United States Transportation Command

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (USTCNS) --- When military equipment rolled off the Motor Vessel Maersk Arizona at Military Ocean Terminal, Sunny Point, it was a pivotal event.

The equipment of the 1-187th Infantry Battalion was the first to be returned via surface transportation from warfighting in Afghanistan.

"It’s a good news story," said Army Brig. Gen. Barbara Doornink, Deputy Commanding General and Director of Operations, Military Traffic Management Command. "It’s been a lot of work. Our 831st Transportation Terminal Battalion in Kuwait and our 597th Transportation Group made this happen.

"We need to continue using surface where it makes sense,” Doornink said. “It frees up aircraft for other missions and saves tax dollars.”

The equipment that arrived July 5 was returned to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) soldiers at Fort Campbell, Ky., at one-tenth the military aviation transportation cost.

“The equipment was originally scheduled to redeploy via air channels, but the availability of the Maersk Arizona, under charter to the Military Sealift Command, provided an opportunity to save transportation dollars," said Dave Waers, an operations specialist at the MTMC Operations Center, Fort Eustis, Va.

The total load consisted of 78 vehicles and 18 20-foot containers of unit equipment. It was loaded at Ash Shuaybah, Kuwait. When discharge was completed July 8, the equipment and containers were transshipped to Fort Campbell aboard 19 railroad cars and six commercial trucks.

Movement via surface is a trend we hope to see more of in the future in both deployment and redeployment operations, according to Waers.

U.S. Transportation Command is working towards this goal according to Air Force Col. Curtis L. Ross, deputy director of operations, TCJ3/4.

“When soldiers redeploy, we do our best to get them home as quickly as possible,” said Ross. “When we get the requirements well enough in advance, we can accomplish the mission using surface assets and save money.

Soldiers of the 1-187th are real heroes. The battalion was part of Task Force Rakkasan, which fought in Operation Anaconda from March 3-14.

U.S. Transportation Command conducts surface redeployment for Operation Enduring Freedom heroes

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