SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (USTCNS) --- "Working Turbo Challenge ༼ is like watching the NASDAQ, it's constant action," said Navy reservist Capt. John Stewart U. S. Transportation Command's Crisis Action Team chief for exercise Turbo Challenge.

Stewart joined 26 members of the USTRANSCOM's Joint Transportation Reserve Unit during Turbo Challenge last month as the command exercised its ability to provide air, land and sea transportation for the Department of Defense.

"More than 30% of the CAT manning for Turbo Challenge at USTRANSCOM is provided by the JTRU members. And, most of the JTRU members are training in their first CAT joint exercise since affiliating with the unit this fall. We are all learning and developing our battle rhythm together," said Stewart, the JTRU's Navy element commander.

"These JTRU (Joint Transportation Reserve Unit) members are an integral part of the USTRANSCOM. We have an enthusiastic, motivated group of active and reserve members onboard for the exercise," said Air Force Maj. Gen. John Becker, director of operations and logistics. "The participants become familiar with the joint deployment process, with an emphasis on real world applications," he added.

Inside the Turbo Challenge CAT, USTRANSCOM military and civilian members manage transportation assets for thousands of war fighters and tons of equipment and supplies for a scenario-based exercise.

"During this exercise, Crisis Action Team members view all phases of transportation planning, from validation, through apportionment to air, land and sea assets, to execution," said Becker. "This is the best training for qualifying as watchstanders in the Mobility Control Center. The feedback on training from active and reserve participants has been positive."
Around the clock, the CAT action officers coordinate and track the validation of air and surface transportation movements, while interfacing with the lead war fighters from other major commands and USTRANSCOM's three component commands.

At the air cell, Navy reservist Cmdr. Steve Poppe and a JTRU member, responded to changing weather, terrorist, fuel and denial of service conditions.

"We have an immediate picture of the air assets, in planning and transit. It's a lesson in aggressive coordination, and then some," said Poppe.

Across the CAT at the surface cell, JTRU member Coast Guard Cmdr. Vince Lombardi, had immediate visibility on numerous ships.

"The exercise started on Day 33 (of an exercise battle). We had to spin up and quickly picture the vessel in-transit visibility in the first 30 days, as well as learn the data fields. It's been different levels of learning for me," said Lombardi

The surface cell chief, Navy Cmdr. Gary Waring, gave the training and the JTRU high marks.

"The exercise training is something new for all of us and it builds an important continuity for the JTRU members," said Waring.

Employing USTRANSCOM JTRU members is common place at USTRANSCOM. In fiscal year 1999, the 185 member unit provided more than 9,000 man days of support to the command.

The USTRANSCOM JTRU was the first joint reserve unit in the country, established in 1990 around a nucleus of 40 Naval Reservists from a former Navy Transportation unit activated in support of Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

Today, JTRU members drill alongside their active duty counterparts and work around the clock on real world assignments in the command's MCC, providing the majority of weekend and holiday watch standings.