Transforming the deployment and distribution seams between strategic and operational logistics

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait (Feb 10, 2004 - USTCNS) --- U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM), in partnership with USTRANSCOM, DLA and other national providers, has taken recent steps to transform the deployment and distribution process and eliminate the seams between strategic and operational logistics. Partnering with many national logistics providers, CENTCOM now has a team of joint logistics experts under their tactical command and control (TACON) providing capabilities in a regional combatant command's theater of operations. The CENTCOM Deployment and Distribution Operations Center (CDDOC) deployed here last month to work for USCENTCOM as a pilot program to help transform distribution operations within the Department of Defense.

By early summer, the USCENTCOM area of operations will see a rotation of forces involving more than 250,000 troops and 1 million tons of cargo; the largest movement of forces and their equipment in such a compressed span of time in our history. Historically, challenges have been the throughput of forces and material beyond the strategic ports. The CDDOC will focus on synchronizing and eliminating the gaps between the strategic and operational levels - mitigating bottlenecks at critical points and ensuring unimpeded throughput of forces, equipment and sustainment cargo.

The USCENTCOM Commander agreed to an innovative proposal by the Commander of U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) and DOD's Distribution Process Owner and the US Army Material Command, for the deployment of the CDDOC. The team, representing all of the Service's material commands, USTRANSCOM, U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM), and Defense Logistics Agency arrived with subject matter experts armed with the latest information technologies that connect to national providers in the United States.

Direct and immediate interface with national logistics partners is rapidly changing CENTCOM processes in deployment and distribution. Within days of 'boots-on-the-ground' in Kuwait, the collaborative reach back capabilities of the CDDOC capitalized on their ability to provide visibility and synchronization of the entire process.

The long term future of the CDDOC pilot program remains to be worked between TRANSCOM and CENTCOM, but already realized enhancements to CENTCOM deployment and distribution systems is already proving its relevance to CENTCOM and all its supported forces.