MTMC crisis action team challenged by exercise. (Turbo Challenge '01).

In a major wartime mobilization, almost half of the entire Military Traffic Management Command would be composed of Army Reservists.

That critical support was seen recently with MTMC participation in Turbo Challenge `01, a U.S. Transportation Command-sponsored exercise.

MTMC's participation included the work of 16 individual mobilization augmentees, mostly at MTMC Headquarters and the Deployment Support Command.

The exercise linked Pacific Command, Space Command and the North American Air Defense Command within a Joint Chief of Staff exercise. "The work of the Reservists was absolutely essential," said Lt. Col. Tom Harvey, Chief, Command Operations Center.

"We are one team. The exercise pro vided a good opportunity to display that teamwork."

Planner Gil Villa said additional key support came from MTMC Headquarters staff sections.

"The Reservists, with the strong support of our critical personnel from the principal staff elements, proved to be the backbone of the crisis action team."

Turbo Challenge `01 had many challenges.

Communication had to be maintained at higher, equal and lower levels with scores of Department of Defense organizations.

As part of the exercise, that communication was challenged:

* Phone calls were monitored for security violations.

* Hundreds of pages of bogus messages clogged the Command and Control Center's facsimile machine.

* Hundreds of e-mails dominated the computer screen of West Team leader Gianni Scattolini.

"Operational security and information security are critical!" said Daniele Albergottie, who worked as the Chief of Information Management on our team. The exercise focused on MTMC's role as a single port manager and traffic manager working for Transportation Command and an overseas Commander-in-Chief.

As the exercise developed, MTMC's crisis action team played an integral role in Transportation Command's management of the Defense Transportation System.

We tested business processes, standard operating procedures and command and control functions. It helped us assess our level of training and expertise for a real-world operation or contingency.

There was also an "exercise within the exercise."

Steve Kubik, Dave Jones and Harvey chaired a Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement tabletop exercise at the Joint Planning Advisory Group with the Military Sealift Command, Maritime Administration and carrier industry representatives.

"The exercise went a long way towards fostering military-industry partnership and a better understanding of wartime requirements," said Jones.

The exercise showed the value of a strong relationship with partners. During the exercise play, good coordination proved to be crucial with the Army Logistics Operations Center in the Pentagon, and the Military Sealift Command at the Washington Navy Yard.

Meanwhile, at MTMC's subordinate commands, exercise participants found more training opportunities.

Lt. Col. Tim Clapp, a drilling individual mobilization augmentee, found himself answering questions on railroad capacity, pallets and containers at MTMC's Transportation Engineering Agency, Newport News, Va.

"It expands my knowledge of the Transportation Engineering Agency," said Clapp.

"This has given me a good idea of the tasking and information required in an actual deployment," said Clapp.

In civilian life, Clapp is Director of the Tactical Wheel Vehicle Requirements Management Office, Fort Eustis, Va.

All in all, Turbo Challenge `01 was a great training event.

Scattolini summed up the exercise best.

"It was a chance to exercise the deployment decision-making processes and a validation of the movement requirements," said Scattolini.

"It made me proud to serve with the men and women of MTMC!"