Veteran MTMC Reservists: Operation Iraqi Freedom shows big changes in port operations.

During Operation Iraqi Freedom, more than 700 Reserve soldiers reported for duty at the Port of Corpus Christi.

MTMC's 1192nd Transportation Terminal Brigade, New Orleans, played a key coordinating role for the work of the soldiers at the port. In all the 100-member Army Reserve unit coordinated the loading of 31 ships of equipment and cargo for Operation Iraqi Freedom at the Texas port. Equipment originated from 10 different Army installations.

The cargo represented the key transportation move of the 4th Infantry Division, from Fort Hood, Texas, to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Vessels steamed to the eastern Mediterranean and awaited landing rights at Turkish ports. When landing rights did not come, on March 22 the ships were ordered through the Suez Canal to ports in Kuwait.

For veteran Reservists who served in Operation Desert Shield/Storm in 1990-1991, the changes in port operations work associated with the move were remarkable.

"The improvements to logistics support since 1991 are astounding," said Maj. Doug Athey, 1192nd operations chief.

"For example," said Athey, "rail operations back then were antiquated, but the Army has invested in developing rail infrastructure as part of Power Projection Platform improvements. "Today, with our improved rail infrastructure, we can overwhelm seaports with capacity."

Changes are evident in all aspects of port operations," said Col. Maynard Sanders, 1192nd commander.

During Desert Storm, in-transit visibility was limited to ship manifests, incomplete data and spot reports, said Sanders. Total asset visibility was almost nonexistent because shippers did not document the details of the cargo. For Iraqi Freedom, Electronic Data Interchange was enhanced with over-ocean carriers. Also, new business rules required shippers to document cargo.

"During Desert Storm," said Sanders, "to compensate for delays and lift shortfalls, ship loaders sought to maximize each shipload. Now, loads are developed to maintain task force integrity."

During Operation Iraqi Freedom, there was a big difference in the amount of containerized cargo, whether it was deployment cargo, ammunition, or sustainment cargo, said Brig. Gen. Barbara Doornink, outgoing Deputy Commanding General/Director of Operations.

"Our Reservists used the lessons learned from Desert Storm and took advantage of the advanced technology developed during the last decade," said Doornink. "Part of the success of the 1192nd was that they knew the plan and followed it from the beginning of the operation.

"In turn, that's had an impact on how the containers were shipped, on our ability to track them and on having total asset visibility."

The biggest ship the Reservists loaded was the 949-foot USNS Brittin, a Large, Medium-Speed, Roll-on/Roll-off vessel, said Lt. Col. Arthur Hedgepath, an 1192nd staff officer.

Meanwhile, there may be more work ahead at Corpus Christi.

"The port may see more ships returning with equipment from overseas than it shipped out," said Sanders.

MTMC deployment: Top Army general praises equipment in 4th Infantry Division move

One of the Army's top generals said the MTMC move of the 4th Infantry Division was a big success story for the Army and for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Gen. Paul Kern, Commanding General, Army Materiel Command, said the division's digital equipment arrived in Kuwait ready for use by warfighters. The long voyage by sea--and a long delay in Mediterranean Sea waters off the Turkish coast--did not affect the equipment reliability and operability in the Army's most digitized division.

"Waves were breaking over the bows of those ships," said Kern on Aug. 22, in an article published by the Association of the U.S. Army's "AUSA News."

The equipment was not affected by seawater or the region's heat, he said.

"It survived that," said Kern. "All came out meeting the 10-20 standard."

The 10-20 standard is an Army standard of measure for equipment readiness.

"Second concern was heat," said Kern. "Computer and electronics don't like heat. They held up remarkably well."

Corenthia Libby, Public Affairs Specialist, MTMC Headquarters Alexandria