SDDC enters third phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom
The U.S. Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command has entered the third phase of cargo lift in support of ongoing combat operations in Iraq.
It began with the loading of cargo ship “USNS Watkins” in Corpus Christi, Texas. The vessel will transport about 700 pieces of cargo for the next rotation of military personnel and equipment headed for Iraq.
In the past year, the SDDC (formerly the Military Traffic Management Command) moved the largest amount of Defense Department cargo since World War II. About 330 vessel operations were conducted.
During the third phase of operations, SDDC expects to manage the same amount of cargo as the second phase.
“One difference (with the third phase) is that we have a better idea of upcoming requirements,” said Brig. Gen. Mark Scheid, the command’s deputy commanding general/director of operations, in a statement. “That means we have more planning time and can operate with even more efficiency.”
To plan for the newest rotations, SDDC took part in a meeting of the Joint Planning Advisory Group, sponsored by the U.S. Transportation Command at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. The group, which includes ocean carrier members, met Aug. 17 at Fort Eustis, Va.
This meeting with the commercial U.S.-flag carriers also served as a forum to exchange ideas and resolve issues, such as changes in customs and agricultural clearance practices, improvements in “in-transit asset visibility,” and increased use of commercial liner services.
“We all have to be ready and able to adapt,” Scheid said. “Although SDDC is working to provide accurate information as far in advance as possible, we all have to expect that the type and volume of cargo and the required delivery dates will change as requirements change.”
SDDC moves 86 percent of unit cargo and 95 percent of sustainment cargo by sea.