FORT EUSTIS, Va.– On Jan. 23, 2026, the Ocean Cargo Clearance Authority (OCCA) team at the 597th Transportation Brigade, U.S. Army Transportation Command (ARTRANS), celebrated its 10th anniversary. For the past decade, the award-winning team has played a vital role in securing contracts for transportation, port operations, and logistics services that enable the surface movement of personnel, equipment, and supplies.

The OCCA is the Military Traffic Management Command activity responsible for booking Department of Defense (DOD)-sponsored cargo and passengers for surface movement, performing related contract administration, and accomplishing export and import surface traffic management functions for DOD cargo moving within the Defense Transportation System.

January 23 marks the date international cargo booking-related functions were decentralized from ARTRANS (then known as the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, or SDDC) headquarters. Mission execution was placed directly in the hands of brigade commanders to more effectively meet the needs of customers in their area of responsibility (AOR) while providing oversight and guidance to ensure operations run smoothly and remain audit compliant.

“For 10 years, the 597th OCCA team has been a quiet powerhouse and the backbone of readiness, mastering complexity, solving problems, and proving that excellence isn’t claimed, it’s earned,” said William Letchford, Rapid Support OCCA chief. “Our impact is woven into every mission we empower [and] seen in the work no one notices but everyone depends on... our legacy only grows stronger.”

While the OCCA operates quietly, it provides a vital function, managing contracts for services, equipment, and resources needed to ensure the brigade’s transportation and logistics operations run smoothly as the Army projects the force in support of large-scale combat operations (LSCO).

The work of the 597th Rapid Support OCCA team ensures the Army can deploy rapidly, sustain operations, and respond to challenges across the globe—wherever and whenever needed—to deter threats, project power, and sustain readiness worldwide.

Gene Sullivan, Rapid Support deputy brigade operations officer, explained the OCCA’s efforts are critical to moving cargo around the globe by commercial vessel and supporting the DOD Commercial First policy.

That policy, also articulated as “Commercial as Possible, Military as Necessary,” is a strategic logistics directive that mandates utilizing private-sector transportation providers for logistics and sustainment movements before relying on organic military assets. This approach aims to reduce costs, leverage the efficiency of commercial supply chains, and free up specialized military assets for combat operations.

“The OCCA is the engine of ARTRANS,” Sullivan said. “The old Transportation Corps motto, ‘Nothing Happens Until Something Moves,’ should be updated to include… ‘Nothing Happens Until Something is Booked.’”

It takes a dedicated team of professionals to build and manage relationships with ports, carriers, railways, and other vendors—often referred to as the “fourth component”—as well as military personnel across the Joint Forces.

The importance of the OCCA cannot be understated. Their work directly supports the Army’s crucial role in deterring adversaries and maintaining a strong global presence, ensuring forces can be moved efficiently and effectively and that Soldiers have the resources they need to succeed in any mission.

Congratulations to the Rapid Support OCCA team on 10 years of military surface movement excellence!