The Official Newsletter of The National Defense Transportation Association
February 26, 2025
Happening Now!
GovTravels 2025 Symposium
More than 1,250 professionals from across the spectrum of US government travel agencies and industries are gathered for the GovTravels 2025 Symposium at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center Hotel in Alexandria, Va., Feb. 24-27.
This is the highest number of attendees ever registered for GovTravels, which is co- sponsored by the National Defense Transportation Association (NDTA) and the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO), in association with the General Services Administration (GSA), and the NDTA Government Passenger Travel Advisory Council (GPTAC) and its committees.
This year’s theme, “Change Management: Challenges & Solutions in Government Travel,” focuses on the need for government and industry leaders to effectively manage change, employing creative and innovative solutions to provide government passengers with world-class travel. […READ MORE…]
Surface Force Projection Conference
The National Defense Transportation Association (NDTA) and Christopher Newport University’s Center for American Studies (CAS) jointly present the NDTA-CAS Surface Force Projection Conference (SFPC): “Challenging the Joint Force Deployment Status Quo – Improving the Large-Scale Deployment Model,” June 10-12, 2025.
The SFPC brings together government and industry logistics and transportation experts, members of the Joint Logistic Enterprise, to examine a wide range of challenges associated with deploying forces and moving sustainment to the point of need. During this time, we will build relationships and trust, examine deployment challenges, look for solutions, educate and collaborate and find ways to improve readiness and transportation capability. […READ MORE…]
2025 NDTA Foundation Scholarships
NDTA is excited about the education and professional development of our nation’s future logistics and transportation leaders and is offering four scholarship opportunities for members and their children.
- Program A – for currently enrolled college students
- Program B – for soon-to-be high school graduates accepted at an accredited institution
- Program C – for currently enrolled, distance learning college students
- Program D – The Denny Edwards Graduate Scholarship for graduate (master’s degree) students
All scholarship winners will receive a unique opportunity to join our Industry Connect Program (ICP), which links interested students with an industry mentor to help them bridge to the future. More information can be found here.
To learn about the scholarship qualification details and how to apply, go to https://www.ndtahq.com/foundation/, call us at (703) 751-5011 or send us an email at ndtahq@ndtahq.com. Read student testimonials from previous scholarship recipients to learn about the impact it has had on their studies. […READ MORE…]
Your Source
By Alexandria Brimage-Gray DLA Public Affairs
Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Director Army Lt. Gen. Mark Simerly shared an overview of the agency, including the strategic plan and solutions to overcoming contested logistics challenges during the National Defense Industrial Association’s 39th Annual Logistics Forum in Orlando, Florida, Feb. 11. The National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) hosted the forum for military and civilian senior logistics leaders and industry partners. […READ MORE…]
Mass Deportations Could Disrupt US Food Supply Chain, Experts Say
By Noi Mahoney
(Freight Waves) As the Trump administration continues its crackdown on illegal immigrants across the US, the nation’s food supply chain could face the same challenges the United Kingdom encountered when it left the European Union in January 2020. Brexit, the U.K.’s withdrawal from the EU, disrupted the country’s labor pool and created instability across the agriculture and food supply chains, according to Barbara Guignard, a principal at Efficio, a global procurement and supply chain consultancy. […READ MORE…]
The US Department of Transportation (DOT) released its Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) on airline operational data compiled for the month of November 2024 for on-time performance, mishandled baggage, and mishandled wheelchairs and scooters. The ATCR is designed to assist consumers with information on the quality of services provided by airlines. […READ MORE…]
By Charles Hamilton, Former Commander, U.S. Army Materiel Command
According to Charles Hamilton, a retired US Army lieutenant general and former commander of US Army Materiel Command, on the topic of military logistics, “Among the many lessons of the Ukraine war is that traditional reactive logistics models are dangerously outdated.”
Hamilton discusses Russia’s sustainment efforts and Ukraine’s “data-driven logistics” and uses these points of reference to argue that “the future of military logistics must be predictive, not reactive.” […READ MORE…]
Topic: Disaster Response and Preparedness
with Greg J. Ramoni, Team Rubicon Operations Manager
Date: Thursday, March 13, 2025
Time: 2 PM to 3 PM EST
Location: MS Teams Webinar (link below)
Click here to join the webinar
Greg J. Ramoni has a wealth of experience in disaster response and preparedness and will share his insights on engaging and supporting disaster efforts. Greg’s background includes overseeing Team Rubicon’s operations for seven states, from the Tennessee River Valley to the US northern border, and from the Mississippi River east to the Appalachian Mountains. He also serves as Team Rubicon’s Exercise Director and EOC Manager, supporting preparedness exercises and EOC activations for large-scale disasters.
We encourage all NDTA members and interested parties to attend this informative session to learn from a leader in the field of disaster response and preparedness.
We look forward to seeing you!
Editor’s Picks
(USNI.org) Commercial airliners flying over the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand were forced to reroute their flights on Friday morning Australian time because of a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) action group warning that it would conduct live-fire drills. Australia had earlier announced on Feb. 13 that it was monitoring the PLAN task group. The task group has since sailed into the Tasman Sea, which lies between Australia and New Zealand.
AH-1Z Attack Helicopter’s New Long-Range Missile Seen for the First Time
(The War Zone) The US Navy has released a picture of a US Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter with a previously unseen long-range munition armament. The Marines are known to be in the process of developing at least one new missile, the Precision Attack Strike Missile (PASM), to dramatically extend the range at which AH-1Zs can engage targets on land and at sea. The Corps sees this as key to ensuring the relevance of the helicopters in a future major conflict, especially one in the Pacific against China.
San Diego Will Lose a Huge Navy Warship This Year, but It Will Be Replaced by Another ‘Mini-Carrier’
(San Diego Union Tribune) San Diego Bay will lose an amphibious assault ship this year but gain an equally brawny replacement as the Navy goes through a planned rotation of huge vessels that transport and deploy Marines.
The specific timing of the moves has yet to be released. But the USS America will leave Sasebo, Japan, for its new home in San Diego, while its sister ship the USS Tripoli moves from San Diego to Sasebo. It’s common for the Navy to change its line-up of ships stationed in Japan, its biggest ally in the Indo-Pacific.
Army, Navy Experimentation Efforts Foreshadow Second Wind for Hypervelocity Projectile
(Breaking Defense) WASHINGTON — The munition once slated for use on the US Navy’s failed electromagnetic railgun may be getting a second wind for both the service’s ubiquitous MK-45 5-inch gun, as well as a new Army initiative to defend bases from aerial drones.
The Hypervelocity Projectile, produced by BAE Systems, is a maneuvering, precision guided munition capable of intercepting anti-ship cruise missiles. Its development and experimentation through multiple branches of the Pentagon spans back to 2012 when it was, at that time, destined for use on a key railgun capability to be installed on the Zumwalt-class destroyers.
New Plug-and-Play AI Can Protect Pilots of Non-stealth Planes
(Breaking Defense) WASHINGTON — One of the largest defense companies on the planet just unveiled a small upgrade that could make a big difference in the survival rates of US aircrews. And by deploying an AI device powerful enough to be militarily useful, yet small enough to be retrofitted on a fighter jet, Raytheon’s new Cognitive Algorithm Deployment System (CADS) is a major step towards a long-sought holy grail of “cognitive electronic warfare.”
Hapag-Lloyd Concludes Green Financing of Its 24 New Container Ships
Hapag-Lloyd will use green financings for the 24 large container ships it ordered in October 2024. The new buildings will have a combined capacity of 312,000 TEU and involve a combined investment volume of around $4 billion. The financing will be carried out on the basis of Hapag-Lloyd’s Green Financing Framework, which complies with the standards of the Green Loan Principles of the Loan Market Association (LMA).
Leidos CEO Sees Continued Growth from Strategy Tightly Aligned to Customer Priorities
Record 2024 financial results showed Leidos not only beat goals set in 2021 but allowed the company to forecast continued growth with a strategy that better positions it to deliver efficiency and cost savings to customers across its portfolio.
“2024 was a great year,” CEO Tom Bell said during a Feb. 11 call with financial analysts. “But all that success is just prologue for our exciting future.”
On February 14—Valentine’s Day—the first five Southwest redeye flights touched down. Employees in these markets celebrated the Company milestone and holiday in true Southwest style by gifting passengers onboard all inaugural redeye flights with special swag, including a commemorative card, an eye mask, and ear plugs.
Currently, Southwest operates five redeye flights, including Las Vegas (LAS) to Baltimore/Washington (BWI), Las Vegas (LAS) to Orlando (MCO), Los Angeles (LAX) to Baltimore/Washington (BWI), Los Angeles (LAX) to Nashville (BNA), and Phoenix (PHX) to Baltimore/Washington (BWI). Over the coming months, Southwest will continue to scale redeye flying, peaking at 33 flights per day in June.
The Source is a free educational publication for NDTA members, conference attendees, and associates.