Together We Will Deliver
Video Welcome from GEN Stephen Lyons, USA, Commander, USTRANSCOM at the 2018 NDTA-USTRANSCOM Fall Meeting
“When speaking with senior audiences, I typically leave them with three key points about the TRANSCOM mission. First is a reminder that the National Defense Strategy describes a security environment that is rapidly changing, and indeed challenges the traditional assumptions that the joint deployment and distribution enterprise will operate with impunity. Second, I point out that our ability to protect military power globally at our time and place of choosing is a strategic comparative advantage unparalleled by any other nation. Something this crowd understands well. And third, I remind them that our strategic comparative advantage is inextricably linked to our industry partners, which General McDew liked to call, the fourth component.
“As this audience knows, it is the joint deployment and distribution enterprise, that connects the military services and other national provider with warfighting combatant command. Our military and commercial global networks combined with transportation capacity and enabled by global command and control, are laser focused on ensuring our nation can always achieve its security objective. Within this framework, resiliency equals strength, while a single point of failure can equal weakness. Together, we must remain capable of providing multiple options to our national leaders, while creating multiple dilemmas for potential adversaries. This is our North Star.
“So to be clear, TRANSCOM’s number one priority is warfighting readiness. And our purpose remains unchanged: to protect, to project, and to sustain military power globally at our time and place of choosing. We will need the collaboration of all stakeholders to ensure we have an effective and efficient Defense Transportation System. One that remains a strategic comparative advantage in the face of rapidly emerging, multi-domain challenges. Former Pacific Fleet commander, Admiral Swift, said it best, “If we forget about logistics, we can forget about victory.” So again, please allow me to thank you for attending the NDTA-USTRANSCOM Fall Meeting. An excellent venue for education and collaboration. I look forward to catching up with all of you very, very soon. Together, we will deliver.”