U.S. Transportation Command’s (USTRANSCOM) mission to transport troops and cargo around the world on a short or no-notice deployment requires many moving parts.
Vice Adm. Dee Mewbourne, deputy commander, USTRANSCOM, and other distinguished guests traveled to the Port of Port Arthur, Texas, Sept. 26 to support an annual exercise, Joint Readiness Exercise (JRE) 20. While there, they witnessed soldiers off-loading equipment from the Military Sealift Command’s Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off (LMSR) U.S. Naval Ship Fisher (T-AKR 301).
“USTRANSCOM’s number one priority is warfighting readiness, in this case making sure soldiers are trained and ready to conduct the full spectrum of operations,” said Mewbourne. “This exercise is all about getting Army forces into an environment where they can conduct realistic, relevant, and challenging training.”
The exercise tests the Army’s ability to rapidly deploy a brigade combat team, U.S. Forces Command and U.S. Army Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command’s (SDDC) ability to prepare a BCT for deployment, and USTRANSCOM’s capability to activate organic assets needed to move personnel and equipment.
The U.S. Army’s 2nd Infantry BCT, 25th Infantry Division, was directed to deploy to the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), Fort Polk, Louisiana. The deployment order was published mid-August and the first ship, USNS Brittin (T-AKR 301), left Sept. 1 from Schofield Barracks, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, to begin the sealift deployment readiness exercise.
The units were assessed on their ability to respond to a published deployment order, how quickly and accurately they could prepare cargo for deployment, and how well they coordinated their arrival to the seaport.
“An important aspect of these events is to exercise the ports,” said Mewbourne. “We rely on multiple strategic ports throughout the country in order to take the joint forces that reside within the continental United States, load them on ships, and sail wherever those forces are needed.”
SDDC on-loaded equipment on the vessels in Hawaii and the 7th Transportation Brigade Expeditionary’s (7TBX) 10th and 11th Terminal Battalions off-loaded equipment in Texas.
"SDDC plays an extremely large role as we work through the Joint Deployment and Distribution Enterprise," U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Heidi Hoyle, SDDC commander, emphasizing the importance of the exercise.
The JDDE Planning and Operations establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and provides procedures for the JDDE in support of the development, improvement, and sustainment of deployment and distribution capabilities.
"We integrate and synchronize not only our Army's three components, but also what the transportation community calls the Fourth Component - our commercial industry partners - to execute operations across the globe," said Hoyle.
The JRE consisted of five deployment activity phases. The first phase was to provide alert and fort-to-port operations, the second phase addressed leaving home station, the third phase was port to port as the ships left Hawaii enroute to Texas, fourth phase was arrival at Port of Port Arthur, and the fifth phase established the central reception, staging and onward movement of the 2-25 IBCT equipment to JRTC, Fort Polk, Louisiana.
The 7TBX executed phase four in the download of cargo off the two ships, LMSR Brittin at Port of Beaumont, Texas, Sept. 25, and USNS Fisher at Port of Port Arthur, Texas, Sept. 26. The 7TBX is the Army’s globally responsive force that conducts terminal operations to include Army watercraft operations in support of contingencies or humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations.
“Our mission here is to safely discharge the cargo from this particular vessel [USNS Fisher] to be able to prepare the stages for onward movement, and then battle track it to its final destination,” said Col. Timothy Zetterwall, commander, 7TBX.
Additionally, Zetterwall discussed measures taken during the seaport deployment exercise to minimize the spread of the COVID-19 virus. “We have ensured that all our soldiers are wearing masks, maintaining six feet distance, have hand sanitizer, and we have set up the sleeping quarters with the cots, 72 square feet per soldier,” said Zetterwall.
JRE has been conducted annually since 2016. Daniel Dryden, USTRANSCOM program manager for the training and readiness division, explained lessons learned from past deployments.
“In past deployments such as those during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, troops received equipment in theater rather than deploying all their organic equipment from home station,” said Dryden.
For JRE 20, Dryden said approximately 2,000 pieces of cargo were loaded on the two ships and about 5,000 total personnel participated in the exercise.
“I am greatly appreciative of all the mitigation efforts being taken from the various levels within the community, the industry that supports this exercise, as well as the members in uniform, to be able to safely conduct this exercise in the face of a global pandemic,” said Mewbourne.
USTRANSCOM exists as a warfighting combatant command to project and sustain military power at a time and place of the nation’s choosing. Powered by dedicated men and women, we underwrite the lethality of the Joint Force, we advance American interests around the globe, and we provide our nation's leaders with strategic flexibility to select from multiple options, while creating multiple dilemmas for our adversaries.