Turf, tundra, teamwork: NDTA members tackle the arctic together.

NDTA members are famous for accomplishing some pretty incredible operations. Remember how they leaned shoulder to shoulder to help folks stranded by Hurricane Katrina just days before the 59th NDTA Forum convened in San Diego? A project unfolding prior to this year's Forum in Charleston--hauling ProGrass[TM] to the Arctic Circle--has proven, once again, that we get things done because we are "Better TOGETHER!"

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In the business of Defense Transportation, a typical load involves military hardware or supplies bound for the warfighter in the Middle East. But a recent multi-modal team effort held little resemblance to standard operating procedures. The town of Barrow, Alaska, was counting on turf. The high school football coach ... the students ... the community ... all were anxiously awaiting the load that would transform their gravel pit field into a gridiron. The move involved about 500,000 pounds in product moving from one end of the US to another. Timing was critical since the first game of the season was scheduled for August 17. And, no one knew what Mother Nature had in store off the arctic coastline.

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Barrow, 340 miles north of the Arctic Circle, is our Nation's most northern settlement and undoubtedly the harshest location Alaska has to offer. There are no connecting roads and the polar landscape is blanketed most of the year by tundra stretching out to the Arctic Ocean. The town is home base to nearly 4600 residents--including the largest population of native Inupiat Eskimo--and wildlife such as polar bears, arctic fox, caribou, moose, snowy owls, seals, and the bowhead whale. Sustaining the people is costly since the delivery window is so short--sometimes just one barge a year as ice allows. Cost of living quotes place Barrow 278 percent higher than the lower 48 states.

Barrow assumed media prominence last year when it hosted the first football game ever played on arctic soil. Cathy Parker, from Jacksonville, Florida, whose husband coaches at Bartram Trail High School, was impressed by the town's struggle to build a team in such a demanding environment. She could also see the rewards that teamwork would bring--a much-needed boost in morale for the students and the community. Cathy founded "Alaska Turf," a project dedicated to securing materials and installing an artificial field in Barrow--where no grass grows--explaining that, "This is not a Bartram Trail project, not a Jacksonville project, not a Florida project. It is something for everyone to support."

"Everyone" came to include NDTA headquarters and nine different commercial transportation companies; many are NDTA Corporate Members who made sure that turf would cover the tundra. "I've never seen anything like this," explains Bill King. "Companies came together to accomplish the move ... all free gratis ... all ad hoc ... to help a cause that Cathy Parker made infectious to an industry." More than $135,000 alone were donated in transportation costs, and several individuals gave of their time after work hours and even while on vacation!

"TRAINS, BOATS & PLANES"

Excerpted in part from "Save the Whalers," Wayne Drehs--espn.com

Challenges emerged all along the way considering weather and ground conditions and the various product pick up points--mulch originated in Edmunton, the field carpet from North Georgia, and the field inlays (yardage hash marks and end zone markings) from Pennsylvania. July 23 was referred to as "Black Monday," however, because of a serious stall in plans. Field equipment and materials had traveled from Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Seattle, in trailers, by train, and Trailer-Ship, but were held up in Fairbanks--some 600 miles short of its final destination--when the shipment sat in the back of four tractor trailers, unable to go any farther. The Alaska Air National Guard had been included in the initial game plan for air lift support, but that flight had to be scratched. Since 180,000 pounds of mulch was already on its way by barge and the installation crew was in place, a contingency plan was crucial.

NDTA members act when called upon, and in this case it was no different. True Team Players, the companies had helped get the materials this far and they weren't about to drop the ball. They began searching for someone in the private sector who could finish the job ... in less than 48 hours ... and for free. Cathy Parker, who had no experience with transportation and logistics prior to "Alaska Turf," commented, "These people are the greatest. They not only had a solution--they had a back up plan! Their recovery was nothing short of amazing."

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The geographic scope of Alaska is huge, and shipping requires a completely different logistic than used in other states. "It comes second hand to those who work in the area," explains Bill Deavers. "They tackle the tough stuff on a daily basis--sometimes, a simple phone call smooths things over." During a teleconference, representatives from several transportation and logistics companies informed Parker that private companies were lining up to help. "We won't let this go until we see that the field is up there," said Phil Case from UPS. "We're going to get that football field up to Barrow."

For the home team, adjectives don't exist to explain how they feel. Even the sample pictures of football fields circulating prior to construction pale by comparison to the real thing--players don't have to dodge rocks that once cluttered the gravel field or kick the pig skin across goal posts that were made from sprinkler pipes. The people of Barrow are especially grateful for the valuable lessons shared through the example of transporters and logisticians. Nobody panicked even though directions changed at a moment's notice. Recovery was pure problem solving at its finest. After all, transportation, like life, or a football game, rarely occurs as planned. The people also recognized that teamwork and camaraderie, hallmarks of football and other group sports, are major factors in the transportation industry. No one company played center stage in this effort--everyone stood up because they felt it was the right thing to do. It was a Can-Do/Will-Do Win for all sides.

Congrats! Barrow's team scored 18-16 over Seaward in the last 35 seconds of the season opener on August 17. Way to go Whalers!

For online reading, please visit "The Real Frozen Tundra" and "On Top of the World" from espn.com.

If you or a loved one has been involved in athletics then you realize the important and positive impact athletics can have in a young person's life. Through "Project Alaska Turf" [www.projectalaskaturf.com] you can help make a difference in the lives of young people of Barrow, Alaska. God bless, Cathy Parker.

THE "TEAMS"        THE "PLAYERS"
(alphabetical)     (alphabetical)      THE GAME PLAN

Bartram Trail      Cathy Parker        Established "Project Alaska Turf"
  High School,                         and spread infectious support
  Jacksonville,                        for the Whalers high school
  Florida                              football team in Barrow,
                                       Alaska.
Bowhead            Bob Leonard         Transported 180,000 pounds of
  Transport (UIC)  Steve Seng          rubberized mulch to cushion the
                                       field--from Seattle via Barge.
Burlington         James Gordon        Rail Transportation of all four
  Northern Santa                       trailers of turf, installation
  Fe Railroad                          tools, and inlays from Chicago
                                       to Seattle.
Carlile            Lane Keator         Transload of two UPS trailers,
  Transportation   Bart Kendall        along with Fairbanks trucking
  Systems          Harry McDonald      to Prudhoe Bay times two.
                   Ray Miller          Loading the Northern Air Cargo
                   Michelle Quinn      aircrafts in Prudhoe Bay.
Grimes             Ike Sherlock        Start point for industry
  Logistics                            involvement regarding shipping
                                       and initial coordination.
National Defense   Headquarters        Provided network of industry
  Transportation                       members and military partners
  Association                          to call upon for help.
Norfolk Southern   Kevin Saunders      Rail Transportation on two
  Railway                              trailers from Pittsburgh, PA,
                                       to Chicago, and two trailers
                                       from Chatsworth, GA, to
                                       Chicago.
Northern Air       Stephanie Holthaus  All Air freight from Prudhoe Bay
  Cargo            Margot Wiegele      to Barrow and Anchorage to
                                       Barrow.
Sourdough          Jeff Gregory        Round trip trucking from
  Express, Inc.    Brian Skinner       Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay with
                                       last half of carpet in UPS
                                       Trailer.
Totem Ocean        Bill Deavers        Trailer-Ship transportation from
  Trailer Express  Bill King           Tacoma to Anchorage [four
  (TOTE)                               trailer loads] Round Trip
                                       trucking--Fairbanks on three
                                       trailer loads, Round Trip
                                       trucking--Anchorage Airport on
                                       one trailer load, and empty
                                       return of four UPS trailers
                                       from Fairbanks and Anchorage
                                       to Tacoma.
UPS                Phil Case           Supplied trailers for movement
                   Tom Gloe            to Alaska and local trucking
                                       for two trailers in Pittsburgh,
                                       PA, to Norfolk Southern, and
                                       two trailers in Chatsworth, GA,
                                       to Norfolk Southern. Local
                                       trucking from Seattle to Tacoma
                                       on all four trailers.