Exercise demonstrates intermodal transportation.

When four M109 Paladin artillery vehicles rolled off the Landing Craft Utility Runnymede at the Port of Philadelphia it was another step in a textbook exercise testing intermodal operations.

Intermodal capabilities at ports are key factors in their use for Department of Defense cargoes, said retired Maj. Gen. Ray McCoy, one of the organizers of the Oct. 27 demonstration. McCoy is a former Defense Logistics Agency officer who commanded the Defense Industrial Supply Center near Philadelphia.

"Distribution managers need to provide that capability to discharge onto a train or a tractor or a truck and move it inland to a staging area where you tan further make distributions of the material," said McCoy.

The exercise took place at the port of Philadelphia, recently selected as SDDC's 14th Strategic Port.

The exercise also demonstrated in-transit visibility. As part of the exercise, each of the four Paladins was outfitted with a different tracking device, made by a different manufacturer test capabilities.

The devices provide real-time tracking data during all phases of transport, regardless of the mode, said Tom E. Thompson, a former SDDC Chief of Staff, working with Howland Communications, Inc., on the demonstration.

The voyage of the Paladins began Oct. 21 at the Anniston Army Depot, Anniston, Ala., where they were loaded on commercial trucks. From the depot, the artillery vehicles were hauled by truck to SDDC's 841st Transportation Battalion, Charleston, S.C.

At the port, the Paladins were loaded aboard the Runnymede.

It took about 60 hours for the vessel to sail up the Atlantic Coast to the mouth of the Delaware River, where the Port of Philadelphia is situated.

Immediately after the Paladins rolled from the vessel's ramp, they were driven up a loading ramp and onto waiting railcars alongside the ship's berth.

Select Department of Defense, government, and industry leaders watched as demonstration organizers detailed the significance of the event.

"This demonstration is the culmination of years of working together, said state Rep. Bill Keller, who chairs the Delaware River Maritime Enterprise Council.

Federal funding for the demonstration was obtained by Pennsylvania legislators to demonstrate the port of Philadelphia's versatility.

From the port, the Paladins were railed to Letterkenny Army Depot, Pa.

The real-time tracking data is a valuable tool for distribution managers and planners, said McCoy.

"This gives them the advance information necessary to effectively execute the distribution of equipment and supplies." he said.

"Without this visibility it doesn't provide adequate time to react."

By Don Dees Public Affairs Specialist, SDDC HQ Alexandria