Message to SDDC Industry Partners

MG Stephen Farmen, USA, Commander of the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC), recently released a video message thanking the command’s industry partners.

He emphasized the close nature of the relationship between industry partners and the command, referring to them as the fourth component and calling them teammates. This sentiment, he said, was especially clear now, as everyone joined together to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Whenever we go to war, it’s going to take all the intricate parts, pieces, [and] commitment of the fourth component in order to bring the capability we need to move at speed and scale, whether it’s beating and killing the virus or it’s going to war in a different capacity across the globe,” said MG Farmen.

He also praised industry for bringing relentless spirit, commitment, and passion to missions, which he said was felt all the way from the headquarters to the brigade and battalion levels.

“To be successful in a complex world takes the three ‘ships’—relationships, partnerships, and friendships—and that is what we have on full display in order to execute the surface movements and move our Army and the Joint Force through all the nodes from CONUS (the continental United States) all the way overseas and back again. I just want to thank all of you for the excellent work you do helping us defend our nation, assure our allies, and deter our enemies.”