First USTRANSCOM CINC visits, has thoughts on growth of command
(EDITOR'S NOTE: Air Force Gen. (ret.) Duane Cassidy, USTRANSCOM's first commander in chief, visited USTRANSCOM earlier this month. Transporter editor Dave Patterson interviewed Gen. Cassidy.)
Question: What is your opinion of USTRANSCOM today after seeing it grow for over 13 years?
Cassidy: I really feel very proud of TRANSCOM and what it's done, and how far it's gone. It took us a better part of 12 or 13 years to get it done. And, now in that intervening 12 or 13 years it's spectacular. You can look back at just the last 10 years and see what's been done around the world for transportation and there's no way that could have been done in the time it was done, or the efficiency it was done without a TRANSCOM.
So when I look back on the relationship, the private sector and how that's been built, I look at how transportation seems more efficient. It's not wasted as much. I used to tell everybody that an ounce of transportation wasted is an ounce of transportation never regained. You never get it back if you waste it. So you can't afford to waste it. We used to do that a lot because we weren't coordinated, everybody was trying to do their own thing. Or there was no way to set priorities, and there was no interaction at the level that is it now. So, I'm very proud and pleased, and happy for everybody. Everybody has done a great job. The succeeding CINCs were certainly a lot better than the first CINC I must say.
Question: And with more responsibilities. Back when you were looking at a new command, I noticed you were a bit hesitant about making this a unified command.
Cassidy: I always thought it was absolutely necessary, but I was always concerned with taking too big of a step too soon. That it would crumble under it's own weight. Or it would crumble under so many ambitions. Because there were so many people that felt very seriously that we should not do this. There were people in the other services that felt this should not be done, and if they had to do it, just minimalize it, and not let it get too strong, too big, too powerful.
Question: Do you think they still feel that way today?
Cassidy: I don't know. I would hope the success of USTRANSCOM, and the professional way it's been done by the people of all the services, would convince their parent services that it was the right thing to do. And I think so. This is a whole new generation of people, and things are different, a lot different. I think there's a lot of proof of that.
Question: Do you think there is an advantage to having civilian partnerships?
Cassidy: Oh I think there's a great advantage. The Civil Reserve Air Fleet is, of course, the oldest addition. I don't think we would have ever gotten a Volunteer Intermodal Sealift Agreement program at all, or anything like it, had it not been for the efforts of TRANSCOM. The CINC at that time and the former DCINC, [Vice Adm.]Al Herberger, played an enormously important role in that. He was the first DCINC as you know. Then he was the Maritime Administrator when all that activity was going on, so he had a huge role, his professional as well as his personal status helped a great deal.
Those programs are absolutely essential, and I think we have a long way to go on them. They are terribly political, and very difficult to do. But nonetheless, it's the right thing to do. The transportation industry needs it as much as the military needs it. It gives them the ability to stretch in different directions and do different things. It also gives them access to capital they wouldn't otherwise have.
Question: Do you still think transportation is one of the important elements in National Security?
Cassidy: I think it's certainly foundational. Without a very strong transportation infrastructure, the national interests of our country simply cannot be met. As we found out recently for those who didn't think that way, our interests are absolutely global, and just the notion that we're in a global economy, then our national interests are therefore global. The notion that you really cannot have a coherent national strategy without a very strong capable, responsive transportation.
Question: I noticed when you retired from the Air Force you went to work for CSX Corporation, working with trains. CSX creates a work environment that motivates and allows employees to grow, develop and perform their jobs to the maximum of their capacity. Do you think USTRANSCOM has that same environment for its employees?
Cassidy: I absolutely think they do. As a matter of fact, I don't think that the private sector, and I had an opportunity to look - not just CSX, but many companies in the private sector for 10 years, and I don't think that the private sector has anything at all over on the military in an organization such as TRANSCOM or AMC and the way they develop people. I think people that develop the program within the military today are the best anywhere, and I still think that. Because our people that develop the programs are generally founded on a desire for an absolute need for good leadership, so we develop people to be good leaders.
Conversely in the private sector, theirs are a lot more focused on management. And I think those are two different disciplines, and I think they require different kinds of people development, and they require different skills. And therefore, I think the industry is catching up to some degree and focusing on leadership that they used to. Where the military, certainly TRANSCOM, has focused from the very beginning on developing leaders; leaders in the skills they are in.
Question: How do you think the impact of Sept. 11 will affect our defense transportation?
Cassidy: I think it's simply redefined the role of TRANSCOM. By redefine, I think it wasn't revolutionary in its definition. But it redefined the importance of it, and our ability to reach out everywhere. Our ability not to deal in gross terms, like million ton-miles per day. Back in the old days we developed million ton-miles per day as a measure of how much airlift you needed. And it was very useful then. Mr. John Shay, as a matter of fact, developed that.
But now we've grown to realize even more that those measurements, those gross measurements simply don't work. And don't define the true need because you need to be in lots of places in lots of times, and using gross measurements to define the size of the force doesn't work. You have to have people who can figure that out. People who can define it, people who have personal credibility can make the cases for the right size fleet.
Question: You know we have all five services represented here in the headquarters.
Cassidy: It's been wonderful to see in times of national crisis the reserve forces come in here and augment the regular forces. It's just wonderful. That would have never happened in the transportation world to the extent it has had it not been for USTRANSCOM headquarters. It's one of the better things. Very efficient. And it's not work. They do it as a mission as a commitment.
Question: Is there anything else you want to pass on to our readers?
Cassidy: I don't think so except it's always nice to be back. And when something exciting is going on in the world or transportation is really being maximized, I always sit by the phone to see if someone wants my advice, and it never rings. So somebody is doing something very very good, and I'm very proud of them all.
Question: What is your opinion of USTRANSCOM today after seeing it grow for over 13 years?
Cassidy: I really feel very proud of TRANSCOM and what it's done, and how far it's gone. It took us a better part of 12 or 13 years to get it done. And, now in that intervening 12 or 13 years it's spectacular. You can look back at just the last 10 years and see what's been done around the world for transportation and there's no way that could have been done in the time it was done, or the efficiency it was done without a TRANSCOM.
So when I look back on the relationship, the private sector and how that's been built, I look at how transportation seems more efficient. It's not wasted as much. I used to tell everybody that an ounce of transportation wasted is an ounce of transportation never regained. You never get it back if you waste it. So you can't afford to waste it. We used to do that a lot because we weren't coordinated, everybody was trying to do their own thing. Or there was no way to set priorities, and there was no interaction at the level that is it now. So, I'm very proud and pleased, and happy for everybody. Everybody has done a great job. The succeeding CINCs were certainly a lot better than the first CINC I must say.
Question: And with more responsibilities. Back when you were looking at a new command, I noticed you were a bit hesitant about making this a unified command.
Cassidy: I always thought it was absolutely necessary, but I was always concerned with taking too big of a step too soon. That it would crumble under it's own weight. Or it would crumble under so many ambitions. Because there were so many people that felt very seriously that we should not do this. There were people in the other services that felt this should not be done, and if they had to do it, just minimalize it, and not let it get too strong, too big, too powerful.
Question: Do you think they still feel that way today?
Cassidy: I don't know. I would hope the success of USTRANSCOM, and the professional way it's been done by the people of all the services, would convince their parent services that it was the right thing to do. And I think so. This is a whole new generation of people, and things are different, a lot different. I think there's a lot of proof of that.
Question: Do you think there is an advantage to having civilian partnerships?
Cassidy: Oh I think there's a great advantage. The Civil Reserve Air Fleet is, of course, the oldest addition. I don't think we would have ever gotten a Volunteer Intermodal Sealift Agreement program at all, or anything like it, had it not been for the efforts of TRANSCOM. The CINC at that time and the former DCINC, [Vice Adm.]Al Herberger, played an enormously important role in that. He was the first DCINC as you know. Then he was the Maritime Administrator when all that activity was going on, so he had a huge role, his professional as well as his personal status helped a great deal.
Those programs are absolutely essential, and I think we have a long way to go on them. They are terribly political, and very difficult to do. But nonetheless, it's the right thing to do. The transportation industry needs it as much as the military needs it. It gives them the ability to stretch in different directions and do different things. It also gives them access to capital they wouldn't otherwise have.
Question: Do you still think transportation is one of the important elements in National Security?
Cassidy: I think it's certainly foundational. Without a very strong transportation infrastructure, the national interests of our country simply cannot be met. As we found out recently for those who didn't think that way, our interests are absolutely global, and just the notion that we're in a global economy, then our national interests are therefore global. The notion that you really cannot have a coherent national strategy without a very strong capable, responsive transportation.
Question: I noticed when you retired from the Air Force you went to work for CSX Corporation, working with trains. CSX creates a work environment that motivates and allows employees to grow, develop and perform their jobs to the maximum of their capacity. Do you think USTRANSCOM has that same environment for its employees?
Cassidy: I absolutely think they do. As a matter of fact, I don't think that the private sector, and I had an opportunity to look - not just CSX, but many companies in the private sector for 10 years, and I don't think that the private sector has anything at all over on the military in an organization such as TRANSCOM or AMC and the way they develop people. I think people that develop the program within the military today are the best anywhere, and I still think that. Because our people that develop the programs are generally founded on a desire for an absolute need for good leadership, so we develop people to be good leaders.
Conversely in the private sector, theirs are a lot more focused on management. And I think those are two different disciplines, and I think they require different kinds of people development, and they require different skills. And therefore, I think the industry is catching up to some degree and focusing on leadership that they used to. Where the military, certainly TRANSCOM, has focused from the very beginning on developing leaders; leaders in the skills they are in.
Question: How do you think the impact of Sept. 11 will affect our defense transportation?
Cassidy: I think it's simply redefined the role of TRANSCOM. By redefine, I think it wasn't revolutionary in its definition. But it redefined the importance of it, and our ability to reach out everywhere. Our ability not to deal in gross terms, like million ton-miles per day. Back in the old days we developed million ton-miles per day as a measure of how much airlift you needed. And it was very useful then. Mr. John Shay, as a matter of fact, developed that.
But now we've grown to realize even more that those measurements, those gross measurements simply don't work. And don't define the true need because you need to be in lots of places in lots of times, and using gross measurements to define the size of the force doesn't work. You have to have people who can figure that out. People who can define it, people who have personal credibility can make the cases for the right size fleet.
Question: You know we have all five services represented here in the headquarters.
Cassidy: It's been wonderful to see in times of national crisis the reserve forces come in here and augment the regular forces. It's just wonderful. That would have never happened in the transportation world to the extent it has had it not been for USTRANSCOM headquarters. It's one of the better things. Very efficient. And it's not work. They do it as a mission as a commitment.
Question: Is there anything else you want to pass on to our readers?
Cassidy: I don't think so except it's always nice to be back. And when something exciting is going on in the world or transportation is really being maximized, I always sit by the phone to see if someone wants my advice, and it never rings. So somebody is doing something very very good, and I'm very proud of them all.
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