The Official Newsletter of The National Defense Transportation Association

June 5, 2024

Register Now for the NDTA-USTRANSCOM Fall Meeting

Registration is now open for the 12th annual NDTA-USTRANSCOM Fall Meeting scheduled for October 7 – 10, 2024, at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel, St. Louis, MO. Industry, government and military partners will gather to learn, and share ideas, solutions and impacts related to “Accelerating Decision Advantage Across Defense Transportation & Logistics.”  The Fall Meeting includes General Sessions, Meetings and Expo Hall, plus a robust Transportation Academy, covering relevant logistics and transportation topics to enhance your leadership, networking, educational and career goals. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be available for registrants attending the full program. See details related to CEUs in the registration pages. […READ MORE…]

Cyber Operational Readiness Assessment Program Underpins Mission Assurance

By Steven Mavica, Joint Force Headquarters – Department of Defense Information Network

Over the past four years, Joint Force Headquarters — Department of Defense Information Network (JFHQ-DODIN) has made significant changes to the Defense Department Command Cyber Readiness Inspection program, transforming mindsets from inspection compliance to operational readiness underpinning mission assurance. To enunciate this significant shift, the program has been renamed to the Cyber Operational Readiness Assessment (CORA). […READ MORE…]

NDTA JAX Raises Nearly $5,000 for Scholarship Fund

Let’s give a shout out to everyone who sponsored or participated in the NDTA North Florida-JAX scholarship golf tournament at the Queens Harbour Golf Course in Jacksonville, Thursday, May 23. The event raised almost $5,000 for the chapter’s needs-based endowment scholarship with The University of North Florida. NDTA’s JAX Chapter is recognized by the State of Florida as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Editor’s Picks

Pentagon Looks Beyond Primes for Cheaper Drones

(Defense One) The Pentagon has picked four non-traditional defense contractors to develop drones that can be produced en masse and “on-call,” acknowledging that industry giants might not be up to providing the relatively inexpensive uncrewed systems that are looming larger in modern war. Anduril Industries, Integrated Solutions for Systems, Leidos Dynetics, and Zone 5 Technologies were selected to develop an “enterprise test vehicle” that can be built quickly and cheaply.

House Approps Bill Funds Single Virginia-class Sub, Cuts Landing Ship Medium in 4 Warship Buy

(USNI) In a split from the House Armed Service Committee, the House defense appropriators want to buy a single Virginia-class nuclear attack submarine in a draft of the Fiscal Year 2025 defense spending bill. The bill funds a $31.6 billion shipbuilding budget that includes two Flight III Arleigh Burke guided-missile destroyers, one San Antonio-class amphibious warship and the single Virginia-class attack boat that the Navy asked for in its budget submission.

USDOT Announces “Support Our Troops” Dashboard to Improve Air Travel for Military Service Members and Immediate Families

(Transportation) The U.S. Department of Transportation announced a new “Support Our Troops” dashboard to help U.S. military service members and their immediate family members more easily access travel benefits offered by the 10 largest U.S. airlines. The dashboard clearly displays each airlines’ commitments, including benefits such as free carry-on and checked bags and providing refunds without additional fees when their flight plans change due to a military order or directive.

DoD Approves Reimbursement for Transportation or Shipment of Breast Milk During PCS

(DoD) The Department of Defense approved a new policy to cover the transportation or shipment of breast milk for service members during a Permanent Change of Station (PCS). Service members who are breastfeeding their child up to 12 months old and who are on PCS can be reimbursed up to $1,000 for commercial shipping, excess baggage fees, and dry ice or regular ice. For more information, see the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR).

CTM’s Corporate Booking Platform Lightning Wins Business Travel Sustainability Award 

(Corporate Travel Management) CTM’s proprietary online tool Lightning won the “achievement in sustainability – corporate booking platform” category at the 2024 Business Travel Sustainability Awards for a second consecutive year. Lightning is designed to help corporations achieve their sustainability goals, and includes the ability to budget, monitor, transfer and offset carbon emissions, make buying decisions based on granular emissions data, switch from plane to train with 1-click, view airline SAF scoring, and more.

Boeing ecoDemonstrator to Test Technologies to Improve Cabin Recyclability, Operational Efficiency

(Boeing Company) Boeing is testing three dozen technologies on its ecoDemonstrator program focused on strengthening operational efficiency and sustainability in cabin interiors, one of the most challenging parts of recycling an airplane. “The Boeing ecoDemonstrator program helps us make tangible improvements to our products – allowing us to reduce the environmental impacts of flying, improve the in-flight experience and strengthen the safety of our airplanes,” said Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.”

CSX Named One of America’s 2024 Climate Leaders by USA TODAY

(CSX) CSX Corporation has been honored by USA TODAY as one of America’s Climate Leaders 2024. This marks the second consecutive year that CSX has been ranked among U.S. companies for achieving significant reductions in emissions intensity between 2020 and 2022.

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