Soldiers track trailers at transfer point

By 13th Sustainment Command Expeditionary Public AffairsApril 10, 2010

Soldiers track trailers at transfer point
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Jackie D. Womack, the trailer transfer point noncommissioned officer in charge with the 611th Seaport Operations Company out of Fort Eustis, Va., 541st Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 15th Sustainment Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command (Exp... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Soldiers track trailers at transfer point
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Jackie D. Womack, the trailer transfer point noncommissioned officer in charge with the 611th Seaport Operations Company out of Fort Eustis, Va., 541st Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 15th Sustainment Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command (Exp... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Soldiers track trailers at transfer point
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A Soldier with the 611th Seaport Operations Company out of Fort Eustis, Va., 541st Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 15th Sustainment Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) drives through the Savi Signpost system, which helps the Trail... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

CONTIGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq - The Trailer Transfer Point at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq, opened for business March 15.

It holds, loads and unloads trailers as they wait for units to come pick them up or convoys to transfer them to another destination, said 1st Lt. Jonathan A. Ackley, trailer transfer point officer in charge with the 611th Seaport Operations Company out of Fort Eustis, Va., 541st Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 15th Sustainment Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) and a Columbus, Ohio, native.

"We manage a little over 200 trailers," said Ackley. "It can be anything from vehicles, pallets (or) containers."

Sgt. Jackie D. Womack, the trailer transfer point noncommissioned officer in charge with the 611th SOC, said around four convoys, inbound and outbound, come through the yard every day, with an average of 30 pieces per convoy.

"We're generally pretty busy," said Womack, an Emerald, Texas, native. "When we did our count for March, we had over 350 (transfer movement requests) and an average of about five items on each - right around 1,700 pieces of equipment in just one month."

Spc. Stefan C. Harris, a truck driver with the 611th SOC and a Clarksburg, W.V., native, said they verify the cargo when it comes in, to maintain accountability of each piece that passes through the yard.

"(The Savi Signpost system) helps us out a lot," said Harris. "Sometimes, we get cargo in that we don't have paperwork for. We can then check the (radio frequency identification) tags that are on the cargo to see what TMR it goes with."

The Savi Signpost system is an interrogator system that tracks the RF ID tags as they enter and exit the TTP, Ackley said. The 28 systems at Speicher, Joint Base Balad, Victory Base Complex and Marez, cost roughly $98,000 total.

Harris said the unit also ensures the trailers are put in the correct area, lined up neatly.

The TTP Soldiers verify each outgoing connex's information to ensure it is headed to the right place, he said. They then ensure each connex is secured properly.

"I really feel like I'm supporting the rest of the Army out here," said Harris. "I make sure the units get the stuff they need. We make sure that the trailers are fully mission-capable, ready to go."