MTMC opens new shipping route through Slovenia.The Military Traffic Management Command A major command of the US Army, and the US Transportation Command's component command responsible for designated continental United States land transportation as well as common-user water terminal and traffic management service to deploy, employ, sustain, and redeploy US forces on a has found a new route to move equipment to American peacekeeping troops in Bosnia. The equipment moved through the Adriatic Sea Adriatic Sea (ādrēă`tĭk), arm of the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and the Balkan Peninsula. It extends c.500 mi (800 km) from the Gulf of Venice, at its head, SE to the Strait of Otranto, which leads to the Ionian Sea. port of Koper, Slovenia, via the roll-on/roll-off vessel Express. Since the fall of 1998, MTMC MTMC Military Traffic Management Command (US DoD) MTMC Mount Marty College MTMC Micros-to-Mainframes, Inc. (stock symbol) MTMC Middle Tennessee Medical Center (Murfreesboro, TN) has moved Bosnia-bound equipment through Rijeka, Croatia, on the Adriatic Sea. From 1995 to 1998, trains were used to move American military equipment from Germany. Discharge of the Express took place Sept. 1. Transporters with the 839th Transportation Battalion, Livorno, Italy, unloaded 20 UH-60 Blackhawk and 16 OH-58 Warrior helicopters, along with 5,000 tons of other cargo. The equipment belongs to a 29th Infantry Division task force composed of National Guard troops from Maryland and Virginia. The voyage of the Express was remarkable in another way as well. When the vessel loaded at Howland Hook, on Staten Island Staten Island (1990 pop. 378,977), 59 sq mi (160 sq km), SE N.Y., in New York Bay, SW of Manhattan, forming Richmond co. of New York state and the borough of Staten Island of New York City. , N.Y., a side-entrance hatch had to be widened with cutting torches to receive the helicopter cargo (See "Welding torches make way for MTMC priority cargo," Sept./Oct. TRANSLOG, pg. 14). A second vessel, BBC Canada BBC Canada is a Canadian English language category 2 digital cable specialty channel. It presents programming from the BBC. Along with BBC Kids, it is a joint venture between Alliance Atlantis and BBC Worldwide. , carried 29th Infantry Division equipment to Bremerhaven, Germany. Discharge and onward movement of the cargoes was accomplished by MTMC transporters with the 950th Transportation Co., of Bremerhaven. From Germany, the equipment was moved by railroad to Bosnia. Both ships loaded their cargoes at the Howland Hook Terminal located at Staten Island, N.Y. MV Express also loaded at Beaumont, Texas. Using Koper, said military sources, provides an alternate access point into the Balkans, in order to allow commanders greater flexibility. Slovenia's modern railway and highway networks make it easy for convoys and equipment to be moved to Bosnia. The country, which declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, has strong economic and political stability, and is a candidate for membership in the European Union European Union (EU), name given since the ratification (Nov., 1993) of the Treaty of European Union, or Maastricht Treaty, to the European Community . This is not the first time the Military Traffic Management Command and Military Sealift Command A major command of the US Navy, and the US Transportation Command's component command responsible for designated common-user sealift transportation services to deploy, employ, sustain, and redeploy US forces on a global basis. Also called MSC. See also transportation component command. have teamed up to open a new route into the Balkans. In recent months, the Army-Navy partners opened Bourgas, Bulgaria, for Kosovo peacekeeping troop equipment deployments. By Bram de Jong, Public Affairs Officer 598th Transportation Group and Edward Baxter, Public Affairs Officer Military Sealift Command Europe |
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