TRANSCOM merging Army and Air Force port and terminal systems.

The Department of Defense is merging existing Army and Air Force systems to create a single port and terminal processing and management system. Under the U.S. Transportation Command's Port Management Automation project, the Worldwide Port System (WPS) used by the Army's Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command will migrate into the Global Air Transportation Execution System (GATES) used by the Air Force's Air Mobility Command. WPS and GATES have worked separately to provide different services to the same cargo and military passengers. The new system will reduce duplication, provide cost savings, and enhance capabilities.

During the first phase of implementation, in November 2008, regional databases at Fort Eustis, Virginia; Wheeler Army Air Field, Hawaii; and Rotterdam, the Netherlands, migrated into the GATES central site at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

In the second phase, the WPS terminals at SDDC surface ports will be replaced with remote and deployable GATES servers and the SDDC business process servers at four sites will be replaced with GATES architecture. This phase is scheduled to begin in November. GATES then will support surface terminal, aerial port, and Defense Courier Division cargo and passenger processing and manifesting operations to the joint warfighter.