The Official Newsletter of The National Defense Transportation Association
March 9, 2021
Resources:
- FEMA Advisory: COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Update
- Help getting your vaccine:
- Pharmacies Participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 Vaccination | CDC
- VaccineFinder
- Vaccination Standby List (vaxstandby.com)
- In addition, register on your state and county sites.
- If you’re a veteran, the VA is administrating doses.
Recommended articles:
- Pentagon to Help Stand Up 10 More COVID Mass Vaccination Sites, Mission Could Last Much of 2021
- Senate Passes $1.9 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Bill. Here’s What’s Next
NDTA-CAS Surface Force Projection Conference (Virtual)
By Sharon Lo Managing Editor, Defense Transportation Journal and The Source
NDTA and its co-sponsor, Christopher Newport University’s (CNU) Center for American Studies (CAS), have announced the 2021 Surface Force Projection Conference (SFPC) will be held virtually May 18-20. Although we prefer to hold an in-person conference this year, the lingering pandemic conditions remind us that we are not quite ready. Instead, all of our breakout sessions, meetings, keynote speakers, and panel discussions will take place in a virtual setting. In this way, we will keep everyone safe while we still bringing together a fantastic group of government and industry leaders to discuss important surface force projection issues.
You will not want to miss this year’s conference as we shift our focus from last year’s look at Europe to a review of the INDO-PACIFIC region. Our theme for the SFPC is “CONUS to the INDO-PACIFIC Region: Projecting Forces through Strategic Ports to Provide Combat Power”.
Please mark your calendar for May 18-20 and keep an eye out—registration information will be available in the next two weeks. We look forward to having you join us for this year’s SFPC!
Passenger Air Travel: Adapting to Meet the Changing Environment
By Sharon Lo Managing Editor, Defense Transportation Journal and The Source
The COVID-19 Pandemic has created a new reality for the passenger travel industry. Chief Executive Officer of United Airlines Scott Kirby recently provided insight into how his company adapted to meet this changing environment. The comments came during his keynote speech at the 2021 GovTravels Symposium.
Co-sponsored by the National Defense Transportation Association (NDTA) and the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO), GovTravels is an annual gathering of US Government and industry travel experts. This year’s symposium took place virtually February 23-25, 2021. […READ MORE…]
Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost Nominated for Commander, USTRANSCOM
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced Friday that the president has nominated Air Force Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost for assignment as commander, US Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Van Ovost currently serves as commander, Air Mobility Command.
Gen. Van Ovost is an Air Force Academy graduate. She has served as a test pilot; commanded a refueling squadron, a training wing, and an airlift wing; headed the C-17 Globemaster III program at the Pentagon, and served as vice director of the joint staff.
Recently, Gen. Van Ovost spoke to the TODAY Show’s Savannah Guthrie about her inspiring career in the Air Force. View the interview.
Editor’s Picks
How the US Military is Preparing for a War with China
(Nikkei Asia) A recent Atlantic Council publication lays out a sweeping blueprint for a U.S. strategy to face China. Whether the new Biden administration fully embraces the paper’s aggressive stance remains to be seen, but elements are under serious consideration.
Eyeing China, Indo-Pacific Command Seeks $27 Billion Deterrence Fund
(Defense News) U.S. military officials have outlined new spending requirements to boost deterrence against China, including new weapons, new construction, and closer military-to-military collaboration with America’s allies in the region.
CISA Tells Agencies to Patch or Unplug On-Premise Microsoft Email Systems
(Federal News Network) New zero-day vulnerabilities in on-premise Microsoft email servers are causing a fire drill across the government. CISA issued an emergency directive Wednesday requiring agencies to update or disconnect the Microsoft Exchange products from their networks until they are updated with the patch released Tuesday.
Abandon Old Assumptions About Defense Spending
(War on the Rocks) In 2010, then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen said, “The most significant threat to our national security is our debt.” At the time the national debt was climbing fast. But obsession with the debt and the limits that it places on defense spending is actually a bad idea.
West of Diego Garcia, India is Building an Island Base of Its Own
(The Maritime Executive) The small, remote Mauritian island of North Agalega, located in the south-western Indian Ocean, 700 miles north of Mauritius, is currently a hive of construction activity. India sought access to the islands in 2015 to develop as an air and naval staging point for surveillance of the south-west Indian Ocean.
Physics-Based Simulation Can Improve Force Readiness
(Defense News) Lethality, agility, speed, and technology: These words describe our capacity to fight. Yet, much of our latent capacity is held back by reliability issues — the bane of all warfighters.
What the Route of a Container Teaches Us About the State of World Trade
(Hapag-Lloyd) The container is a symbol of globalization. But during the coronavirus crisis, there suddenly aren’t enough. Why is that? Tracing the journey of a container of the shipping company Hapag-Lloyd shows that global trade is out of balance.
UPS Healthcare and The UPS Foundation Make Financial and In-Kind Commitment to Facilitate Equitable Worldwide Vaccine Deliveries
(UPS) UPS, The UPS Foundation, and UPS Healthcare are moving quickly to support an equitable delivery program and sustainable global supply chain of COVID-19 vaccines. UPS, in collaboration with COVAX, Gavi, the vaccine alliance, and CARE will initially facilitate the delivery of 20 million doses for countries that have not had sufficient access to vaccines, including top priority groups like healthcare workers.
National Air Cargo, Partner in Global COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution
(National Air Cargo) National aims to support the transportation of vaccines globally to support communities and has established a clear logistical process to support efficient transportation.
Matson Publishes New Sustainability Report
(Matson) Matson, Inc. has published a new Sustainability Report that describes the company’s commitment to responsible environmental, social, and governance practices.
FedEx Prepares For COVID-19 Vaccine Volume Growth, Begins Shipping Newly Approved Vaccine
(FedEx) FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp., has announced that it has begun shipping the newly approved COVID-19 vaccine on behalf of McKesson Corp. to dosing centers throughout the United States.
The Source is a free educational publication for NDTA members, conference attendees, and associates.