
The Official Newsletter of The National Defense Transportation Association
August 11, 2020
Transportation Academy at the 2020 NDTA-USTRANSCOM Fall Meeting
By Irvin Varkonyi, NDTA Educational Coordinator
The 2020 NDTA-USTRANSCOM Fall Meeting will be unlike any annual meeting held in the Association’s 75 years of existence. Transportation Academy, held in conjunction with the conference, will feature up to 80 virtual classes with instructors and attendees joining from offices, homes, or any location they may find themselves worldwide. A virtual platform will open up attendance to more participants than ever before, as well as instructors who had been unable to travel in the past but will now be able to share their perspectives. […READ MORE…]
Port of San Diego Completes Phase One of Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal Modernization Project
By Marguerite Elicone, Marketing/Public Relations Rep, Port of San Diego
The Port of San Diego recently completed the first phase of a multi-phased project to modernize its Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal. The project, which had been years in the making, broke ground in January 2018.
To help fund the project, the Port applied for a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant, now known as Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant from the US Department of Transportation. The TIGER grant program was the most competitive transportation grant program in the nation. The Port successfully competed against 38 ports and numerous agencies who collectively submitted applications for 20 times more funding than was available. In October 2015, the Port was awarded $10 million. With the TIGER grant funding, the Port was able to begin work on the project that will ultimately maximize the terminal’s cargo potential and bring in additional business, jobs, and money for the region. […READ MORE…]
Challenges to the Maritime Industry
Timothy A. Walton, Research Fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA), presented Challenges to the US Commercial Maritime Industry during the Update on the Maritime Industry class at the NDTA-USTRANSCOM Fall Meeting on October 7, 2019, in St. Louis, Missouri.
CSBA released a study on US maritime logistics and proposed an approach for making the force more resilient. The study found that current and programmed defense maritime logistics is inadequate to support US strategy, particularly against China or Russia.
The study also found that America needs new logistics concepts and capabilities to allow the National Fleet to fight in a more effective, distributed, and sustained manner while supporting Joint Force power projection. In addition, a new, operationally resilient fleet would be numerically larger, more differentiated, and only moderately more expensive than the programmed force. […READ MORE…]
Editor’s Picks
Here’s What Narcos Could Teach Marines, Sailors About ‘Cocaine Logistics’
(Marine Corps Times) The Navy and Marine Corps expect a big future fight in the Pacific, involving China, a lot of missiles, small islands and far-flung units. Many people turn to history for lessons learned and future guidance, while others lean on high-tech superiority. But another direction might be sitting just south of us and come from a long-running U.S. adversary: narcotraffickers.
Ten Performance Gains the Ford-Class Carrier Will Deliver that a Nimitz Never Can
(Forbes) The USS Gerald R. Ford, the lead ship in a new generation of large-deck, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, has been criticized for taking too long, costing too much, and not living up to its advanced billing. However, the Ford class is so different from what came before that it is hard to keep track of all the ways in which it will out-perform the carriers populating today’s operational fleet.
Supply Chain Management is Strategy
(Supply Chain Management Review) A study just published in one of the world’s top research journals confirmed what supply chain managers already knew: the most successful companies manage and orient their entire supply chain network to best serve the final end consumer, and they do this by tearing down departmental silos and integrating across key suppliers and customers.
An Aerospace Startup Just Won a Contract to Develop an Air Force One Jet that Can Travel at Mach 5. Here’s an Early Look at the Engine that Could Rocket from New York to Paris in 90 Minutes
(Business Insider) The Air Force One of the future might be getting a major speed boost. An aerospace company called Hermeus on Thursday announced a contract with the US Air Force and the Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate to develop a hypersonic aircraft for the presidential fleet.
Amtrak Prepares for New Diesel Locomotive Fleet
(Amtrak) Amtrak has released renderings and other information about the first of the diesel-electric locomotives that will replace the current fleet on the National Network, including all long-distance and many state-sponsored routes.
Berry Aviation Honored with National-Level DAV Employer Award
(Berry Aviation, Inc.) Berry Aviation, Inc. has been named the winner of the 2020 Outstanding Midsize Employer of the Year Award by DAV (Disabled American Veterans).
Wyndham Looks to Drive Corporate Travel with Newly Expanded Wyndham Direct Program
(Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc.) Wyndham has expanded Wyndham Direct, a unique booking, billing, and business solution that simplifies travel management and payment to help drive corporate business to its hotels.
Airinmar Selected by Air Methods for Warranty and Value Engineering Services
(AAR CORP.) AAR subsidiary Airinmar, the top global independent provider of component repair cycle management and aircraft warranty solutions, signed a new services agreement with the world’s largest civilian helicopter operator, Air Methods.
DHL Exclusive Multimodal Shipment Service Provides Customers in the Americas Reliable Alternative Solution Through COVID-19
(DHL) DHL Global Forwarding is currently supporting over 200 customers through the ongoing COVID-19 crisis with the various route options available in its exclusive multimodal shipping service, “Multi-Modal Express” (MMEX).
The Source is a free educational publication for NDTA members, conference attendees, and associates.