SDDC assumes responsibility for tracking sensitive shipments.

The Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command is completing a realignment that will have a direct impact on continued safety and security of sensitive shipments throughout North America.

The command assumed responsibility June 26 for the Defense Transportation Tracking System to modernize, streamline and expand the oversight of all hazardous and sensitive shipments throughout the Department of Defense.

The system's primary mission is to ensure safe and secure movement of munitions while in the public domain and to provide in-transit visibility for munitions and other sensitive material, said Lt. Col. Glenn Blondin, SDDC's head of Munitions Programs. The Army officer spearheaded the command's efforts to move the function from the Navy to SDDC.

The DTTS Program Management Office in Norfolk, Va., monitors sensitive shipments, including arms, ammunition and explosives, classified, and high-value cargo moving via commercial motor carriers, as well as nearly all barge and towboat munitions movements from consignor to consignee.

"Our goal is to consolidate the arms, ammunition and explosives transportation operations, carrier oversight and emergency response missions under a single DOD focal point," Blondin said. "By doing so, we gain efficiencies and achieve a single accountable component for oversight of munitions intransit."

As part of the transition, the command is evaluating emerging technologies, consolidating processes, and looking for other ways to improve service for its commercial partners and the military services, Blondin said.

"The DTTS of the future will be a strong partner to our national defense and homeland defense," he said.

Twenty-one civilian employees and two contractors were brought into the SDDC organization with the DTTS program. Their transition from the Navy civilian personnel system to the Army's was a smooth one, said Bob Bills, program management officer (PMO) for DTTS.

"There was no problem too big for SDDC, and they provided good oversight during the entire process," he said.

Since 1986, both SDDC and DTTS have shared similar but distinct missions involving the oversight of munitions movements. Because of their closely aligned missions, both the DTTS and SDDC realized that success required access to similar information and interface with the same commercial carriers and organizations.

When the U.S. Transportation Command was designated in September 2003 as the Distribution Process Owner, it became evident that the merger was necessary. As process owner, USTRANSCOM became responsible for coordinating and issuing polices to promote the safe and secure movement of munitions throughout the transportation system.

Through its component command, SDDC, the USTRANSCOM now serves as DTTS Program Manager. USTRANSCOM is also responsible for working with the DTTS Program Management Office to help coordinate in-transit security and emergency assistance requirements with the Services, federal, state, and local emergency responders, as well as approved commercial munitions carriers.

USTRANSCOM is also responsible for developing standards and obtaining sufficient ordnance transportation line-haul and protective-service offerings from specially approved commercial motor carriers.

Shipments are monitored using periodic satellite positioning and other coded text messages from a transponder-equipped vehicle. DTTS also receives driver "panic button" alerts and coordinates responses to in-transit accidents and incidents.

DTTS was developed by the Navy and began operation in June 1986 as the Naval Ordnance Transportation Tracking System. In 1989, the program was expanded to track all DOD arms, ammunition and explosives shipments and changed its name to DTTS.

The Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Transportation Policy ordered the DTTS transfer in October 2004.

Capt. Billy Tucker, Operations Officer

SDDC Operations Support Directorate