United States Transportation Command

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (USTCNS) --- “The reserves are a vital part of U.S. Transportation Command.” explains Brig. Gen. William H. Johnson, with USTRANSCOM’s operations directorate, “More than half of the manpower for USTRANSCOM is in the reserve component.”

And Johnson should know; he’s a reservist himself.

USTRANSCOM provides air, land, and sea transportation for the Department of Defense, both in time of peace and war. As director of operations mobilization assistant, Johnson, an Army Reserve Individual Mobilization Augmentee, is at the center of that mission, supporting the director of operations, Air Force Maj. Gen. William Welser III.

“The theory behind an IMA [Individual Mobilization Augmentee],” said Johnson, “is to provide for augmentation during a surge requirement. When USTRANSCOM needs to come to a war footing, then that’s what IMAs are for. I’m an individual – not a whole unit – so I'm easier to get to beef-up the command and take care of the surge.”

Johnson says most of his efforts are to support the strategic transportation requirements of other unified commands, such as U.S. Central Command.

This involves days that begin at 5:00 a.m., coordinating with representatives of the other unified commands on the daily IWS (InfoworkSpace) teleconference and lots of e-mail - all directed to support the needs of the warfighter.

Since USTRANSCOM, and especially its operations directorate, depends heavily on support from reservists from all branches of the military – in peacetime as well as in war – Johnson has additional responsibilities.

“We have 89 reserve billets that augment the operations function here at USTRANSCOM from the Joint Transportation Reserve Unit,” said Johnson, “Managing those reservists who we depend on to mobilize and augment the J3 [operations directorate] in order for us to be able to do our job during surge and war is also something I do as part of my job as Mobilization Assistant.”

Johnson continued, “I work very closely with the J1 [manpower and personnel directorate], the Reserve Affairs office and the JTRU to make sure we have trained soldiers, sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and airmen, to be able to step into the jobs and the requirements that we have here.”

Johnson was assigned to USTRANSCOM just prior to September 11, 2001 and from then until September 2002, he served over 150 days of active duty. In February 2003 he was mobilized to support the build-up for what is now called Operation Iraqi Freedom.

For Johnson, a resident of Morrow, Ga., the tradition of duty and military service runs deep. “I’ve come up with my love for the military and the Army naturally because I definitely come from an Army Family,” he said.

Both his parents were Army officers in World War II; his father, an infantry company commander in the 84th Division in France, Belgium and Germany, and his mother was an Army nurse in Tehran, Iran, on the re-supply route to Russia from the Persian Gulf.

“My older brother retired as an Army colonel, my younger brother is on active duty as an Army colonel in U.S. Pacific Command right now. My father-in-law was a major general in the Army reserves. His last command was the 81st Army Reserve Command in Atlanta, Ga.,” Johnson said.

Except for his current assignment, most of Johnson’s 25 years of reserve duty were with Georgia-based units, especially the 1188th Terminal Transportation Battalion, a Military Traffic Management Command unit. MTMC is the Army component of USTRANSCOM.

Johnson rose through the ranks in the 1188th TTB, eventually commanding the unit in 1994. His father-in-law, retired Maj. Gen. Emory C. Parrish, had previously commanded the 1188th.

He added, “My son-in-law is a captain in the Army Transportation Corps, graduating from his Officer Advance Course and on his way to the G-4 [logistics] shop of the 3rd Infantry Division at Ft. Stewart, Ga.”

In his civilian career, Johnson is a partner and director of purchasing, sourcing and logistics for a 250 million dollar McDonough, Ga., health care textiles firm.

As a key officer in the company, his absence has been difficult, but he is quick to point out, “The company has been very, very supportive. I couldn’t ask for a more supportive company. But they’ve always supported me being in the reserves, and I’ve been there for 25 years and this is the first time I’ve been mobilized.”

As an employer with reservist employees, and as a reservist himself, Johnson has a unique perspective on the “citizen-soldier”.

What would he tell other businessmen, managers, and supervisors who have employees in the reserves or National Guard?

“The reserves are a significant percentage of the defense capabilities of the Unites States, but a very small part of the budget,” he pointed out, “The reserves are a good deal from a taxpayer’s perspective.”

He went on to say, “From the individual company perspective, most reservists – and most personnel with prior military service – are very well trained. They know how to assume a great amount of responsibility at a very young age.” He concluded, “So not only are they a good deal on the macro level, but they are a good deal because they are good employees.”

“As a reservist, my best advice [to fellow reservists] is to involve your employer.” He cautions reservists need to provide their employer with as much advance notice of duty as possible. And he recommends that they get involved with their local chapter of the National Committee for Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve.

Reserve general understands “citizen-soldier” commitment from both sides

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