Industry partner accomplishes high-profile MTMC mission - USS Cole - Military Transport Management Command - Brief Article

Translog: Journal of Military Transportation Management, March-April, 2001

When Tom Boyle talks, it is assertive and right to the point.

Boyle, the President of Boyle Transportation, Billerica, Mass., is well known in the trucking industry. Indeed, he serves as the Chairman of the American Trucking Association's Government Traffic Policy Committee.

However, when Boyle talks about his firm's work moving munitions off the USS Cole, his tone is reserved and respectful.

It obviously leaves an impression when a terrorist bomb Oct. 12 in Aden, Yemen, killed 17 sailors, shattered the ship, shocked the country--and then landed on the doorstep of his firm.

In addition, the U.S. Navy asked Boyle to downplay his firm's removal of munitions from the terrorist-damaged ship in early January.

The ship had been moved to Litton Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Miss., following the incident. A patch was placed on the ship, and it was towed across the bay to Naval Station Pascagoula for removal of munitions and missiles.

The Deployment Support Command opened and closed a bid to remove the munitions in an amazing 24 hours.

While several firms bid on the work, Boyle Transportation provided a detailed game plan and description of the project.

"We were a known commodity," said Boyle.

The munitions hauler had a lot of experience working with the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station, Yorktown, Va., a prime mover in equipment and expertise in the munitions discharge.

The move went off without a hitch.

"We respect their request for a low profile," said Boyle.

After the discharge, the Cole was moved back across the bay to Litton Ingalls Shipbuilding. The vessel is now under repair--a process the Navy estimates will take approximately one year, and cost an estimated $240 million.