SDDC celebrates 50 years as Army command

By Sarah Garner, SDDC Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, ILLINOIS (February 23, 2015) -- The U.S. Army's Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, headquartered at Scott AFB, celebrated its 50th anniversary as an Army Command Feb. 15 and commemorated the occasion with a special event Friday at the Scott Club.

The "Celebrating our Heritage" and Awards Luncheon brought over 300 members of the SDDC workforce together to celebrate the organization's history and present awards to members of the command for exceptional performance.

"Knowing where we've been as an organization helps us better understand who we are and how, as a team, we will take SDDC into the future," said SDDC's commanding general, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Susan A. Davidson.

"While we're honoring past contributions," Davidson added, "I think it's only fitting to also honor current team members who are excelling and helping to continue SDDC's legacy of moving the force."

As part of the event, Davidson, with SDDC's senior enlisted advisor, Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin McKeller, and guest speaker William Lucas, former and first SDDC deputy to the commander, presented a combined total of 47 Global Deployment and Distribution Excellence Awards to teams and individuals for outstanding service and contributions to SDDC's mission.

Beginning his remarks with, "Happy anniversary, SDDC! I have to say you don't look your age," Lucas congratulated the command and award recipients on a continued job well done and provided the audience with a quick rewind of SDDC's history.

"This command is responsible for so much. Most people don't realize all the things you do every day in support of the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces and the Dept. of Defense, from getting equipment shipped for deploying units, to shipping household goods and POVs, to handling port operations. The list goes on and on," said Lucas.

Officially established on Feb. 15, 1965 as the Military Traffic Management and Terminal Service (MTMTS), the command was redesignated in 1974 as the Military Traffic Management Command (MTMC) to highlight its primary traffic management mission. Thirty years later, in 2004, the organization received its current designation as the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) to more directly reflect its global deployment and distribution mission.

SDDC is the Army Service Component Command to the U.S. Transportation Command and a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command. SDDC's mission is to provide global deployment and distribution capabilities to meet our nation's objectives.

By employing a globally postured, professional workforce using audit ready processes, SDDC is the preferred choice for deployment and distribution solutions. With approximately 2,400 people, SDDC books, ships, tracks, and conducts port operations for surface movements both domestically and worldwide by leveraging services from the best of the U.S. transportation industry. SDDC also supports Service members, federal employees, and their families with safe and secure delivery of their household goods and privately owned vehicles. The command manages an average of about 520,000 household goods shipments per year with almost half of those moves occurring between the peak months of May and August. Additionally, SDDC's Transportation Engineering Agency, also at Scott AFB, provides the DOD with engineering, policy guidance, research, and analytical expertise, ensuring U.S. military forces can respond successfully to any requirement anywhere in the world.

"From the command's activation in 1965 through today, SDDC has experienced numerous changes. Its organizational structure and mission have evolved; its headquarters and units have made numerous relocations; and the command has changed its name, from MTMTS to MTMC to SDDC. But, throughout each of the past 50 years, one thing has remained constant -- SDDC's dedicated support to the Warfighter," said Davidson.