The Official Newsletter of The National Defense Transportation Association
February 23, 2021
GovTravels is Now!
The NDTA-DTMO GovTravels Symposium starts today. We are excited to learn, share information, and connect with all of you.
Attendees should log into the meeting at https://govtravels2021.pathable.co/login. Please note – to login, you must have claimed your meeting platform account with the link sent via email from ndtasupport@cjp.com. With this link you will set up a password, accept the terms and conditions, and then you will have access to the meeting platform and be able to choose the sessions you want to attend. If you can’t find your email or still need help logging in, please email ndtasupport@cjp.com.
And, don’t forget to join the conversation online using #GovTravels2021. See you soon!
Force Design 2030 & Logistical Support Challenges in the Pacific – DC Chapter Webinar Now Available
The latest webinar from the Washington DC Chapter took place February 18, 2021. The meeting featured speaker LtGen John “Jocko” Toolan, USMC (Ret.), who discussed Force Design 2030 & Logistical Support Challenges in the Pacific.
A recording of the webinar is now available. For access, register at: https://register.gotowebinar.com/recording/8533741164826557699
Whole-of-America Approach: How Operation Warp Speed Allocated 20 Million Vaccine Doses in 2020
By Lisa Simunaci, Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
As 2020 came to a close, Operation Warp Speed (OWS) leaders looked back on their nearly eight-month-old mission and tallied some of the milestones on the journey to get America past the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m incredibly proud of what we have accomplished to date—something like this has never been done before,” said Operation Warp Speed Chief Operating Officer GEN Gus Perna, USA. “The achievement is America’s. Our strategy all along has been a whole-of-America approach—and we have seen so many dedicated professionals work tirelessly in support of this effort.”
Operation Warp Speed stood up in May as a partnership between the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Defense (DOD) to develop and deliver COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics.
With just 100 people assigned full-time to the operation, the team took shape through five primary branches: vaccine development; therapeutics development; supply, production, and distribution; plans, operations and analysis; and security and assurance. Operation Warp Speed stood up a Vaccine Operations Center in HHS headquarters, where the majority of the team is located, to monitor the operation from end-to-end. A separate Vaccine Coordination Center in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta links regional planning teams to the jurisdictions—states, territories, and major metropolitan cities—they support. […READ MORE…]
Tabletop Exercise Refines Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement Activation Process
By Andre Kok, USTRANSCOM
Defense, government, and maritime industry representatives held a table top exercise (TTX) to activate commercial ships to support the Department of Defense (DOD) during a national emergency.
More than 80 representatives from DOD, the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD), commercial sealift carriers, and maritime labor gathered virtually last month for the TTX to talk through an activation of the Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA). The agreement, which has never been activated, is an emergency resource designed to provide the department with sealift capacity necessary during a crisis or contingency.
Sealift plays a critical role in almost every large-scale deployment of US military equipment. US Army General Stephen R. Lyons, US Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) Commander, recently highlighted this in his address to the American Bureau of Shipping Annual Member and Advisory Council Meeting last November. […READ MORE…]
Editor’s Picks
TRANSCOM Delays Awarding New Contract Worth Up to $20 Billion for Military Household Goods Moves
(MilitaryTimes) Officials at US Transportation Command have delayed their award of a contract aimed at improving household goods moves for military members and their families to the fall of 2022. The new system will fundamentally change how TRANSCOM does business, by putting the day-to-day management of household goods moves into the hands of a contractor.
An Influential Group has a List of Ideas for the Future of US Maritime Power
(Federal News Network) With rival nations building up their navies, and in China’s case getting a lot more aggressive, what should the United States’ floating power look like? The Navy League recently released a long list of recommendations for maritime policy.
Biden Takes His ‘America Is Back’ Message to the World in Munich Speech
(NPR) President Biden on Friday sought to turn the page on former President Donald Trump’s “America First” ethos, declaring “America is back” and vowing to rebuild trust with European allies by working on challenges like arms control, COVID-19, and climate change.
Austin Says No Decision Has Been Made Yet on Afghanistan Troop Withdrawal, but ‘Violence Must Decrease Now’
(Stars and Stripes) The United States has yet to decide the future of its military posture in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Friday, urging an end to violence in the nation where American troops have been fighting for nearly 20 years.
Buttigieg: After COVID-19 Relief, an Infrastructure Policy
(Transport Topics) The nation’s top transportation officer echoed the White House’s strategy of pursuing a comprehensive infrastructure policy agenda after the approval of a new round of COVID-19 aid.
DOD’s Smart Warehouse-Enabling 5G Network Underway
(Defense One) Deployment of the private 5G wireless network that will underpin the Defense Department’s experimentation with an array of cutting-edge technologies through its forthcoming smart warehouse testbed has officially kicked off.
On Pins and Needles: Tracking COVID-19 Vaccines and Therapeutics
(McKinsey & Company) In this update, McKinsey & Company tracks the progress of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics as new clinical data and virus variants emerge.
Berry Aviation Announces Expansion into Autonomous and Unmanned Aviation
(Berry Aviation, Inc.) Berry Aviation has announced the opening of a new Autonomous and Unmanned Aviation Division located in Stillwater, OK. The new research facility conducts Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) research supporting the US Department of Defense in the areas of specialized navigation, propulsion, and acoustic improvements.
DHL E-Tailers’ Almanac: Four E-Commerce Trends that Matter Most in 2021
(DHL) DHL eCommerce Solutions, a division of Deutsche Post DHL Group, has launched the 2021 E-tailers’ Almanac. The E-tailers’ Almanac aims to help online merchants plan their shipments and identify overarching trends and current factors that impact the e-commerce sector in the US.
Crowley Integrates Jensen Maritime into New Engineering Services Group
(Crowley) To bring Crowley’s complete depth and breadth of services to maritime clients seeking design-build-operate solutions, the company has now fully integrated Jensen Maritime into the Crowley Engineering Services group.
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