low frequency distribution challenges with panel members Mike Hansen, TCJ5/J4; Denise Cammeron, TCAQ; Lt Col James Dickey, AFRICOM J4; and Eric M. Topp, Bolloré Logistics. 4. Acquisition – The role of acquisition is key for DOD transportation. Tammy Thouvenot and her team offered an overview of acquisition at USTRANSCOM. Vengat Rau from Defense Acquisition University offered a session on Transportation Services Acquisition Under BBP 3.0 and the recent issue of DODI 5000.74. These and other sessions also discussed the role of integration between acquisition and sustainment in order to increase efficiencies. Andrea Mouser and Keri Lindsco of TCAQ’s session explored the Performance Work Statement, an outcome of the acquisition process. 5. Legislative and Policy – This topic impacts all aspects of DOD transportation through its interaction with Congress and the executive branch. MARAD Administrator Paul “Chip” Jaenichen gave an overview of the federal budget process, a complex topic that requires skillful navigation by stakeholders. Development and execution of transportation policy was discussed in sessions led by OSD Transportation Policy, Lisa Roberts and Dr. Ron Black. 6. In Transit Visibility – Today, the power of supply chains is with customers who have the power to choose vendors at the click of a button and who demand accountability from their vendors. Nowhere is this more evident than in the ability of customers to watch their shipments online. For business organizations, In Transit Visibility (ITV) enables them to plan their distribution activities impacting on inventory man30

| Defense Transportation Journal | DECEMBER 2016

agement and customer service. Dave Blackford of TCJ4 offered a presentation on using the Cargo Movement Operation System (CMOS) to improve unit move execution and ITV, and methods for achieving ITV for the DOD. 7. Introduction to Transportation Modes – As the world of logistics is fast paced, we can sometimes forget to learn the basics as we dive headfirst into our responsibilities. But without understanding the basics, executing efficient transportation plans will be very challenging. Representatives from four modes offered overviews on their basic operations with takeaways to empower attendees to utilize such knowledge in their contract compliance. These instructors included Dave DeBoer, American Roll-on Roll-off Carrier, discussing the maritime trade, along with James Kanash from the Military Sealift Command, who provided an overview on doing business with MSC; rail representatives organized by Theresa Lorinser’s BNSF team with an overview on rail operations; Bill Wanamaker and the American Trucking Associations organized an overview of the basics and key issues within trucking; and Matt Bracken of UPS provided an overview on the express industry. 8. Passenger Travel – Several sessions on passenger travel were included in the Fall Meeting to offer opportunities for those who travel or coordinate travel to hear the latest from both the Defense Transportation Management Office represented by Donna Johnson and on the newest technologies within travel from two panels organized by Travel Port’s Joe Herzog. The success of Transportation University was made possible by the enthusiastic support of USTRANSCOM Commander, Gen Darren McDew and NDTA President, RADM Mark Buzby. The session coordination was ably executed by USTRANSCOM’s Jack Svoboda and Tim Ringdahl, along with this writer. Evaluations of all courses will be consolidated by Dan Sulka and serve as the basis for planning Transportation University 2017. DTJ

Cont’d from Pres. Corner, pg. 7 infrastructure will have effects as well. 2017 will indeed be a year of change. As a final note, we’ll be presenting our second annual GovTravels meeting February 27 – March 1, 2017 at the Hilton Mark Center Hotel in Alexandria, Virginia, focusing on the passenger travel and personal services sector of the industry. Please check out our website to register: https://www. ndtahq.com/events/gov-travels/. Everyone here in the office: Jim, Rebecca, Lee, James, Patty, Leah, Carl, Dan, Irv and Sharon, join Gina and me to wish you all the joys of this holidays season and a prosperous New Year! DTJ

DEFENSE TRANSPORTATION JOURNAL Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation as required by the Act of August 12, 1970; Section 3685, United States Code, for Defense Transportation Journal, published bimonthly at Alexandria, VA, for September 2016. 1. Location of known office of publication: 50 South Pickett St., Suite 220, Alexandria, VA 22304. 2. Location of the headquarters of general business office of the publisher: 50 South Pickett St., Suite 220, Alexandria, VA 22304. 3. Publisher: National Defense Transportation Association, 50 S. Pickett St., Suite 220, Alexandria, VA 22304; Publisher, RADM Mark Buzby, USN (Ret.); Managing Editor, Sharon Lo. 4. Owner: National Defense Transportation Association, 50 South Pickett St., Suite 220, Alexandria, VA 22304-7296 (an incorporated association). 5. Known bondholders, mortgages, and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent of more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities: There are none. 6. Average number of copies each issue during the preceding 12 months: Total 5,839; paid circulation by mail, 5,737; sales through dealers, carrier or other means, 240; free distribution by mail or other means, 0; total distribution 5,963; copies not distributed, 48. Percent paid and/or requested circulation: 97%. Sharon Lo, Managing Editor.

DTJ INDEX OF ADVERTISERS APL........................................................ Cover 3 ARC....................................................... Cover 2 Avis Budget Group......................................... 15 Bennett.......................................................... 25 Boyle Transportation........................................ 4 Daybreak Express.......................................... 26 FedEx.................................................... Cover 4 Intermarine, LLC............................................ 13 Landstar.......................................................... 3 Tote............................................................... 21 Universal Logistics......................................... 27

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We’re not in the military, but we’re proud to serve the U.S. We take our job and yours very seriously. At FedEx, you can count on us for access to networks in more than 220 countries and territories and the flexibility to handle anything that comes your way. And you can trust that there’s pride in everything we do.

| Defense Transportation Journal | DECEMBER 2016

Defense Transportation Journal

Articles inside

NDTA EXPO PHOTO ALBUM

TACKLE GAPS IN TRANSPORTATION CORPS MISSION

FEATURES

GETTING TO THE NEXT WAR IS GOING TO BE TOUGH

NDTA-USTRANSCOM FALL MEETING WRAP-UP