ALEXANDRIA, Va. (USTCNS) --- A top U.S. Transportation Command leader has been recognized for dramatic increases in the delivery of military freight.

Lt. Gen. Dan Brown, deputy commander-in-chief, has received the 2001 Department of Defense Distinguished Service Award.

"I am truly honored to receive this award," said Brown. "The work of so many persons is responsible for the remarkable results we have achieved."

The award is presented annually by the National Defense Transportation Association, Alexandria, Va.

Brown was recognized as the visionary leader behind the Strategic Distribution Management Initiative.

The initiative is a joint U.S. Transportation Command and Defense Logistics Agency effort to improve the velocity, reliability and efficiency of defense distribution.

To date, the Strategic Distribution Management Initiative has achieved remarkable results. As an example, the surface distribution committee, chaired by Maj. Gen. Kenneth L. Privratsky, commander, Military Traffic Management Command, has increased the speed of global shipments on average by 15 percent within the past year.

Most of the increases have been achieved by reducing time lost when military freight waited at transportation nodes awaiting transshipment.

"It is a watershed program that is having a permanent, positive impact on support to warfighters around the world," said the award citation.

Brown was also cited for his leadership of the Executive Working Group of the Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement.

"His active leadership culminated in major streamlining of our peacetime and wartime contractual arrangements with the ocean carrier industry, incorporating best commercial practices and significantly reducing the time and cost to both the Department of Defense and the industry," said the citation.

In addition, Brown was cited for his leadership on the Civil Reserve Air Fleet/Select Working Group. The group is currently undertaking a detailed examination of the future role and shape of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet program to meet future national military objectives.

The award was presented Dec. 6 by Jeff Crowe, Chairman of the Board, National Defense Transportation Association, at a director's meeting at a Pentagon City, Va., hotel. Crowe is Chairman & CEO of Landstar System, Inc.

In 2000, the award was presented to Bill Lucas, deputy to the commander, Military Traffic Management Command.