The Official Newsletter of The National Defense Transportation Association

September 29, 2021

 

Transportation Academy: DOD and Industry Partnerships

The 2021 NDTA-USTRANSCOM Fall Meeting’s Transportation Academy classes will offer valuable insight into the importance of strong DOD and Industry relationships, from policy changes to vaccine distribution.  In the Legislation and Policy track, the OSD Transportation Policy Development class, led by Adam Yearwood, Director of Transportation, Office of the Secretary of Defense, will discuss the important partnership between Industry and the Department of Defense. Through an overview of the steps and processes for DOD transportation policy creation and revision, Adam will explain the key factors that lead to policy changes. […READ MORE…]

 

Refining Civilian Airlift Augmentation for Great Power Competition

By Maj Phillip A. Surrey, USAF, Illinois Air National Guard (ILANG)

The new era of contested logistics offers the Department of Defense (DOD) an opportunity to reexamine its civilian airlift augmentation, the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF). Despite its reliable performance in the past, there are stark and compelling indications that the CRAF is severely limited in the risk environment of Great Power Competition. Accordingly, DOD and industry should explore new concepts to mitigate the inherent risk of pure commercial airlift operating in non-permissive environments. […READ MORE…]

 

USTRANSCOM Nominee Calls Command a US Asymmetric Advantage

By Jim Garamone, DOD News

The United States is a global superpower and this means global reach.

“There isn’t a scrap of Earth that we can’t reach out and touch when we need to,” Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said during a press conference in Qatar on September 7. “We’ve demonstrated that time and time again. And again, our job is to make sure we stay vigilant and continue to develop capabilities.” […READ MORE…]

 

Editor’s Picks

DoD, VA Officials Prep for a Possible Government Shutdown Later This Week
(Defense News)  In anticipation of a possible government shutdown later this week, leaders from the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have begun warning employees of possible office closures, program interruptions, and potential furloughs that will result from a budget lapse.

Operation DGAR: A Collective Effort to Repatriate Stranded Mariners During a Global Pandemic
(gCaptain)  By the spring of 2020, COVID-19 restrictions on travel had stranded hundreds of mariners on 13 commercial and U.S. government-owned ships based on and around the remote island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. What to do? This is how Operation DGAR was born.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting a National Defense Strategy
(War on the Rocks)  The new National Defense Strategy that the Biden administration is writing should reckon with the challenges and the ramifications of rapidly expanding global threats. Conservatives and progressives alike share the goal of better securing the United States and its interests. Read some ideas for how the National Defense Strategy should do this.

U.S. TRANSCOM Again Delays Contract Aimed at Fixing Problems with Household Goods Moves
(Military Times)  U.S. Transportation Command officials have again delayed the award of a new contract aimed at improving household goods moves for military members and their families. The contract will be awarded “no earlier than” late October, said Andre Kok, a spokesman for TRANSCOM.

House Transportation Reps in GOP Press for Truck Parking
(Transport Topics)  With the U.S. House scheduled to consider key aspects of President Joe Biden’s infrastructure agenda this week, a group of Republican lawmakers continues to advocate for additional access to truck parking.

Federal Cyber Agencies Call Zero Trust ‘New Normal’ of Security, Partnering to Implement
(Federal News Network)  Still wondering what the “new normal” will look like? Federal cyber leaders say it looks an awful lot like zero trust — at least on the IT side of things.

 

What If We Treated All Science Like Data Science?
(CGI)  In CGI’s new viewpoint, Getting unstuck: Accelerating results from digital transformation, the company discusses some of the challenges organizations face when trying to see results from digital initiatives. One common factor that hampers innovation across industries is the less than ideal use of data. Moreover, as some experts have said, successful digital transformation requires data transformation.

Atlas Air Worldwide Announces New ACMI Contract with FedEx
(Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc.)  Atlas Air, Inc. has entered into a long-term agreement with FedEx to provide two 747-400 freighter aircraft on a full-time aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance (ACMI) basis. This new agreement is in addition to the company’s existing multi-year peak season contract that provides FedEx with a minimum of five aircraft during the fourth quarter.

WoodSpring Suites Eclipses 300 Open Hotels, Paving The Road For Future Growth
(Choice Hotels)  WoodSpring Suites, an extended stay brand franchised by Choice Hotels International, Inc., reached a significant milestone with the opening of its 300th hotel. This milestone for Choice Hotels’ extended stay portfolio further exemplifies the resilience and expansion of the company’s extended stay model in the economy and midscale space.

Bennett Named Top 100 Trucker by InBound Logistics for 2021
(Bennett Family of Companies)  The Bennett Family of Companies is proud to be recognized in the September issue of Inbound Logistics’ magazine and their annual list of top 100 truckers—a qualitative assessment of service providers best equipped to meet and surpass readers’ evolving motor freight transportation needs.

Crowley Awarded Multi-Year Fuel Storage Services Contract by DLA-Energy
(Crowley)  Crowley Solutions, the government services business unit of Crowley Maritime Corporation, has been awarded a multi-year contract by the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency-Energy to provide fuel management and storage services for Pacific military operations.

 

The Source is a free educational publication for NDTA members, conference attendees, and associates.

 

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