AFRICOM Adds Hub, Walmart Gets into Rail, and more
GovTravels is Happening Now!
GovTravels 2019 has finally arrived and is taking place this week in Alexandria, Virginia. Keep up with all the latest news from the meeting on Facebook and Twitter (#GovTravels2019).
AFRICOM Adds Logistics Hub in West Africa, Hinting at an Enduring US Presence
(Defense One) US Africa Command plans to begin routing flights to Accra, Ghana, as the hub of a new logistics network to ferry supplies and weapons to the patches of US troops operating across the continent’s increasingly turbulent western region. READ MORE
Funding Defense: A Strategic Problem
(War on the Rocks) A more difficult international environment, the Defense Department’s internal funding dynamics, and unresolved stresses in federal spending are combining to make adequate defense spending a truly strategic problem. READ MORE
3D Printing Across Army Enhancing Logistics
(Army News Service) As 3D printing increases both in the field and at depots, the Army’s Center of Excellence for Additive and Advanced Manufacturing is slated to reach initial operating capability this year at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois. READ MORE
White House Promises Using Military Funds to Build Trump’s Border Wall Won’t Hurt Force Readiness
(Military Times) Despite objections from Congress, White House officials will shift about $3.6 billion in military construction funds to build President Donald Trump’s controversial southern border wall, potentially delaying repairs and upgrades for facilities at a host of bases worldwide. READ MORE
New Government Contracting Center Aims to Fill Independent Research, Education Void
(Federal News Radio) The Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University educates the next generation of federal managers, and there are a litany of think tanks and good government groups that focus on issues like foreign policy and government accountability issues. But there hasn’t been an independent, research-focused organization for government contracting—at least not until now. READ MORE
Industry News
White House Orders Agencies to Defend the Skies from Cyberattacks
(Defense One) In its National Strategy for Aviation Security, the Trump administration called on the government to be more proactive in spotting threats to US airspace. READ MORE
Logistics Companies Take a Distinctive Approach to Lessen Truck Order Backlog
(Supply & Demand Chain Executive) Truck attainment has been the foremost challenge for those that rely on trucking across many industries. Replacement and truck attainment strategies that help the economy stay active need to be sensibly considered. READ MORE
Walmart is Quietly Taking Charge of Its Rail Operations—and It Could Slash Transportation Costs as the Country’s Largest Retailer Seeks to Boost E-Commerce Profits
(Business Insider) Walmart is taking control of their supply chain through a pilot program in which the $500 billion retailer uses name-brand freight containers designed in-house. READ MORE
Brexit Claims Its First Airline as Uncertainty Continues
(Forbes) British Midland Regional Limited, based in the East Midlands in the United Kingdom and operating as Flybmi, recently announced it had ceased operations with immediate effect and would file for bankruptcy. In a statement issued at the time of closure, a spokesperson directly attributed the airline’s failure to Brexit uncertainty. READ MORE
These Are the Cyberthreats Lurking in Your Supply Chain
(MIT Sloan School of Management) The vast majority of firms approach cybersecurity from a perimeter-defense mindset, but are failing to consider third-party or supply chain cyberattacks. READ MORE
Member Highlights
Delta Wants to Make Billions Fixing Planes, Including Those of Other Airlines
(CNBC) Delta Air Lines on has unveiled a jet engine test facility it says is the largest in the world. It’s the airline’s latest bid to grow its aircraft maintenance business eightfold over the next five years by fixing its own planes and those of other airlines. READ MORE
Deutsche Post DHL Group and SF Holding Conclude Landmark Supply Chain Deal
(DHL) Deutsche Post DHL Group has concluded a landmark deal to transfer its supply chain operations in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau to SF Holding, a leading premium logistics service provider in the country. READ MORE
Less-Than-Container Loads Move the Global Supply Chain
(Landstar) As US e-commerce sales continue to grow, shippers are focused on importing more frequent shipments. But many of those e-commerce shippers don’t have enough cargo to fill an ocean container, spurring an increased demand for less-than-container load ocean services. READ MORE
BNSF Announces Plan for 2019 Capital Investments
(BNSF Railway) BNSF has announced its 2019 capital investment plan of $3.57 billion. The emphasis of this year’s capital plan continues to be on maintaining and expanding its network with an unwavering focus on operating a safe railroad that meets customers’ demands. READ MORE
EAGLE Pathways: Bridging the Middle Skills Gap to Careers in Aviation
(AAR CORP.) The aviation industry’s workforce shortage has the potential to constrain companies’ future growth, even as demand for air travel soars at unprecedented heights. Read more about this issue and how AAR is confronting workforce challenges. READ MORE
NDTA News & Events
NDTA and CNU’s Conference on America’s Ports
Save the date as the National Defense Transportation Association (NDTA) and Christopher Newport University’s Center for American Studies jointly present the Conference on America’s Ports: Supporting Our National Military Objectives, at Christopher Newport University, April 30-May 2, 2019.
Find NDTA chapter events on the NDTA CALENDAR.
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