MTMC's 839th Transportation Battalion is rated best port
That is the operations tempo of the Livorno-based unit and a part of the reason the Military Traffic Management Command unit has been rated as the top port in 1999.
"We're working at a frantic pace," said Lt. Col. Gary Stanley, commander, who has led the MTMC port unit since July 1999.
"We have seen cargo move through 22 ports in 10 countries," said Stanley. "In 1999, we moved 23,000 pieces of cargo on 768 vessels -- the great majority away from our home port locations."
The 839th Transportation Battalion has two subordinate units which include the 953rd Transportation Co., in Piraeus, Greece, and the 952nd Transportation Company, Lajes Field, Azores -- since June 8 redesignated the Azores Detachment.
This is the second consecutive year the 839th as been rated as MTMC's top port.
In 1999, the unit had numerous deployments and redeployments of combat equipment in the Balkans -- particularly Rijeka, Croatia, and Thessaloniki, Greece.
The 953rd Transportation Co. led the landing of the 1st Infantry Division peacekeeping troops for Kosovo -- via Thessaloniki in the summer of 1999. The unit discharged the Military Sealift Command's USNS Bob Hope on June 30-July 1 and the USNS Soderman on July 3-4 which speedily allowed American peacekeeping troops into Kosovo. Several weeks later, unit members were back at the port to unload the Osprey, which carried military equipment from the United States for the Kosovo mission.
The unit is "the most deployable unit in MTMC," said Col. Tom E. Thompson, commander, 598th Transportation Group, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
The unit is a true "force-projection platform," said Thompson. He said the unit's actions contributed heavily to the operations of NATO and U.S. European Command in the Balkans.
"Its planning and execution of vessel operations during the highly volatile Balkan crisis was instrumental to the supported commander-in-chief and continues to be so today," said Thompson."
The unit success is a tribute to the 41 soldiers, civilians and local national employees of the 839th, said Stanley.
"In the past two years, we have educated a lot of folks on the importance of MTMC in today's world that relies on projection of combat power to places we could not find on the map a few short years ago," said Stanley.
"I can't be prouder of any group of people than I am of the men and women who make up this organization."
Unit members were ecstatic about the award.
"I feel pretty good right now," said Robert Tilson, systems administrator.
"After 20 years of working in various military units both Army and Air Force, this is the first unit I have experienced where teamwork is a natural and comfortable thing," said Tilson.
"It is hard to describe how people can continue to look out for and be concerned for the others when they constantly work hard long hours in poor conditions," said Tilson.
"We have smiles and laughter mix with the fast paced work."
In spite of the multiple deployments, Tilson said unit members maintain "a high success rate -- low complaint rate."
The 839th is composed of five military officers, 11 soldiers, five civilians and 20 local nationals.
The port winner in 1997 was the 837th Transportation Battalion, Pusan, Korea. (FROM MILITARY TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).
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