NAPLES, Italy (USTCNS) --- For the first time, a Black Sea port is being used for the rotation of U.S. military equipment redeployed from the U.S. controlled sector of Kosovo.
The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command has contracted the Greek-flagged cargo ship MV Thelisis to move 221 pieces of U.S. Army light infantry equipment, including Humvees, trucks, moving equipment and containers, from the Bulgarian port of Bourgas to Charleston, S.C.
The equipment arrived by train beginning Feb. 11, and was loaded by the U.S. Army's Military Traffic Management Command. The equipment belongs to the 101st Airborne Division and is part of a scheduled equipment rotation. The Army frequently moves its equipment in and out of theater to ensure optimum mission readiness.
According to Task Force commander Army Lt. Col. Tom Boyle, U.S. forces are essentially 'testing' the port of Bourgas "prior to any further rotations"-assessing factors such as support from the Bulgarian military and port authorities, the quality of port facilities, and force protection.
Bourgas offers a large port facility, which can accommodate various ships and is close to a modern commercial airport, according to Boyle.
Previously, KFOR used two ports for cargo movement supporting its troops in the U.S.-controlled sector of Kosovo-Thessaloniki, Greece and Bremerhaven, Germany.
"Using this port provides the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. European Command, with another choice by providing another access point into the Balkans," said Army Maj. Carl Axelson, commander of MTMCs 953rd Transportation Company, based in Piraeus, Greece.
The 8,904-ton vessel will take about two weeks to reach its destination.
"The Navy frequently contracts vessels to move cargo for the U.S. military to speed movement of equipment and because it's cost efficient," said MSC Europe marine transportation specialist Matthew Dunton, based out of Naples, Italy. "It would obviously cost a lot more to bring ships from the States." MV Thelisis was contracted from the Greek port of Piraeus.
Task Force Bourgas-it's official 'call sign'-includes about 70 personnel mostly from the Army's 21st Theater Support Command based out of Kaiserslauten, Germany. The Task Force is expected to remain in Bulgaria until the end of this month.
"This port give us flexibility which we would like to use in the future," Boyle said.
The Bulgarians are also providing military assistance including maintenance support, divers and a Navy 'cutter' to provide force protection.
"Bulgarian military provided a large amount of technical assistance and their support was critical to reducing the number of U.S. soldiers required to make this operation a success," said Axelson.
Bourgas is the second largest port in Bulgaria, and is in close proximity to Serbia, FYROM (Former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia), Greece and Turkey. The Bulgarian railways network and the Bulgarian national road system link Bourgas with major industrial inland points of the Balkans.
"Bulgarian stevedores demonstrated great work standards and provided the type of service required to make this test a success for port operations," said Axelson. "The Bulgarian stevedore's ability to operate our military equipment, unload trains, and upload the ship demonstrated that this port can support much larger operations in the future."
Military Sealift Command and Military Traffic Management Command are partners under U.S. Transportation Command. Together, the two commands provide vital logistic ocean and land transportation respectively to the Department of Defense, and to other government agencies. (FROM 598TH TRANSPORTATION GROUP, MILITARY TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT COMMAND AND MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND-EUROPE PUBLIC AFFAIRS)
