New unit begins managing containers.

Moving supplies to Soldiers in a theater of war is a daunting task. However, managing the movement of thousands of containers that carry those supplies can be an even bigger job.

A Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command unit has accepted the challenge of managing containers in the U.S. Central Command theater.

In mid-January, the 184th Container Management Element left its National Guard headquarters in Laurel, Miss., for Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. The unit, part of the 184th Transportation Command Element, assumed responsibility for a territory that stretches from the Horn of Africa to central Asia, including and Afghanistan.

Their mission is to gain better visibility over more than 44,000 of the 20- and 40-foot boxes being used in the theater.

Operations in hostile territories present a lot of challenges for container managers, said Maj. Vernon Newman of the 184th CME.

"If you're a commander fighting a war, you've got too many alligators biting at you to keep tip with containers," the operations officer said in a phone interview from Kuwait. "The 184th is here to manage containers so the war fighter can focus more on those other missions."

Establishing the container management element was just one part of a concept-of-operations plan developed by a 12-person team from SDDC. The team assembled in August at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, under the direction of Col. Bob Petrillo, who heads the Command Transformation Integration Office. Container management is a complex issue that is interrelated with many other logistics and supply processes, Petrillo said.

"We want to hit this on as many fronts as we possibly can," he said. "We are looking at developing force structure, doctrine, information technology. We think that a lot of what we do in CENTCOM will help us in developing a global container management process."

One of the greatest challenges to tracking containers in an unimproved area is that Soldiers often use containers for multiple purposes, said Lt. Col. James "Reggie" Hall, operations officer for the team.

"Containers are a versatile resource," he said. "When you go to war in a desert, there is no place to secure supplies or keep them out of the sun and sand, so a lot of containers that go into Iraq stay as storage facilities," he said. "Soldiers also use them for office space, shelter and force protection. Although not the original purpose, these are still, arguably, valid uses for containers."

Mapping and assessing the container process--how containers move and are used in the theater--was one of the team's first steps. Once they understood and validated the process, they developed an information technology tool to fit the process, Hall said.

The Container Management Support Tool is a Web-accessible database that documents the location and status of all containers as they move throughout the theater. The tool will allow users to show snapshots and track trends of container activity, Hall said.

"A commander can't make decisions about containers unless he has this data," said Hall. "This is not a total solution, but it meets an important need until a global container management system is developed."

In addition, the command has set up a new cross-docking facility in Kuwait where supplies bound for certain areas of the theater are being moved from carrier-owned containers into government ones for transit to certain areas of the theater. This effort will allow more timely return of carrier-owned containers, Hall said.

The command is also working with commercial partners to finalize Universal Services Contract 2005 that would refine the way DOD acquires containers during contingencies, Petrillo said.

"We need the flexibility to respond to different crises and different phases of a contingency," said Petrillo. "We are working with our commercial partners to find solutions that won't disrupt their business model while meeting the needs of the war fighter."

On any given day, more than 4,000 containers are on the move to sustain U.S. Soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines all over the world. Nearly all supplies--from food to ammunition, repair parts to construction material--are shipped in containers.

Containerization enables use of commercial carriers, ports and equipment, and makes loading, stacking and shipping easier across all modes of transport.

Patti Bielling, Public Affairs Specialist

SDDC Operations Center