Deployment support team meets upload challenge.

Cargo was still arriving on the last day we loaded the Balakleya. In the final hours, cargo arrived from multiple sources, including train, military truck, commercial truck and barge.

Nonetheless, we got it all loaded and secured properly.

That is the way members of the 598th Transportation Group's deployment support team remember loading the Soviet-Era vessel in Antwerp, Belgium.

As an Enduring Freedom cargo, the shipment had a top priority.

Over 600 pieces of Army equipment of all kinds was loaded Jan. 11-12 for shipment to forward locations.

"It was an excellent operation with a number of players, and an ideal opportunity to train a lot of my people," said Lt. Col. Sharon Baker, Commander, 838th Transportation Battalion, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

The equipment came from Combat Equipment Group-Europe sites in Vriezenveen and Brunssum in the Netherlands, and from Bettembourg, Luxemburg.

Army units in Kaiserslautern and Air Force units in Ramstein, both in Germany, also forwarded equipment. Personnel of the U.S. Army Europe's Movement Control Team Rotterdam coordinated the move of the material by train, truck and barge to Antwerp.

The deployment support team was composed of documentation and ship-loading specialists. Team members included personnel with the 950th Transportation Co., Bremerhaven, Germany, and the Rhine River Detachment, Mannheim, Germany.

"During several days prior to the upload, and until the ship departed January 12, equipment arrived daily in the port," said Baker. "The last day was especially busy."

"It was a challenge to finish the vessel papers on such short notice after the last of the equipment arrived," said John Slee, Chief, Documentation, 838th Transportation Battalion.

Slee's team inputted all equipment information into MTMC's Worldwide Port System after receiving the equipment and freight warrants from Combat Equipment Group-Europe. The database was used by the operations people to accomplish an Integrated Computerized Deployment System stow plan.

Standardized training was a key to the operation, said Burkhard Bremer, responsible for container repairs for the 950th Transportation Co.

"The operation was pretty much the same as in the port of Bremerhaven," said Bremer, "except for the off-load of the barge, which is very rare at the 950th."

Deployment support team members were enthusiastic about the mission.

"As a person without any experience in seaport operations, it was an interesting and important experience I can use for further missions," said Wolfgang Scherer, Chief Operations Branch, Rhine River Detachment.

"It was very interesting to look at how things are handled in seaport operations. I had the chance to look into everything, such as the Integrated Computerized Deployment System, receipt of cargo and vessel upload.

"The Integrated Computerized Deployment System was especially impressive."

Bart Fiegel, Terminal Manager, of the 838th Transportation Battalion, praised the cooperation between the different organizations that worked together in the port.

"No glitches," said Fiegel. "Everyone worked together."

The Balakleya is well known to the 598th Transportation Group. The Ukrainian ship was originally built to carry Soviet heavy combat equipment. Since 1999, MTMC has used the ship for a number of missions.

For more information on the Balakleya in this issue, see "Busy port work includes visit by a favorite ship" on page 43.