NAPLES, Italy, (USTCNS) --- Last February, soldiers from the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division, were busy packing. Their orders: Link up with the Army's 4th Infantry Division to form an invasion force from Turkey into northern Iraq.

But, after weeks of debate, the Turkish parliament declined to allow U.S. forces to invade from its shared border with Iraq. Meanwhile, the 4th ID's equipment remained off the Turkish coast-aboard a fleet of Military Sealift Command cargo vessels-and the 1st ID stayed at home at their bases in Germany.

But, now, their turn has come and the 1st ID, more commonly known in Army circles as "Big Red One," is ready! The 1st ID will replace the 4th ID northwest of Baghdad, part of a scheduled rotation of forces announced by the Defense Department last summer.

To get their massive amount of equipment safely in theater, the Army called upon five Military Sealift Command ships-Large, Medium-Speed, Roll-on/Roll-off ships, or LMSRs, with a combined cargo capacity equal to almost 40 football fields-to get them there.

Over 70,000 tons of army hardware-everything from M1-A1 Abrams heavy battle tanks, armored personnel carriers, Bradley fighting vehicles, heavy trucks, humvees, fuel trucks, as well as containers carrying everything from bandages to meals-ready-to-eat-was loaded at Antwerp, Belgium from Jan. 25 into early February.

MSC Office, Northern Europe, or MSCO NOREUR, based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, served as command representatives for the load. Operations officers Paul Weitenberg and Deane Swickard, and reserves Capt. George Lewis, USNR, commander of Naval Reserve MSCO Unit Eastern Mediterranean 106, Cmdr. John Madden, USNR, executive officer of Naval Reserve MSCO Unit Western Mediterranean 102, and merchant marine reservist Lt. Virgil Wayne Soloman, USNR, served the vital role as liaison between the ships' master and Army staff, port authorities, host nation officials, and contracted stevedores.

10,000 pieces of heavy combat equipment arrived at the port by rail, river barge, and truck-lined up in 'force packages' ready to be loaded, around-the-clock, aboard the giant LMSRs. The U.S. Army's 21st Theater Support Command, based in Kaiserslauten, Germany, delivered the equipment to the port, then the Army's Surface Deployment and Distribution Command's 598th Transportation Terminal Group, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, took over from there, loading the cargo aboard the ships.

The first to arrive was USNS Brittin, which arrived at the pier in the early morning of Jan. 25. Cargo loading began just two hours later, and the mission was underway. Overall, Brittin loaded over 1,560 pieces of combat equipment, including Blackhawk, Apache, and Kiowa Warrior helicopters.

With Brittin still pier side, pulling in front was USNS Red Cloud, which arrived later that night. By the morning of Jan. 26, cargo operations began. In bitter cold and, at times, heavy snow, Red Cloud loaded 1,650 pieces of cargo, including tracked and wheeled vehicles and its share of helicopters and containers. "Weather did not have any significant impact on cargo operations, however," Weitenberg said.

Standing on the weather deck, surveying the massive amount of equipment staged on the dock, Red Cloud master Capt. Chris Begley, who's ships has made two trips to Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, or OIF, said: "What I see here validates what we learned after Desert Storm in the early 1990's-that we need to deliver massive amounts of equipment quickly … this is exactly why these ships were built."

"It makes a difference in the world, what you do," said Col. Susan Sowers, USA, commander of the Army's 37th Transportation Battalion, recognizing Capt. Begley, his crew, and Military Sealift Command, in a ceremony held aboard the ship. "We couldn't get there without you." Sowers' organization is responsible to move the equipment from 10 locations in Germany to the staging area at the port.

"We're all part of one large team supporting our peacekeepers in Iraq with fresh equipment and supplies," Begley, the Middletown, New Jersey native, replied.

USNS Dahl was next at the port, taking Brittin's space at the pier on Jan. 28, loading over 1,370 pieces of heavy combat equipment and supplies. Loading was complete in the early hours of Jan. 29. Dahl later sailed onto nearby Nordenham, Germany, to load additional cargo.

"Our crewmembers worked long days, up to 18 hours, but they work until the job gets done, said Dahl master Capt. Bradford Collins, a 1976 graduate of Maine Maritime Academy. "I ask a lot of the crew, but its what makes this ship work. The entire crew is proud of what we do for DoD. Also, the MSCO NOREUR staff have a good understanding of ship operations and they're liaison with the cargo handlers smoothed any potential delays."

With Red Cloud underway, USNS Watkins occupied her space at the pier, pulling along side on Jan. 30. Loading commenced at 6 a.m. later the same day and was completed in the early hours of Feb. 1. The ship set sail the following afternoon, loading more than 1,460 pieces of cargo.

USNS Charlton was the final piece of the puzzle, arriving on Jan. 31, loading the last of the equipment on the pier. "Overall, a move of this size is a very complex logistical operation," said Capt. Dirk Deverill, USN, Commander, Military Sealift Command, Europe. "It's truly a team effort between the Army and the Navy."

All five ships will sail some 6,500-miles to the Middle East where up to 12,000 1st ID troops will link up with their equipment and move into northern Iraq. The turnover of forces is expected to be complete by March, and 'Big Red One' troops will remain in Iraq for 12 months. Its headquarters will be in Tikrit, the hometown of captured former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.