Joint task force-port opening will speed support to troops

Army Logistician, Sept-Oct, 2006

The Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) and the U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) are developing a concept for receiving forces, equipment, and supplies in austere areas that have no military footprint. This concept will create closer Army and Air Force cooperation through the establishment of a Joint Task Force-Port Opening (JTF-PO). The JTF-PO will consist of an Air Force element to manage airfield operations and an Army element to manage movement control and cargo-handling operations. After a joint assessment team confirmed that an aerial port of debarkation (APOD) was capable of supporting military operations, the JTF-PO would be deployed to the APOD to receive forces, equipment, and supplies. Logistics support personnel would set up tracking equipment and open distribution pipelines immediately after an area is secured. Within hours, supplies could be brought in to support humanitarian, disaster relief, and contingency operations.

In the past, initial-entry military forces typically established a presence at the airfield nearest the area of operations. The Air Force received an airplane, unloaded its cargo, and processed its passengers. Army logisticians followed a few days later and stood up at the airfield to dispatch cargo to its end destination. At times, large amounts of equipment and supplies were stockpiled at the airfield until they could be directed to the right place or unit. Troops often had difficulty locating their much-needed supplies in the logistics pipeline. As a result, they often submitted new requests for items already in the supply channels, creating a logjam in support operations.

Before the JTF-PO concept was conceived, the geographic combatant commander (GCC) was responsible for the deployment of all forces to an operation. Assigning to TRANSCOM the responsibility for deploying the JTF-PO and standing up the APOD will allow the GCC to focus his attention on his primary responsibilities. TRANSCOM will be able to deploy the forces needed to open the APOD quickly because it has access to internal airlift assets needed to support en route and airbase infrastructures.

The first JTF-PO unit is scheduled to stand up later this year. Although most initial equipment will arrive by air, SDDC is already looking into how to expand the role of the JTF-PO to integrate joint forces and missions, including in-transit visibility at sea ports of debarkation.