Seamless move required for multiple deployments
FORT EUSTIS, Va. (USTCNS) --- Managing more than 1,000 railcars entering and exiting the National Training Center at Fort Irwin simultaneously is no easy task.
To make this series of back-to-back deployments and redeployments work, transportation experts with the Military Traffic Management Command's Deployment Support Command are ensuring everything is "coming and going" as planned.
Working closely with the NTC, deploying units and the commercial transportation industry, DSC transportation specialists at Fort Eustis are coordinating the movement of more than 1,000 railcars into and out of the California training site.
The multiple rotations are scheduled to occur between March 1 and April 1.
"This is a big challenge because of a strict timeline," said Evert Bono, chief, Negotiations Division, DSC Operations. "Almost anything can happen to throw the move off - - a railroad strike, problems at home station or during the upload for redeployment, adverse weather conditions. A number of things could affect the movement in and out of Fort Irwin."
Normally, units deploying to the NTC use prepositioned equipment located at Fort Irwin.
Fort Hood's III Corps and the 4th Infantry Division will be part of a division capstone exercise to the NTC bringing more than 2,850 pieces of equipment necessary to complete their training. That means an increase from the normal 300-350 railcars to approximately 800 cars deploying to the California training site.
The increase in the number of railcars deploying to the NTC is not what makes this a challenge. The fact that it is sandwiched between two other deployments makes it difficult.
"We plan on staying on top of this one very closely," Bono said. "We want to ensure the warfighter is not delayed in any way. We are going to deploy people to some of the installations and to the NTC to ensure nothing gets bogged down and to ensure everything moves when it should."
Marine Corps Logistics Base Yermo, the rail yard used to enter and exit NTC, has a 700-railcar capacity with space for an additional 150 railcars on its rail spur. Units from Fort Riley, Kan., and Fort Polk, La., will be redeploying approximately 250 rail cars from the NTC the same time as Fort Hood deploys to the NTC.
Once the Fort Hood units are completed, they will redeploy the same time as units from Fort Carson, Colo., begin their deployment of 350 rail cars into the NTC. To add to the numbers, the Marine Corps will host an exercise using 115 railcars during the same time period.
"A movement of this scope is one of our biggest challenges to date," said Bono.
One situation that could influence the process significantly is something no one can control and that is the weather.
Already, sub-zero temperatures have caused delays for trains leaving Fort Riley during their deployment. The minus 30-degree weather has caused some train lines along the route to freeze. The bitter cold also caused switches to freeze and broken rails. Snow and icy roads have prevented railroad crews from reaching the trains out on the line.
To help keep track of situations like this, an augmentation team from DSC will be on-hand as units move to increase in-transit visibility, increase rail documentation output and provide real time customer service to the units, NTC and the Marines.
The seven-member team will monitor transit times and possible congestion problems as well as coordinate between the two railroad companies involved in the move to ensure all the proper clearances are obtained.
In addition to the DSC augmentation team, members of the 1394th Deployment Support Brigade, a DSC WARTRACED reserve unit from Camp Pendelton, Calif., will deploy to assist the Fort Hood units redeploy.
"There is a method to this perceived madness," according to Darius Clarke, a transportation specialist deploying to Fort Irwin in support of the operation. "Constant coordination and communication is imperative for success. The military and private interests effectively act as one to make this happen.
"I have been trained and prepared for this type of event throughout my career, and this challenge will require my best effort to date," Clarke said. (FROM MILITARY TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT COMMAND - DEPLOYMENT SUPPORT COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).
To make this series of back-to-back deployments and redeployments work, transportation experts with the Military Traffic Management Command's Deployment Support Command are ensuring everything is "coming and going" as planned.
Working closely with the NTC, deploying units and the commercial transportation industry, DSC transportation specialists at Fort Eustis are coordinating the movement of more than 1,000 railcars into and out of the California training site.
The multiple rotations are scheduled to occur between March 1 and April 1.
"This is a big challenge because of a strict timeline," said Evert Bono, chief, Negotiations Division, DSC Operations. "Almost anything can happen to throw the move off - - a railroad strike, problems at home station or during the upload for redeployment, adverse weather conditions. A number of things could affect the movement in and out of Fort Irwin."
Normally, units deploying to the NTC use prepositioned equipment located at Fort Irwin.
Fort Hood's III Corps and the 4th Infantry Division will be part of a division capstone exercise to the NTC bringing more than 2,850 pieces of equipment necessary to complete their training. That means an increase from the normal 300-350 railcars to approximately 800 cars deploying to the California training site.
The increase in the number of railcars deploying to the NTC is not what makes this a challenge. The fact that it is sandwiched between two other deployments makes it difficult.
"We plan on staying on top of this one very closely," Bono said. "We want to ensure the warfighter is not delayed in any way. We are going to deploy people to some of the installations and to the NTC to ensure nothing gets bogged down and to ensure everything moves when it should."
Marine Corps Logistics Base Yermo, the rail yard used to enter and exit NTC, has a 700-railcar capacity with space for an additional 150 railcars on its rail spur. Units from Fort Riley, Kan., and Fort Polk, La., will be redeploying approximately 250 rail cars from the NTC the same time as Fort Hood deploys to the NTC.
Once the Fort Hood units are completed, they will redeploy the same time as units from Fort Carson, Colo., begin their deployment of 350 rail cars into the NTC. To add to the numbers, the Marine Corps will host an exercise using 115 railcars during the same time period.
"A movement of this scope is one of our biggest challenges to date," said Bono.
One situation that could influence the process significantly is something no one can control and that is the weather.
Already, sub-zero temperatures have caused delays for trains leaving Fort Riley during their deployment. The minus 30-degree weather has caused some train lines along the route to freeze. The bitter cold also caused switches to freeze and broken rails. Snow and icy roads have prevented railroad crews from reaching the trains out on the line.
To help keep track of situations like this, an augmentation team from DSC will be on-hand as units move to increase in-transit visibility, increase rail documentation output and provide real time customer service to the units, NTC and the Marines.
The seven-member team will monitor transit times and possible congestion problems as well as coordinate between the two railroad companies involved in the move to ensure all the proper clearances are obtained.
In addition to the DSC augmentation team, members of the 1394th Deployment Support Brigade, a DSC WARTRACED reserve unit from Camp Pendelton, Calif., will deploy to assist the Fort Hood units redeploy.
"There is a method to this perceived madness," according to Darius Clarke, a transportation specialist deploying to Fort Irwin in support of the operation. "Constant coordination and communication is imperative for success. The military and private interests effectively act as one to make this happen.
"I have been trained and prepared for this type of event throughout my career, and this challenge will require my best effort to date," Clarke said. (FROM MILITARY TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT COMMAND - DEPLOYMENT SUPPORT COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).
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