Transportation Command's Priority: Supporting Warfighters

Supporting the warfighter is "job No. 1" for U.S. Transportation Command, the TRANSCOM deputy commander said here today.

The command's mission, Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Gary H. Hughey said, is to provide responsive, reliable and synchronized transportation support. The focus "as it should be, is on the warfighting combatant commanders," he added.

TRANSCOM has the "unique capability to project a force anywhere in the world at the time of our choosing," said the general. "It enables this nation to take the fight to our enemies wherever they plot, plan or hide."

Hughey said it also allows the United States to help friends and allies. This includes large-scale operations such as humanitarian assistance or disaster relief operations, as well as smaller operations such as moving a patient to medical facilities.

In the next six weeks, the command will move approximately 250,000 men and women as it swaps out troops and equipment from the U.S. Central Command area of operations.

"This is a tremendous undertaking," said Hughey. "It's an extremely exciting time at TRANSCOM. It's something that no logistician would want to be left out of. It's a tremendous effort, and we're meeting combatant commander's requirements."

Advances in technology have enabled TRANSCOM to do its job better, noted the general.

Unlike Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, when it took about eight months to put a force in place, Hughey said the use of technology has given TRANSCOM the ability to move a unit from fort to port more quickly.

He cited the movement of the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq. "From the time the first trooper put boots on the ground (to the time) the entire division arrived, married up with its equipment, moved into forward support areas and was ready for combat, (it was) 12 days."

The command's recent designation as DoD's distribution process owner is another way to help combatant commanders, said Hughey. It's a combination of supply and transportation that provides the warfighter with one entity that he can turn to for a solution to a problem with transportation or supply support, he added.

"This new designation is very challenging," he said. "We've seen improvement in speed and reliability in getting what it is you've ordered from the factory to the foxhole. One person is virtually responsible to the combatant commander," said Hughey. "It's a more reliable system."

I have removed the names and supplied only a few of the pictures.

From: (removed) Maj Warrior Bravo/CC
Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2004 10:02 AM

Subject: Village Visit

Hello Family & Friends,
My experiences over here in Iraq have been amazing......some scary......draining both mentally and physically, but none compare to the experience of joy I had today.

I was able to go with 12 Air Force and 8 Army escorts to the village just north of the base. I was a driver and the Army briefed us on what convoy procedures and quick response procedures would be.
We had our weapons loaded and a round in the chamber. We drove off the base and within a couple of minutes we were in the village.....we took the wrong road and as I am driving down.....I said "this is not the road they showed us on the map."
We turn around and found the right road.....but the three in my vehicle, Maj (removed) and TSgt (removed) and myself all brought up the movie Black Hawk Down when the convoy took a wrong turn......if you saw the movie you know what happened. The army briefed us that each vehicle would have a translator and we would hand out the boxes and bags of candy, toys and school supplies to the children.
We got out and opened the back of the SUV and one photo shows the nice orderly line. Well as you have already guessed.....the orderly line turned into a mob of not only children, but teenagers, young and old men and women. It really became comical and concerning at the same time.
I never feared for my safety (as the Army said, the bad guys do not like killing their women and children) and that is who was surrounding me. What was concerning was how poor this people lived and to know and have been to three of Sadam's palaces......really a shame.

Well the handing out of toys and candy went for two hours.....I was exhausted. At one point I got up on my vehicle and was throwing the toys and candy. Then the worst thing happened. I saw a group of women with children about 25 yards away and I knew I had one box left. I took the box, wrapped my arms around it and started towards them.......about half way there I was stopped my a hoard of villagers......there had to be at least 40 people and over 20 hands on the box.....I watched the box be ripped into pieces the candy and toys flying everywhere and me doing all I could do not be trampled......I wish someone would have caught it on video or at least a photo.
You know how a army of ants covers a grasshopper......I was the grasshopper.......I was using heads and bodies to maintain my balance and let the swarm devour the gifts!!!!!

I was exhausted just from the adrenaline rush......again....it was an experience of a lifetime.....one I will not forget for a very long time. These people were amazing.....as nice as could be.....funny, and really some striking men, women and children......some with beautiful eyes. But then living in poverty......

I had to attach a photo of the village donkey......

I hope you get these photos and I will send more.

Love (removed)

I hope I did it right. :)

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