SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (USTCNS) --- Tis the season for Mr. Santa Claus (A.K.A. Saint Nicholas) to make his annual trek showcasing the most dynamic distribution system ever developed. For centuries, good boys and girls all around the world have received presents from this premiere expert in supply chain management. How Claus accomplishes this annual ritual has become a seasonal subject of debate within the top-secret planning cells here at U.S. Transportation Command.
The Claus organization, rumored to have its headquarters at the North Pole, and USTRANSCOM are both in the business of transporting and distributing commodities. Navy Capt. Chuck McWhorter, chief of public affairs for the command responsible for moving all of the Department of Defense’s forces says the similarities are daunting.
“Like Mr. Claus, our distribution of goods must be accomplished on time, delivering the right ‘goods’, to the right place,” McWhorter said. “The importance of what each organization does cannot be overstated to the people at the receiving end.”
The USTRANSCOM mission is to provide air, land, and sea transportation for the Department of Defense, both in time of peace and time of war. Expanding on these responsibilities, last year the Secretary of Defense designated USTRANSCOM as the process owner for DoD’s distribution. In this capacity, the command is tasked with developing efficient and effective distribution solutions to enhance strategic support to worldwide customers.
Everyone is familiar with Santa’s mission, but nobody knows for sure the exact scope of his workload. Internet sources estimate Santa Claus has a little more than 30 hours to transport more than 320,000 tons of goods to possibly 100 million homes.
A more detailed comparison of Santa’s exploits to that of USTRANSCOM’s reveals more similarities – and highlights significant differences.
Ms. Trish Young is a Deputy in the Directorate of Strategy, Plans, Policy, and Programs at USTRANSCOM and has been managing the command’s efforts in the role of DoD’s Distribution Process Owner (DPO).
According to Young, the command has consulted with, and studied, many commercial and private entities for their excellence in supply chain management – including Mr. Claus. “The lessons we’ve learned have helped us benchmark success.”
Early collaborative planning is essential.
“Santa begins planning very early in his decision cycle,” said Air Force Col. Angie Faulise, in charge of the requirements section within the Directorate of Operations. “We do the same thing – collaborating with customers and partners - so we can optimize the Defense Transportation System to be effective and efficient.”
The similarities between USTRANSCOM and the North Pole end once the commodities reach their destination.
“Santa’s mission ends when he drops off his presents,” Young said while explaining the different challenges each face. “Once we get forces where they need to be, we must have a plan for sustaining them until their mission is complete, and then we have to bring them home.”
In order to deploy, sustain and redeploy America’s military might, USTRANSCOM’s workforce is more than 155,000 strong including active duty, Reserve components and civilian personnel. The work is executed by the Air Force’s Air Mobility Command, the Army’s Surface Deployment and Distribution Command and the Navy’s Military Sealift Command. USTRANSCOM employs these components and leverages commercial industry and national logistics partners such as the Defense Logistics Agency and the Service’s Materiel Commands to meet these challenges.
Since the command has been unable to arrange a meeting with the Claus organization, USTRANSCOM is conducting extensive research and preparing to observe this year’s travels by Santa Claus.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command tracks Santa Claus annually, and USTRANSCOM is capitalizing on NORAD’s experience.
“We will combine NORAD’s extensive radar tracking tools along with our global network within the Defense Transportation System to try and keep tabs on Santa and his distribution schedule,” according to McWhorter. “We will not interfere in anyway (with Santa’s deliveries); we are only gathering information to learn from Mr. Claus.”
