More effort at fort means less work at port.

If the cardinal rule of port efficiency is to move each piece of equipment only once, then the cardinal sin might be sending equipment to the port with poor documentation.

That's because incomplete or incorrect documentation results in frustrated cargo, slower operations, and much more time and effort spent clearing the port.

Improving documentation and resolving other deployment issues at the fort is one way that the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command is working to smooth the upcoming deployment of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), said Brig. Gen. Maynard "Sandy" Sanders, deputy commanding general for mobilization.

The historic division will be deploying in the fall from Fort Campbell, Ky., for its second rotation to Iraq. To kick-start the planning process, SDDC fielded Task Force Bastogne, a small group of deployment command-and-control experts whose mission is to coordinate and oversee the deployment.

"This is how the commanding general, Maj. Gen. Charles Fletcher, envisioned using a task force arrangement to support 'major muscle moves,'" said Sanders. "Division commanders need to know we'll get you there on time, on target, so your guys don't have to worry about where their gear is."

The Task Force is not in the port operations business. Instead its focus is more strategic, said task force commander Col. Pete Lennon.

"We're essentially a bridge over any action or item that would impact multiple nodes in the deployment process in (the continental United States)," he said. "We also serve as a bridge to the receiving end to assist with issues and problems when the equipment arrives in Kuwait."

The group is building on recent lessons learned by SDDC's first deployment Task Force, which took its name from its customer, the 3rd Infantry Division "Rock of the Marne." The Task Force deployed the 3rd ID to Iraq from Fort Stewart, Ga., this winter.

Lennon said Task Force Marne success hinged on advance planning and establishing better communication among key players in the operation, including division planners and logisticians, installation transportation officers, SDDC subordinate units, the Navy's Military Sealift Command, the U.S. Coast Guard, industry partners and others.

Coordination for the 101st move began in earnest May 25-26 in Jacksonville with an initial planning conference.

Advance planning enables SDDC to deploy equipment in force packages. The force package concept maintains unit integrity and facilitates onward movement for the unit in theater, Lennon said.

"Moving equipment in force packages allows a unit to spend more time training and less time worrying about cargo, he said. "Our goal is to make transportation transparent to the unit."

To sustain such a smooth operation, constant communication is important and information accuracy is paramount from start to finish, he said.

The 1394th Deployment Support Battalion will be at the installation ensuring proper labeling and documentation of equipment. To improve the communication between the fort and port, a member of the battalion will also serve as a liaison officer at the port.

Daily situation reports and vessel preload meetings will ensure accurate information is collected and disseminated from the port to the unit.

Since the initial planning meeting, the division transportation office has been in constant contact, Lennon said, helping prioritize equipment and units for transport and resolving issues.

Mike Bowers, Fort Campbell's installation transportation officer, said he's already seeing an improvement in the standard and level of service the division is receiving.

"I believe we've made real money because we're farther ahead than we've ever been on one of these moves," he said. "I'm sure there will still be some issues, but they will be smaller, and we'll be better able to address them because of the relationships we've developed with everyone in advance."

Patti Bielling, Public Affairs Specialist

SDDC Operations Center