ALEXANDRIA, Va. (USTCNS) --- The full implementation of the Global Privately Owned Vehicle Contract has big advantages for the 840th Transportation Battalion, Izmir, Turkey.

Since the contract was signed March 1, our customers are served better. Service members shipping their cars have a simpler and streamlined process to follow.

The improved productivity allows us to close the battalion's Incirlik Detachment effective May 31 and consolidate all military and local national personnel in Izmir.

Our contracting officer representative will remain at Incirlik, the site of a large U.S. Air Force base, to monitor the Global Privately Owned Vehicle Contract.

Instead of relocating 840th military personnel at Incirlik, we recently began assigning all inbound replacements to Izmir. Our remaining military staff members at Incirlik are scheduled to receive permanent change of station orders this summer.

Three civilians were assigned at Incirlik. In addition to the contracting officer, a second employee declined to move to Izmir and a third position was vacant.

Closure of Incirlik follows the Dec. 31, 1998, inactivation of the Iskenderun Detachment. At that time, the unit was relocated and redesignated as the Incirlik Detachment.

We have lost our detachment but we remain very busy in Turkey. In the past year, our battalion's members were involved in Operation Allied Force, Task Force Hawk, Task Force Shining Hope and Exercise Bright Star 99/00. This year, our members went to Jordan to direct the loading of a vessel bound for East Timor. (FROM MILITARY TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).