Ready now and in the future to project and sustain the Joint Force (Part 1 of 4-part series)

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (Feb. 9, 2022) – U.S. Air Force Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost, commander, U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), recently shared her priorities for the command and the Joint Deployment and Distribution Enterprise (JDDE). This is the first installment in a four-part series that explores the intent of each priority. 

Ready Now and in the Future. Warfighting Readiness is our absolute cornerstone – we must never forget that our Command exists to project and sustain combat credible forces whenever and wherever our Nation requires. My expectation is complete commitment to maintaining our “fight tonight” readiness. Simultaneously, we must adapt our operations, shape our capabilities, evolve our operational concepts, and make the investments required to fight and win against a near-peer competitor in the future strategic environment. These imperatives – ready for today’s missions while evolving to meet tomorrow’s challenges – are mutually supporting and non-negotiable. We operate as a Total Force, harnessing the unique skills resident in our Reserve, National Guard, Merchant Marine, and Civilian teammates to bolster Warfighting Readiness. Likewise, the JDDE’s readiness, and our relationships with Allies and partners, remain vital to our ability to project a decisive force at a time and place of our Nation’s choosing. We will remain Ready…to Fight, Deliver, and Win.

“TRANSCOM’s mission is enduring, and warfighting readiness is, and will remain, our top priority,” said Van Ovost. “We need to be Ready Now and in the Future.”

For USTRANSCOM to project and sustain combat credible forces whenever and wherever our nation requires, she emphasized it is imperative our transportation capabilities are ready at a moment’s notice.

“The character of war is changing, and we won’t have the luxury of operating under the same conditions as yesterday,” said Van Ovost. “We must advocate for the processes and tools needed for future mission success and speak up on ways to be more effective.”

Van Ovost stated she is counting on the entire command team.

“You are critical to warfighting readiness and improving our existing processes. Your ability to adapt our operations, shape our capabilities, evolve our operational concepts, and make the investments required to deliver, provides this command the strength to win against any competitor,” she said.

She said collaboration and resolve will make the difference between success and failure.

“We are a Total Force team. Every Active, Guard, Reserve, Merchant Marine, civilian, and contractor’s unique skills are vital to our readiness. The synergy of talents from this team yields an unmatchable strategic expertise for our command and the entire JDDE,” said Van Ovost. “Thank you for your diligence and continued hard work to be Ready Now and in the Future. Together, we deliver!”

USTRANSCOM exists as a warfighting combatant command to project and sustain military power at a time and place of the nation’s choosing. Powered by dedicated men and women, TRANSCOM underwrites the lethality of the Joint Force, advances American interests around the globe, and provides our nation's leaders with strategic flexibility to select from multiple options, while creating multiple dilemmas for our adversaries.

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