APPENDIX E
DEFENSE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM 1. General
DTS consists of three major sources of transportation resources and capabilities:
military (organic), commercial (nonorganic), and HN. Resources include inland surface transportation (rail, road, and inland waterway), sea transportation (coastal and ocean), air transportation, and pipelines. Combining the capabilities of airlift, sealift, and land transportation with the integrated control networks of the DTS optimizes their effective use, provides greater visibility over movements, and contributes to the global agility required of the joint force. CDRUSTRANSCOM, as the DOD single manager for transportation, develops and directs the JDDE to support global force projection; provides end-to-end visibility of the joint distribution process; identifies opportunities for performance improvement; and provides responsive transportation support of joint, US Government, and SecDef-approved multinational and nongovernmental logistics requirements.
sealift, and land transportation planning in coordination with the supported CCDRs; acts as DOD focal point for items moving through the transportation system; and exercises responsibility for intertheater (non-theater assigned) PM through aeromedical evacuation.
b. Transportation Resources Air Mobility. Air mobility includes airlift and air refueling. Intertheater air mobility serves CONUS-to-theater and theater-to-theater air mobility needs of the GCCs. Air mobility assets assigned to USTRANSCOM execute the majority of intertheater air mobility missions. Intratheater air mobility missions, defined by AOR boundaries, are conducted by air mobility forces assigned or attached to the GCCs.
Intratheater air mobility assets are normally scheduled and controlled through the theater air operations center or a joint air operations center if established.
c. Sealift. Shipping resources can be classified into three pools: US Government- owned, US flag commercial, and foreign flag commercial assets.
(1) US Government-Owned Assets. DOD Military Sealift Command (MSC) maintains a fleet of organic vessels in full operational status, as well as a fleet in a reduced operating status.
(2) US Flag Commercial Assets. Ships operating under a US flag are routinely tasked by Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) to meet shipping demands using scheduled liner service. For unique or high-volume shipping demands, MSC routinely charters US flag vessels.
(3) Foreign Flag Ships. When US flag ships are unavailable, foreign flag ships can be acquired for DOD use through four different methods: liner service, voluntary charter, allied shipping agreements, and requisitioning of effective US control shipping.
d. Land. SDDC maintains transportation agreements and all commercial carrier costing information necessary to move shipments within the US via surface transportation.
Defense Freight Transportation Services supports DLA and enables the government to partner with a third-party logistics provider to manage the distribution of DOD CONUS freight. Assigning responsibility for common-user land transportation is a function of the GCC’s DAFL, and it is up to each GCC to outline this in the OPCON and supporting plans.
e. Theater. In overseas areas, US air and surface units assigned to the GCC provide for organic and common-user transportation service. Common-user transportation assets within the DTS are under the COCOM of CDRUSTRANSCOM, excluding Service- organic or theater-assigned assets. Theater-assigned common-user transportation assets are under the COCOM of the respective GCC. The US Air Force and US Army component commanders are normally delegated OPCON of their respective Service assets in order to meet their organic theater requirements in support of the GCC, while making some assets available as common-user transportation.
f. Employment of the DTS Movement Requirements. Movement requirements must be properly validated and prioritized by the supported JFCs. The CJCS oversees
policy and guidance on methods to prioritize DOD transportation requirements, including use of DOD common-user airlift and sealift resources. The JTB, if convened, or the JS’s JLOC ensures the CJCS can maintain cognizance over transportation requirements and capabilities, as well as ensure information is available for determining and adjusting allocations of common-user resources and priorities during wartime or contingencies.
For more information, see JP 4-01, The Defense Transportation System.
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APPENDIX F
SEALIFT SUPPORT TO JOINT OPERATIONS 1. General
a. Successful response to regional contingencies, crisis response, limited contingency operations, and major operations and campaigns depends on sufficient strategic mobility assets in order to deploy and sustain forces in an OA as long as necessary to meet US military objectives. The strategic mobility triad consists of air mobility, sealift, and PREPO. In general, air mobility transports light, high-priority forces and supplies, including personnel and equipment required to rapidly integrate units with PREPO elements’ equipment and supplies. As an operation progresses, sealift delivers the heavy units and their support equipment, as well as the vital sustainment for deployed forces. In most cases, sealift accounts for the majority of the total cargo delivered to an OA. To meet these requirements, sealift forces are employed in three phases: PREPO (afloat), deployment (or surge), and sustainment. Similarly, sealift generally accounts for the majority of the cargo moved during redeployment.
b. During large deployment operations, sealift support is typically conducted in three phases comprising the sealift trident. PREPO afloat is made up of ships from the afloat PREPO force of MSC. “Surge” includes all organic ships not assigned to PREPO but may also include nonorganic ships if readily available. Subcategories of surge sealift include the MSC-controlled fleet, as well as the Maritime Administration Ready Reserve Force (MARAD RRF). Sustainment typically utilizes nonorganic shipping provided by the US merchant fleet comprised mostly of container ships to deliver large quantities of resupply to support forward-deployed forces augmented as necessary by government-controlled assets.
c. To assist DOD’s ability to carry out its transportation missions, CDRUSTRANSCOM provides common-user air, land, and sea transportation, terminal management, and aerial refueling to support global deployment, employment, sustainment, and redeployment of US forces.