1. Our phone numbers have changed.Click here for more info

Military Traffic Management Command conducts Army Birthday celebration on blue water

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (USTCNS) --- In hundreds of different ways, the Army celebrated its 225th birthday.

Many Army units cut ceremonial birthday cakes.

Not the Military Traffic Management Command.

MTMC's official celebration of the event has to be one of the most exotic.

The place? The glistening blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean, off Fort Story, Va., near Virginia Beach.

The action? A sampling of soldiers and civilians of the Alexandria, Va., based organization honored the event in a special ceremony June 21. They were aboard the U.S. Army "Mike" boat LCM 8541 -- about a mile out into blue water.

MTMC transporters were in the shadow of one of the Navy's biggest cargo-carrying ships, the Military Sealift Command's USNS Fisher, one of 15 large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off vessels.

"What better place to be?" said Mike Bellafaire, command historian. "We are sandwiched between some of American's valued cultural historical places and working elements of the Defense Transportation System."

Clad in giant red life vests, the transporters paused in the bow of the small vessel (officially called a lighterage craft medium) to remember Army heroes and values -- past and present.

With sun glistening off water and the splash of salt water on the gray-painted metal hull, Bellafaire stepped forward.

"I think I will remember this scene for the rest of my life," said Bellafaire.

"This a truly inspirational setting," said Bellafaire. "We're surrounded by a working logistics over the shore operation involving the Army's 7th Transportation Group and our sister service the Navy.

"This type of joint action has been going on for over two centuries now -- from the earliest time of the Revolutionary War to our most recent efforts in Bosnia and more recently Kosovo.

Bellafaire paused -- looking at the MTMC transporters.

The group was actually two teams that looked like one.

Issac Smith, a command and control officer from MTMC Headquarters had actually brought one team to the site from headquarters. Across the rocking deck was Maj. Kyle Waggoner, a Deployment Support Command operations officer, who had brought a second team from the Fort Eustis command.

The only sound came from sea and sky -- and the flapping of the familiar white arrow on green background of the MTMC standard.

"I look at you and in my historian's mind's eye see other soldiers and civilians," said Bellafaire. "Your predecessors in countless actions and events … always loyal, always supporting the warfighter."

"So few -- always making such a fast difference. In our business, we know that nothing happens until something moves. You are the ones who do that moving -- and enlarge the heritage of our Army."

It was a poignant moment.

The Mike boat heaved on the ocean swells. Filling the seaward horizon was the Navy ship. Looking landward, the sandy beach of Fort Story seemed distant and muted beyond the rolling waves.

"This logistics over the shore process is a lot like the Army history," mused Ursula Loy Jr., a MTMC Headquarters planner. "We go ashore on a bare beach, or a rocky shore or an austere shore without port structure -- and achieve mission success."

LCM 8541 rocked slowly in the swells.

Bellafaire gave an arm signal.

Boat driver Spc. Steve Bizzarro throttled down.

The Mike boat surged forward toward the Fisher.

History lesson over -- LCM 8541 carried MTMC transporters forward to their next mission. (FROM MILITARY TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).

Office of Public Affairs - transcom-pa@mail.mil
News Archive

Follow Us On:

Facebook      Instagram      Twitter      Flickr      LinkedIn


Connect to USTRANSCOM JECC AMC MSC SDDC
Office of Public Affairs|United States Transportation Command|Scott Air Force Base IL 62225-5357
This is a Department of Defense (DOD) computer system. Please read our Privacy, Accessibility, Use and Non-Endorsement Disclaimer Notice.